Where do you hang your hat?

[MisterSmooth]

I posted this over on the AF1 Aprilia board, but no one had a really kick-ass solution.


The '07 Tuono is a fabulous, ridiculous bike but I've finally come up with one issue.

There's no helmet hook for hanging your helmet on the bike when you're in the coffee shop. My buddy has a Falco and has the same complaint.

My R1 was a pretty focused bike, but it had fairly substantial hooks under the passenger seat that could even handle a spare helmet if you were meeting someone and needed to carry a second hat across town. The locations were such that the helmets didn't touch the exhaust or mar the bodywork.

Has anyone come up with a smart way to lock helmets to the new T?

[xdbx]

I noticed the Futura didnt have a hook as well, and while reseraching the issue, saw that some people made a small hook, and simply attached it to one of the body screws under a seat.  Perhaps on yours, i think the seat is seperated, so you could just have it in the middle of the trunk, and have the helmet rest on the seat.  

Other option i've seen is just carry a cable lock, and do it through the front wheel and helmet.  This is more versitile, becuas eyouc an also hook through the arms of your jacket.  Never thought of that one until mid-ohio, but wished I did.  

Perhaps short of that, just find a place somewhere on teh body work or trunk that will let you put a padlock on it, and jst run that through your D ring.  

Then again, my new nolan doesnt even have those... so i'm totally screwed..ahah

[forester]

The 'strom is the first bike I have ever had where the helmet hooks work with short double-loop ended plastic covered stainless steel cables.  The hook is actually underneath the seat.  Something similar might work for your Tuono, but I haven't seen the new one, so I'm not sure.  All I know is that you can buy this sort of cable and ferrules at the hardware store for next to nothing and probably build something with a cut-off tool and a hammer in short order.  

[MisterSmooth]

The 'strom is the first bike I have ever had where the helmet hooks work with short double-loop ended plastic covered stainless steel cables.  The hook is actually underneath the seat.  Something similar might work for your Tuono, but I haven't seen the new one, so I'm not sure.  All I know is that you can buy this sort of cable and ferrules at the hardware store for next to nothing and probably build something with a cut-off tool and a hammer in short order.  

Yeah, that might be the best way to go.  I really don't have a better solution.  

[ride200mi]

Here is a helmet holder used by quite a few Futura owners.
http://www.sporttouringusa.com/www/helmetguard.htm

[Snowbird]

Where I live, people don't steal stuff. Better yet, in the neighboring state, helmets are not required, so who'd steal one? Ergo, I place my helmet on the curb behind my bike and my riding gear across the seat... and walk away. Once in a geat while I secure my riding gear with an openable and reusable nylon cable tie, strategically placed so it isn't in view... just enough to make it obvious that any opportunistic thief is messing with stuff that isn't his. But, I've yet to return to find my stuff was moved.

[steve.ski]

I usually carry my helmet with me, but if I MUST leave it, I use a smaller Kryptonite designed for bicycles run through the chin bar. I put the Krypto around the fork leg, rest the helmet on the fork/fender, and put the stock helmet cover over it.

Never had a problem, but I have heard of helmets being stolen from "helmet locks" by the thief cutting off the D-rings. I thought this was completely wack, but I suppose the scumbag could just have a new loop stitched over the rings.

Hope this helps...

[Chips]

The most elegant solution I've seen is from www.lockitt.com, and the base replaces a bolt on your frame.

[ksann]

My Falco was the first bike that I owned without a lock.

Then I bought a Guzzi, but if you use this, your lid rests on the muffler (heat up that sweat? Yuk!)

Now, on my BMW (K12S), the helmet locks are really hard to use. Two cast pieces under the seat. But the strap on my X-11 is barely long enough. Sucks.

So I still just carry my lid with me wherever I go.

Those rear fender lock thingamabobs are slick. If they didn't look so ugly, I would get one.




ken

[MilleArp]

I never lock my helmet to the bike.  It almost-always comes with me.

If I feel it's safe enough to leave with the bike, like at a bike gathering, I just leave it there.  Nobody messes with your gear, and we watch each others stuff.  

FWIW - one ingenious solution is to use cable ties.  Since most bikers carry a pocket knife, removal is fairly easy, but does take a bit of effort if a thicker one is used.  Did that at a big concert parking lot once.  No issues.

MY concern with leaving the helmet locked/attached, but unattended, is some punk kid with too much Slurpee and an active mischeivious mind....  

.

[Falcopilot]

I don' t know about the T7, but the Falco has a cross brace where the pillion lock mechanism is, over the computer box.  I simply drilled a hole in the brace, inserted a D-Ring through the hole, attached another, smaller diameter D-Ring to the first one, then I simply put the helmet strap rings through the smaller D-Ring and snap the pillion seat or cover back down.  Simple, CHEAP, works perfectly.

You can see in the pic where my helmet rests.

[xdbx]

aright guys, well I found you what I was talking about.  Brush up on your french, or use google translator:

http://www.rst1000.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=63


Preview:

[MisterSmooth]

Thanks, X.  I think that might work; I'm going to pop the seat on my Tuono and check it out.

Maybe the way to go is to use that metal "plumber's tape" pipe hanger stuff for the hook under the seat.  That way it can be bent to be just right, plus it has lots of holes in it for mounting through a bolt.