Carry on a Motorcycle?

Try a tank bag

I have a Marsee tankbag on my BMW R1150GS that works great. Easily swallows a Ruger Bisley .45 Colt, and anything smaller. Quickly detachs from the bike and has a padded carry handle; also a velcroed-in Marsee wallet in a sleeve on the inside of the lid. Below is a source that I personnaly know and recommend.
mredsmoto.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/ category.display/category_id/39/index.cfm
North"wet"

Since you're getting a cruiser, and not a crotch rocket, the upright seating position wouldn't rule out IWB carry with the right jacket.

In Texas, it's the "intentional failure to conceal" that will get you in trouble. If you carry in the tank bag, transferring it to on-body carry can get sticky, or at least inconvenient.

I have a Fat Boy and I won't ride without wearing a jacket, so it's a simple matter of a shoulder holster or OWB for me.

If I do need to rearrange anything it's easy enough to slip into a restroom stall for some privacy.

If I carry, it's usually in a jacket pocket with a holster, or similar arrangement. I don't believe in leaving a gun.....or a cell phone....on the bike. Think of it this way, if you get into an accident and need your cell phone, or get run off the road and the guy gets out of his vehicle to come after you, where's your gun/cell phone? It sure isn't with you, as I've almost NEVER seen a motorcycle accident where the bike stayed with the rider. I know in my wreck, I was a good 100+ feet away from my bike.....with a broken leg, but I had my cell phone in the inside pocket of my jacket......but I didn't have a signal.

OWB with jacket or large untucked denim shirt most of the time when wife is with. SOB with same denim shirt other times (she doesn't like leaning against it) on a HD Fatboy.

It sounds like you'd be new to motorcycles. I strongly recommend taking a good motorcycle training class based on MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) materials. You'll have fun, save a little on bike insurance, and learn good riding skills. If you want to be safe on a bike, get good training, practice braking/swerving regularly until it's instinct, and wear good protective gear from head to toe EVERYTIME you ride the bike. Good gear (designed for motorcycling) will greatly reduce the chance of a serious injury in a crash. A good helmet, mc jacket, mc pants, mc gloves, and boots are the minimum IMO for every ride. You'll see lots of riders with little (or no) protection, but it's their body that'll have the road rash (hopefully no head injuries though, that damage tends to be permanent). You must take responsibility for personal protection. It's your body that will suffer if you do not.

Riding a motorcycle is enjoyable but has a higher risk of injury than driving an auto. You can mitigate much of that risk with training, good gear, and awareness, but it doesn't completely go away. Anyone that says motorcycling is perfectly safe is lying to you. Like most things, it's a risk vs. reward choice. For me, riding lonely backcountry roads is very rewarding especially if they are twisty.

One thing to figure into your monthly commute savings is replacement tires. You won't get (EDIT: much over) 15K miles on a mc tire and it could be under 10K miles depending upon wheather it's the front or back (they wear out faster) and what type of riding the tire is designed for (touring, sport riding, cruising, etc.). Also decent mc tires cost more than decent auto tires especially if you buy them at a shop and pay them to change the tires (I do my own).

PM me if you want to know more. I'm a former motorcycle instructor and have some experience and a few opinions on the subject.

I ride a BMW dual sport and end up out in the middle of nowhere quite often. I carry in my tankbag.

As for motorcycle ownership it sounds like this is your first bike. Do not buy a new one! First you'll take a huge depreciation hit over the first couple of years. Second you'll likely drop it which will hurt the value even more. I'd recommend starting out with a dual sport. You can drop those and it won't cost much to fix and scratches make them look cooler Good choices are Kaw KLR 650s, Suz DR 650s, Honda XR 650s and even the BMW 650GS. These are all thumpers and you should easily get 50 mpg. I get 60mpg on my BMW commuting since it is fuel injected. The new twin spark models get 70 mpg. You can get the Japanese bikes used for roughly $3500 and the BMW for around $5k. My recommendation would change a bit if you are only planning on commuting on an interstate. These bikes are great on the backroads and through town but aren't at home on long interstate cruises. The BMW is the best of the four for this but there are better bike suited to the slab.

