Parking motorcycles in hotel rooms.

[canuguzzi]

I'd seen motorcycles in apartments but didn't think people actually put them inside hotel rooms for the night. As I was just about to leave the other morning and about a day from home, I see two guys heaving and huffing at the door to their room. I watch as they pull out by the rear a HD stretcher, hard tail and all.

Strange I thought because there were so many other people also getting ready to head out and the cleaning staff was already hitting rooms.

Stranger was when they went back inside and pulled out another, and one more! I looked at my room then imagined the arrangement inside theirs, I had the large room and theirs appeared to be one of those singles.

No license plates on any of them, no helmets in sight (California) and no one wearing any riding gear. 2 guys and 3 bikes. They didn't have a car or some other vehicle that I could see.

Just strange.

[savagehenry]

Back when I toured long distance more often, I usually put my bike in the hotel, would lay down a large garbage bag first just to be courteous. In Hastings Nebraska, the woman saw that and told me I must move it. I pointed out the approaching weather and told her "Sorry, but no way". Half an hour later we had quarter sized hail and tornadoes close enough to hear. Next morning she came by and said I made the right call (once she saw how careful I was to keep the room clean) since every car in the lot was all dinged up bad. When I couldn't put it in the room, I would run fishing line out the window concealed as well as possible and tied to my bike, and tied to my traveling boy scout pot and pan kit in the room. Instant homemade bike alarm. That and my Beretta .380 and I would sleep quite well

[Idontwantapickle]

Henry you are the polar opposite of the guys I know that rebuilt the carbs on their suzuki race bike in a motel room. It was.......stinky.
I think that was a no smoking room after that.
Hunter

[normzone]

Thanks for the fishing line story - I've used it before like that but not in that circumstance. I understand asking for a handicapped access room usually gets you ground floor with a wide door.

[nunzio]

https://dowcopowersports.com/guardian-cover-alarm-26038-00/


To say that this is loud would be an understatement!!

The black box has a clip on the back and just attach the lanyard and when the lanyard moves it pulls out the pin in the top of the box.

No problem hearing the alarm in your room on the 3rd floor.

I got 1 for my Eldo and will get another for my wife's XS650

It may seem pricey,but, after you hear it you'll forget about the price......Alan

[Cam3512]

Whenever I stay in a hotel, I park the bike under the covered main entry way.  If a cheap "motel no-tell"' bring it up under cover outside the door.  Yet to meet any resistance to either.

[Kev m]

Look, I love my bikes, but they're only bikes not Picassos.

I will occasionally ask to park under protected cover, but no matter how much care someone supposedly takes, it's disrespectful to bring it in the room.

I remember the first time the owner/operator of small establishment sheepishly asked me not to do that at check in. I was aghast that some barbarians had done it to him in the past so he felt the need to proactively bring it up.

Just another case of why some of the non riding public hates us.

[maquette]

"Look, I love my bikes, but they're only bikes not Picassos.

I will occasionally ask to park under protected cover, but no matter how much care someone supposedly takes, it's disrespectful to bring it in the room."

 :1:  Amen.

[dilligaf]

I cover my motorcycles with a cover.  Out of sight-out of mind. 
Matt

[Moto Fugazzi]

No license plates on any of them, no helmets in sight (California) and no one wearing any riding gear. 2 guys and 3 bikes. They didn't have a car or some other vehicle that I could see.

Just strange.

The 3rd guy was probably outside relieving himself, as there was a 4th bike stuck in the bathroom.

Ken

[Carlo DeSantis]

Look, I love my bikes, but they're only bikes not Picassos.

I will occasionally ask to park under protected cover, but no matter how much care someone supposedly takes, it's disrespectful to bring it in the room.

I remember the first time the owner/operator of small establishment sheepishly asked me not to do that at check in. I was aghast that some barbarians had done it to him in the past so he felt the need to proactively bring it up.

Just another case of why some of the non riding public hates us.

 :1: Absolutely right on the money.

And what about it being a fire hazard in a closed space?  Isn't that an issue as well?

[Guzzistajohn]

A local dood went to Sturgis with his bro in law, He on his good 'ol SPII and bro on his brand new hawg. Bro in law had all the fanciest new locks and chains and locked the hawg up in the hotel parking lot. When the guys got up in the morning, the hawg was gone, the SPII was still there with the key in the dash. Alot to be said about not taking your Picasso on the road.

[MotoGoosy]

What next?  Bikes on planes??

[canuguzzi]

The three bikes in the room, the three guys all sleeping together in the bed. Maybe that is the mindset?

[blackcat]

I only did it once and it wasn't a very nice place. It was a nowhere motel in Alabama and I couldn't find a place to stay due to whatever reason, the bullet proof glass and the scantily dressed young ladies hanging out in the parking lot made me a bit concerned, so in the room I rolled the bike.

[Rough Edge racing]

 I always got picked up by some bi polar woman and parked the bike at her place...

[everiman]

When I was doing my ride to South America, I would always look for hotels with parking lots, This one was in Salvador, thats a sawed off shotgun the man is holding.



Sometimes if they did not have one the hotel would offer the lobby for parking.  In La Paz Bolivia they said sure, no problemo, after I checked in and paid they had me roll the bike down this staircase to nowhere :-) It was a lot steeper than it looks in the picture.  It literally took two men and a boy to get it out.  I tried riding it out but I could not get traction  on the stairs.  A trials rider coulda done it I suppose but it was beyond my skits

[Tom]

No plates.  No helmets.  In California.  Show bikes.  The trailer was out of sight.  Motel maybe hotel, No.  The only bike I ever did that with was my Daytona 1000.  Most other times it was under the parking roof overhang.

