Do you leave gear unprotected on your Bike?

[Marcus]

So. I was taking a ride on the weekend. I went to Geelong  (which is a fairly large city outside Melbourne), for Crepes see photo here:




Anyway. Because I stuck a thing on top of my helmet to connect a camera, it now doesn't fit inside my topbox. So, when I parked my bike I just left my helmet sitting on my seat. And forgot to take my Wallet from the side container thingy...the one without the lock, and it was still there when I got back 45 minutes later.

This got me thinking. Has anyone have stuff stolen? And if so what?

[Couch]

Mate.............I never leave anything unattended. 
If you had your helmet lifted.............how are you going to get home??

[Couch]

Incidentally..........that's one fine looking Crepe.............wish I was there

[Marcus]

I know I usually take it with me, but I was feeling kind of 1% er at the time... 
You know...while I ate my crepe and sipped my latte...

[Rodd]

I usually try to park the bike somewhere where I can keep an eye on it. I'll never leave anything in view otherwise. Even in a locked car at the shops I will at least put things in the glovebox or under a seat, or cover it with something (jack, blanket) if I have to. They say that most crimes are opportunistic, so I try not to make it easy for them.

I'd leave my helmet with the bike if I could lock it to the bike, but now I have the bluetooth comms attached to it I probably would rather not leave it with the bike.

On my trip on my GL I stopped at stopped at Nimbin. I had all my stuff attached to the bike. I had my Aldi tank bag including GPS, Digital camera, video camera, mobile phone, etc.
Quick enough to remove if you don't care about the bag. I had a coffee in a cafe that had a view of the bike (not real close). When I was leaving I asked the waitress (?) if my bike would be safe if I went for a walk around town and she went on to say that it should be.. but then added 'but it IS Nimbin you know!". I did go for a walk but kept within view of the bike and I wasn't game to go into any of the shops. There seemed to be a shifty couple hanging near the bike so I returned to it and rode off. LOL

[Flip]

It's a sad indictment of how things are today, but if it isn't locked inside one of my panniers or inside the top box - anything on my ST goes with me.
As soon as I get off the bike, first order of business is to open the top box and put the GPS unit inside, then off comes my helmet, gloves, etc. and straight into one of the panniers or top box, which are all locked and checked before I walk away from the bike.

[Couch]

That's probably what most of us do..............if I don't lock it up, I take it with me!

It's a sad indictment of how things are today, but if it isn't locked inside one of my panniers or inside the top box - anything on my ST goes with me.
As soon as I get off the bike, first order of business is to open the top box and put the GPS unit inside, then off comes my helmet, gloves, etc. and straight into one of the panniers or top box, which are all locked and checked before I walk away from the bike.

[scarp]

It's not just today's society I had a pannier broken open & my leather jacket stolen while at a movie in Melbourne bout 30 years ago luckily I had run a chain thru the bike & helmet but that was a cold ride home that night.
If I can't see my bike I never leave stuff with it

[Marcus]

This is an interesting one as I see so many bikes with helmets sitting on the handlebars it's not funny. Mind you they are mostly Harley riders. 

[Flip]

Marcus,
a couple of years ago a mate of mine came over to visit. He parked his H-D, large black and chrome outlaw looking beast, at the end of my driveway right up along side my house next to the lounge room windows.
That's a good 20 plus meters from the roadway.
We walked into the kitchen, a minute minute or two when I reminded him that he'd better bring his helmet inside because the local little rat-bags would steal anything not bolted down if given half the chance.
Went outside straight away and you guessed it - one helmet that was left over one of his mirrors was gone already.   >:(

[Malcolm6112]

You know what they say about Gosnells Flip.

[Flip]

unfortunately - YES       
But it seems to be getting much the same everywhere around Perth lately. 

[Gavo]

I spent sixteen years in Mirrabooka thats why now i live out at Toodyay

[Streak]

I used to, but I lost iPod & Gloves at a servo getting fuel.....lesson learnt

so i lock everything up in my top box or panniers now.

[scarp]

You know what they say about Gosnells Flip.

Oi I happen to live in Gosnells well nearly, Oh yeah that's why I lock every thing up. My son drives an old Daewoo to work & back parks it out the front of the house unlocked so the locals can have a look in with out breaking the windows first

[Flip]

Back in the late 1990's, the charming little -   - tried breaking into my house more than once but a pair of rather large german shephards wandering around my house and backyard seem to put them off a bit.
Three of them tried again one Friday morning, (2am) I heard a " GRRRR - CHOMP ! " just outside my bedroom window, loud screaming and shouting, more barking and snarling ( 2 big dogs  ) then the sounds of someone scrambling back over the fence.
End result was one little darling (17 years old) given a smack on the wrist and let go. Typical  >:(
BUT I was dragged into court by the ALS in a civil case claiming my dogs where savage and un-controllable and should be put down for the " safety of their clients ".        >:( >:( >:(
Thanks to the help of a friend ( the head shire ranger ) we where able to persuade the court to allow this dog to be brought to the courthouse and introduced to Mr. McIntyre to prove how well trained and controllable he really was.
Mr. McIntyre was a little bit unsure but agreed to leave the court room and be 'introduced' to Zef outside at the rear of the building. As we where doing this, another uniformed officer    came out of the courthouse -  I let'Zef' go because I knew exactly what he would do. He trotted over to the officer, stopped in front of him, sat upright, mouth slightly open, his tongue hanging out, looked almost like a grin on his face, and offered the officer his paw to shake.    Zef instinctively liked people in police uniforms.
That was enough for Mr. McIntyre, he went straight back inside and threw the case against me out.   
The ALS lawyer was somewhat upset about that.   