Second thing is to take the motorcycle safety course. 1911user brings up good points about gear. I never ride unless I'm wearing mc gear head to toe. I've seen friends wreck without gear and with gear. The one without was in the hospital for a month getting debrided and skin grafts. The second one got up and rode home. Yeah it's a pain in the ass getting geared up all the time but it's a lot less painful than the plastic brush on deep road rash stuffed with gravel. Plan to budget $500-$750 on gear (helmet, gloves, jacket, overpants, boots).

Finally think about maintenance. Most bikes have a service interval of 6000 miles. On my BMW this involves a valve check which means taking the top half of the bike apart. The stealer would charge you about $600 to do this so I do it myself. I also go through a rear tire every 5000 miles at $100 a pop - the front lasts twice as long.

I tell everyone who asks not to buy a motorcycle to save money. Buy one because you like to ride. It is very likely that you'll end up spending more per month after you buy one. There are these things called farkles that you'll want to add (accessories). I've spent another $1500 plus on mine buying aux lights, GPS, tankbag, tailbag, luggage, bar risers, footpegs, chain guards, engine guard, etc in order to make the bike just like I want it. I don't think I've saved any money since I bought the motorcycle but I've sure had a great time seeing the country.

More people die in bed than on motorcycles. Suggestion: stay out of beds.

That said, one of the moto magazines wrote an article pointing out that motorcyclists are most likely to crash during their 1st year of riding and their 10th year of riding. So, expect to dump the bike and scratch the paint/chrome the first year. Suggestion: buy used bike for first year.

Take the MSF Course. If nothing else, it trains one to maneuver in parking lots.

Your safety gear is YOUR decision. This is America!

A J-frame snubby fits nicely into the front pocket of a leather jacket.

1911user said:

One thing to figure into your monthly commute savings is replacement tires. You won't get over 15K miles on a mc tire and it could be under 10K miles depending upon wheather it's the front or back (they wear out faster) and what type of riding the tire is designed for (touring, sport riding, cruising, etc.).

Click to expand...

I'm on my second set of 22k-25,000 mile Dunlop tires on my Harley, but.....I get less than 3500 to a set on my two Ducatis (I've gotten as low as 2000 miles on a set....I know some guys who get less than 2000, but that is a bunch of HARD mountain twisty riding). I usually run really sticky Pirelli tires on my Ducati motorcycles.

See my bikes here - http://members.aol.com/TBoling125/hobbies.html

I've also ridden my motorcycles (mainly my Harley) in 44 continental US states, 2 Canadian Provences, and into Mexico. You can read some (really long) stories of some of my longer bike rides (5000+ miles) here:

http://members.aol.com/TBoling125/bike_trips.html

Nice Ducs KK (except for that one you wadded up - glad you only had a broken leg). I liked your ride reports too. Some of us are planning a ride up to Montana and Canada this summer - mainly offroad once we hit Colorado and Wyoming. I see we have the same hobbies - guns, guitars and motorcycles. I'm assuming you are a Kramer fanatic based on your handle. I've finally toned down my GAS and ended up with some Suhrs, G&Ls and a McInturff and a Maven Peal and Carr amp. I can only fund one hobby at a time. I just finished my guns rotation so I'm bike into the bike now getting ready for a trip next month to Big Bend National Park.

Sorry to hijack your thread Rich.

A shoulder holster would work well for riding. The one tip I have for you that I didn't read is always be a defensive rider. Always assume that the other driver will not see you and mentally keep alert. I can't even count the amount of times that I thought to myself, "What if they pull out in front of me?" and the jerks did, because I was ready I was able to avoid an accident. People like to make lane changes into your space, so be aware. The joys of riding are worth the extra diligence.

I would think since one wears street clothes plus some extra outer layer protection that standard IWB or a shoulder rig would be fine.