Sometimes you could still manage to win one back then - wonder it that would still happen today with all the bleeding hearts and goodie-goodie two shoes taking care of the 'rights' of  these criminals ?   |||

[Flip]

I'm still voting for M&M's !         

[Couch]

You really have to wonder Flip don't you!!

Back in the late 1990's, the charming little -   - tried breaking into my house more than once but a pair of rather large german shephards wandering around my house and backyard seem to put them off a bit.
Three of them tried again one Friday morning, (2am) I heard a " GRRRR - CHOMP ! " just outside my bedroom window, loud screaming and shouting, more barking and snarling ( 2 big dogs  ) then the sounds of someone scrambling back over the fence.
End result was one little darling (17 years old) given a smack on the wrist and let go. Typical  >:(
BUT I was dragged into court by the ALS in a civil case claiming my dogs where savage and un-controllable and should be put down for the " safety of their clients ".        >:( >:( >:(
Thanks to the help of a friend ( the head shire ranger ) we where able to persuade the court to allow this dog to be brought to the courthouse and introduced to Mr. McIntyre to prove how well trained and controllable he really was.
Mr. McIntyre was a little bit unsure but agreed to leave the court room and be 'introduced' to Zef outside at the rear of the building. As we where doing this, another uniformed officer    came out of the courthouse -  I let'Zef' go because I knew exactly what he would do. He trotted over to the officer, stopped in front of him, sat upright, mouth slightly open, his tongue hanging out, looked almost like a grin on his face, and offered the officer his paw to shake.    Zef instinctively liked people in police uniforms.
That was enough for Mr. McIntyre, he went straight back inside and threw the case against me out.   
The ALS lawyer was somewhat upset about that.   

Sometimes you could still manage to win one back then - wonder it that would still happen today with all the bleeding hearts and goodie-goodie two shoes taking care of the 'rights' of  these criminals ?   |||

[sac468]

You really have to wonder Flip don't you!!

Back in the late 1990's, the charming little -   - tried breaking into my house more than once but a pair of rather large german shephards wandering around my house and backyard seem to put them off a bit.
Three of them tried again one Friday morning, (2am) I heard a " GRRRR - CHOMP ! " just outside my bedroom window, loud screaming and shouting, more barking and snarling ( 2 big dogs  ) then the sounds of someone scrambling back over the fence.
End result was one little darling (17 years old) given a smack on the wrist and let go. Typical  >:(
BUT I was dragged into court by the ALS in a civil case claiming my dogs where savage and un-controllable and should be put down for the " safety of their clients ".        >:( >:( >:(
Thanks to the help of a friend ( the head shire ranger ) we where able to persuade the court to allow this dog to be brought to the courthouse and introduced to Mr. McIntyre to prove how well trained and controllable he really was.
Mr. McIntyre was a little bit unsure but agreed to leave the court room and be 'introduced' to Zef outside at the rear of the building. As we where doing this, another uniformed officer    came out of the courthouse -  I let'Zef' go because I knew exactly what he would do. He trotted over to the officer, stopped in front of him, sat upright, mouth slightly open, his tongue hanging out, looked almost like a grin on his face, and offered the officer his paw to shake.    Zef instinctively liked people in police uniforms.
That was enough for Mr. McIntyre, he went straight back inside and threw the case against me out.   
The ALS lawyer was somewhat upset about that.   

Sometimes you could still manage to win one back then - wonder it that would still happen today with all the bleeding hearts and goodie-goodie two shoes taking care of the 'rights' of  these criminals ?   |||

smarties are better

[saaz]

Marcus, should have mentioned before that I originally come from around the Colac/Camperdown area, so know Geelong (have a few relatives there) and most parts of Victoria (have other relatives here and there). Even been to Maryborough going between Bendigo and Ararat, and that 'other' Maryborough (have friends there)

[Mark]

As for leaving things out or unlocked, when leaving yer bike. 

The only place I do that is at home in my garage, and when the bike is parked in the open carpark at work  .

I have left my helmet and gloves on a couple of occasions (when I have been rushing, and busy trying to get the water proofs off, to get in the office before start time. We have swipe cards that log your movements), I have also left the keys in the ignition. With hundreds of people walking past it each time throughout my eight or ten hour shift, and never had anything taken. 

Though I am lucky to work in an environment where you can do that these days. 

I have never left anything out when parked anywhere else. Plus, having the ex cop bike, I am choosy about where I park the bike anyway.

Some years ago, when I had an ex cop Yamaha XJ, I used to park it at Whitfords train station, then get the train to Perth. Over a twelve month period, I returned to find my bike, to find it on its side (broken mirrors, scratched chrome)  . Never saw anyone elses bike get that treatment there  . I always left my bike on its centre stand for a better footing too. I assumed that there are some that have a statement to make when they see something that looks "COP". So that would be a down side of having a hard to find white bike. I am sensitive to where I would park it.

Anyone else happy to leave things out (like on the old days) when at work? 

[Brock]

I leave my bike parled at work with the keys still in it, and helmet n stuff in the top box. Working on a Miliyary Base has its advantages.

One time while visiting a Specialist in Perth, some nice person removed my helmet from the  bike (ZZR1100) helmet lock.Some how I managed to get back down the freeway to Joondalup with out being pulled over (My argument was going to be that I was wearing $1000 of safety gear, do you think I would be riding without a helmet by choice??) Fortunately my bike parts shop let me take a new helmet on account (account I didnt have money available for an new one)