If not, see my thread
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=181478

brewer90 said:

I'm assuming you are a Kramer fanatic based on your handle. I've finally toned down my GAS and ended up with some Suhrs, G&Ls and a McInturff and a Maven Peal and Carr amp. I can only fund one hobby at a time.

Click to expand...

I can relate to the rotation and only being able to fund one hobby at a time....and, yes, I am/was a Kramer fanatic. I actually had the first website on the internet dedicated to Kramer guitars and am sometimes noted as being the "Godfather" of Kramer knowledge (I co-wrote an article on Kramer's history in Vintage Guitar Magazine in 1998). I'm down from 43 guitars to about 12, with only two Kramers. My most noteable ones, now, are my three ESP George Lynch models.

Back to the Topic...

As for riding while carrying, despite stating that I prefer to carry on me, I thought I'd remind everyone to always remember the vulnerability you place yourself in when carrying on you when riding. You have just placed an object between you and whatever you may hit (ground, wall, car) and that object will not help with the impact. It's not unheard of for a cell phone in a breast pocket assisting in breaking ribs, or a gun on the hip helping in breaking a pelvis.

Honestly I think the Vstrom 650 is a better communter bike. It is lighter, probably more capable in less than ideal terrain and will get better mileage. It will also be a better bike for a novice. If you think that the 650 will lack sufficient power for what your trying to do, then you havent ridden one. THe bike shares its motor with the SV-650 which is one of the more popular amatuer track bikes these days. It's not so much a matter of ability, I just think that the 650 is a better bike all around.

As far as carrying a pistol I would worry about on-body carry from a safety standpoint. If you end up taking a spill a big piece of steel is going to get pressed right into your body. People have recieved nasty internal injuries from having cellphones in their pockets when crashing, having a pistol carried right over your ribcage isnt going to be fun if you end up landing on it. Its a personal choice, you have to decide which is going to be more important. For me, I consider it far more likely that i am going to wad my bike than that I will need rapid access to a firearm while riding. One has to weigh the costs and benefits before making their own decision, but I carry off-body when I'm riding, then switch to a more practicle method when I get where im going.

Before making a financial decesion to commute on a bike you should do some real-world math to figure out how much money you will actually be saving. You will save on gas, but you should ask around to see what mileage people are actually getting on machines, then realize that you will have to ammortize the costs of the bike and gear, then get an insurance quote just to make sure that it isnt going to cost you more. One thing that most people forget to account for is the cost of tires. Motorcycle tires cost more than car tires and you have to replace them 3 or 4 times more often. I commute on a bike myself, I do so because i LIKE to, it doesnt really save me any money though, at least not enough to make a big impact. If i were riding a new bike, and if i didnt do all my own maintinence it would cost me more than with an economy oriented car.

i ride a Ninja and carry all the time. i carry the same way i always do. Kydex IWB and spare mag on the other side. i use the drawstring on my jacket to keep it from flying up and exposing the gun. its fitted and made of Cordura so it really doesn't blow up anyway. i don't even notice its there when riding. too busy focusing on avoiding the crazed SUV driving soccer moms.

as for risk, KNOW YOUR LIMITS!!! don't try to keep up with your friends that have been riding for 20 years. go at your own pace. the two most common kinds of wrecks on motorcycles are slammed by another driver that "didn't see you" (read: wasn't paying attention) and the solo wipe-out in a high speed corner. (read: riding beyond your or your bike's limits)

to survive in traffic follow one rule. YOU ARE INVISIBLE. pretend nobody can see you at all. even if they are supposed to yield to you, don't bet that they will. 'tis better to yield right of way than get a FORD tatoo on your forehead.

if you're new to riding, don't go buy the biggest, fastest, baddest bike out there just yet. thats a good way to end up with words like "severed" and "decapitated" on your autopsy. cruise around on that Ninja 250 or Vulcan 500 for a summer or two before you step up to the VTX1800 or the CBRXXZFYR1000RRSSPTGLX superbike.

get good gear and wear it ALL THE TIME. shorts and t-shirts are fun and breezy until your butt turns to hamburger when you hit a patch of gravel. try Draggin' Jeans. looks like Denim but has Kevlar underneath.

get some rider training from MSF. don't be a show off.

riding is awesome and once you start you'll ride forever. just be smart about it from the get-go.

Bobby

C Yeager +1

Take a look at a motorcycle racing suit, or an Aerostich suit, and notice where the armor is. Now, Try this experiment. with your PD handgun unloaded, mount your holster on your belt (paddle, iwb, whatever).

Walk out side to the nearest pavement.
Run as fast as you can in the direction of traffic(non busy street of course).
When you reach your maximum speed, dive head first like you are sliding into 2nd base.

Now, imagine this feeling multiplied by a factor of 10

That's just a sampling of what you could expect in an actual moto- get off.
Here's a few other observations...

In a collision, parts of the motorcycle can become ballistic depending on the force involved in the collision. Tankbags, tail bags, saddle bags with a nice heavy loaded handgun in them too.

If the gun is positiononed on your body, place it where it's not likely to amplify the force of an impact with the pavement. A shoulder rig is probably the least likely method of carry to amplify an injury on a moto.

HTH

As has been said already, use a shoulder holster and wear a jacket. Even in warm weather, at least wear a denim jacket. I cringe every time I see some guy who thinks he's a "biker" riding around in his short-sleeved polo shirt with shorts and loafers on.

And wear a healmet. Yep, they won't make you look super cool, but it could save your noggin. I reccomend a half-shell helmet, which is what I wore for most of my riding days. It's important to have a good field of vision and to be able to hear what is going on around you. Folks in cars tend not to see motorcyles, so awareness of your surroundings is very important.

Let's see.. I have owned:
91 883 Sportster
81 FLH
94 Fatboy
75 Goldwing
98 1200 Sportster Custom
Now, with 2 year old son.... nada

So, I have a little riding experience.

Oh! And take your endorsement test on something a lot smaller than a Fatboy! That's sound advice! heh,heh

It is seldom warm enough here to ride in shortsleeves. I wear an old demin jacket and carry my equally-old Charter Arms Bulldog in the inside pocket.

And I wear a helmet.

I dont ride but my brother does when he rides he carries a Kahr pm9 in a belly band.

Many motorcycle jackets come with a gun pocket on the upper left front. Shop around.

I have a 2005 Suzuki S83 / VS1400. I really like it.

The cost of the motorcycle, gear, more gear, insurance, custom work, and upkeep far outstrips any gas savings. I get about 42 MPG on mine. I have an all highway 27 mile commute with my speed generally between 75 to 80 MPH with short bursts to 90+.

I think it is better to go with a big cc bike than a small cc bike because if you get the small cc bike you will just end up buying a big cc bike in a year or so. So go for the big cc bike right off. Everyone else in the entire universe says otherwise but that is my 2 cents.

With maybe the exception of an old moped; motorcycles do not save you money. It is a fun/lifestyle (chick magnet like you would not believe) thing. Enjoy yourself.

I really like the 1000 V-storm. Do you know if the insurance is high on it? How much does it sell for?

lbmii said:

The cost of the motorcycle, gear, more gear, insurance, custom work, and upkeep far outstrips any gas savings.

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I'd have to disagree here. It all depends on what your "cage" is.

When I first bought my Harley, I was driving a truck that got 15 mpg. The Harley has gotten up to 51 mpg (typically 42-46, now). My gear consisted of a $90 leather jacket. The tires on my truck got me 30k miles, if I was lucky, my last two sets of Dunlops on the Harley have gotten 22-25k miles out of them. As for custom work, other than some engine mods, my 1985 Harley still has the original paint (upkeep has been a few chains, a couple sets of sprockets, and a few other knick-knacks). Now, look at resale, I paid $6600 for my bike in 1993, including all custom components, maybe $12,000 total in the bike. Going market price on my bike is around $7000-$8000. I bought my truck at $5400 and sold it at $1800.....I've ridden the bike 65,000 miles and the truck 100,000......Come to think of it....I went through an engine, tranny, and a rear-end in the truck........Hmmmm.....I definitely saved money, and a lot of it, with the Harley.

Now, the Ducatis are a different story. I get 2000-3500 miles to a set of tires at abotu $250 a set. Mileage is 38-50 mph, depending on how I ride them. My current car is a Honda Civic that I bought new. It has averaged 33 mpg for every tank that I've put into it.....it now has 207,000 miles. The car cost $16k new, both Ducatis were $8500 and $12,000 new......Bike gear is upward of $1500, with nice full-face helmets, full leather "racing" suit, $100+ gloves, $250 "racing" boots.......Yeah, I'm really not "saving" any money in this situation.

lbmii said:

I think it is better to go with a big cc bike than a small cc bike because if you get the small cc bike you will just end up buying a big cc bike in a year or so. So go for the big cc bike right off. Everyone else in the entire universe says otherwise but that is my 2 cents.

Click to expand...

All depends on the bike(s). You're probably correct with cruisers, though. I know I'd never recommend a GSXR-750 (or even a CBR600F4i) over any 1000+ cc cruiser, just because it is "smaller".

lbmii said:

With maybe the exception of an old moped; motorcycles do not save you money. It is a fun/lifestyle (chick magnet like you would not believe) thing.

Click to expand...

Ahhhh......now I think I see where you are coming from...and WHY you bought your bike........

I don't. Typically, I am going to either school or work and I obviously can't just "leave it in the car". A hard object between me and the road if I crash seems like a bad idea, too. If I am going on a road trip, it goes in the luggage.

Regarding MC choice, if you are new to motorcycles, buy a used bike with a smaller engine. The GS500, Ninja 500R, and Ninja 250 - as well as crusiers under 750cc are popular choices for beginner bikes. Learn to ride properly before buying a bike that is less tolerant of newbie mistakes.

Anyone who tells a new rider to get a big displacement bike first is irresponsible. This is like handing a new shooter a Desert Eagle instead of a .22lr handgun. Everyone will tell you differently than Ibmii for a reason - we want you to minimize your risk of getting hurt while enjoying riding.

My Ninja 500 gets 55+mpg.

See, I skip the car completely. I do bike only and at THAT point the savings are enormous. Insurance is cheaper, I can do most of my wrenching myself (so far all the way to a near-total engine teardown) and in general life is great. Winter means a full-length insulated rainsuit of course but no biggie.

Current wheels: '97 Buell S3, 2004 XB-spec heads, 10.5:1 forged race dome-pattern pistons in 1250 Axtell ceramic-lined barrels, Mikuni HS42 carb with Forcewinder, V&H cannister soon to be swapped for a whole-pipe transplant as I have an old KT Engineering pipe in storage (no longer produced, downright legendary). Other mods...lighting upgrades, flattracker bars, it also had the PM wheel option from the factory, so my next rear tire will be a 180 versus 170.

45 - 48mpg despite all the mods.

I *love* this bike .

Hi All-

My suggestion is a Langlitz Leathers jacket. Once you've had one custom-built to fit your body perfectly, you'll ride with no other brand. I opted for the upgraded Padded Pocket Columbia in goatskin (along with riding pants of the same construction) a few years ago and I remain extremely pleased with my investment. Here are some pics of the standard Pocket Columbia model from their web site showing where the leather-lined gun pocket is located:


The folks at Langlitz are honest, hard-working, and courteous. They can size the pocket to accomodate everything from a small revolver right up to a Government-sized .45 ACP. As they like to say, the pocket is "suitable for a paperback book or a gun...depending on what kind of day you're going to have..." It'll go on either side, depending on whether you're right-handed or southpaw.

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~