[pauldaytona]

No plates, 3 bikes for two, they were collecting stolen bikes there?

[Lannis]

Look, I love my bikes, but they're only bikes not Picassos.

I will occasionally ask to park under protected cover, but no matter how much care someone supposedly takes, it's disrespectful to bring it in the room.

I remember the first time the owner/operator of small establishment sheepishly asked me not to do that at check in. I was aghast that some barbarians had done it to him in the past so he felt the need to proactively bring it up.

Just another case of why some of the non riding public hates us.

+ a bunch.   How can a motel possibly allow anyone to bring a dirty 800 pound vehicle with 5 gallons of gasoline into a room?   It doesn't make sense.       

I think they're being really nice to allow us to park under the front foyer, like the last two have done for me without my even asking.  They can see them from the front desk; although they don't commit to watch them all the time, a thief will likely try a less visible target.

If people start insisting on their "right" to bring a bike into their room, it's going to go back like the bad old days.   And it should.

Lannis

[Tom]

Goes for the same with using motel bath towels to wash the bikes.

[Vasco DG]

I have to say I found the whole idea bizarre.

I've travelled extensively in the US by bike and have never felt the need to park any of my bikes in my room. I stayed in a couple of slightly dodgy places too! (the 'Days Inn' in Muscogee was particularly memorable. Jude got savaged by bed bugs! :D) and on another occasion I stayed in downtown St. Louis where I have to say I have felt more secure but on that occasion I was on the Convert, a machine so oddball that nobody would steal it, even if they were barking mad!

If you're travelling, especially for pleasure, surely it's easy enough to stay somewhere where you aren't kept awake by the crackle of gunfire?

Here in Oz most publican's will suggest you put your bikes 'Around the back' rather than leaving them in the street and often there will be an undercover area out the back which you're welcome to use if you ask nicely but if you tried to push your vehicle into your motel room chances are the proprietor would, quite rightly, go ballistic! If you refused to move it they'd call the wallopers, and quite right too! It's an absurd presumption.

And I agree wholeheartedly with Tom about the use off towels to wipe down your bike. What monstrous arrogance!

Pete

[Lannis]

Goes for the same with using motel bath towels to wash the bikes.

The last two I stayed at, one offered the old worn out room towels without me asking, the other gave me one when I asked.

I just hate to see that nice trend screwed up by people pushing the envelope of civility.

Lannis

[charlie b]

I have to admit I have used a hotel towel to wipe off my seat after it rained that night.  Mine were still wet/oily from previous incidents.

But, would not think to use one to clean the bike.

I guess owning a bike that no one would want makes me think a bit differently than most.  I'd park mine just about anywhere (and I frequently forget and leave the key in it).  Heck, if I don't mind staying at the hotel, then I trust leaving the bike in the parking space outside.  If I don't trust the hotel parking lot I'll go somewhere else.

And have had plenty of nice motel folks offer to let me leave it under an overhang.  One pair of chromed HD's got ticked cause my bike was under the overhang and there was no room for theirs.

[malik]

Riding the 1100 Sport in NZ last year, I stayed at the holiday park in Waihi Beach, and was the only guest in the backpackers dorm. On booking in, was told "it looks like it will be wet overnight, you'd better park the bike in the room" (big sliding glass door). The only time I've ever even thought of doing that. It did rain overnight, but beautifully sunny next day.

Mal

[Lannis]

And have had plenty of nice motel folks offer to let me leave it under an overhang.  One pair of chromed HD's got ticked cause my bike was under the overhang and there was no room for theirs.

I pulled up under a front foyer in front of a Holiday Inn Express last Monday just in front of a torrential thunderstorm.    A long H-D trike-trailer rig was taking all the available space.   The rider saw me pull up, ran out of the lobby, and pushed his rig back so his trailer was in the rain but I could fit my bike in so I could park and unload under cover.   

I thanked him (a Marine, by the way), and in the morning when I left I found that he had cleaned all the bugs off my windshield and wiped off my seat and tank .....

We want more of that, from fellow riders AND from motels ....

Lannis

[Kentktk]

And I agree wholeheartedly with Tom about the use off towels to wipe down your bike. What monstrous arrogance!

Pete

I`d rather use a use a cleaned towel somebody had used to wipe down their bike than one used to wipe clean an ass any day.

[canuguzzi]

I`d rather use a use a cleaned towel somebody had used to wipe down their bike than one used to wipe clean an ass any day.

From the looks of the guys hauling the bikes out of the room, I'd say the towels there were used to wipe asses and other nethers after they were used to wipe down the bikes.

So you'd get a 2fer.

[Kentktk]

From the looks of the guys hauling the bikes out of the room, I'd say the towels there were used to wipe asses and other nethers after they were used to wipe down the bikes.

So you'd get a 2fer.

No doubt, and you can be assured the bikes were wiped first

[cruzziguzzi]

I do/have.

Started with my '82 Katana. Turned out to be a side benefit to the ergos I like that it'd fit through standard doors.
Came walking across the parking lot one evening from a quickie-mart and a fella is doing what he later described as "seeing how top heavy it was". Point being, I clear the corner and he's standing beside it with it off the side stand. Too, there was a utility trailer across the lane and down with its door-ramp down.

Coincidence? Possibly, but either our man or someone else had tried to push it far enough to get my disc-loc well and truly into my chain and far past where I left it. Things got said and words got backed up but in the end, I still happily found that it rolled nicely into my room. I then and ever after use a poncho that I always carry to roll it in and sleep quite soundly.

Is it something I perceive to be overly precious as stated above? Are my priorities outa line with others?

Don't give a frigg... I still have my bikes and I defy anyone to detect the past presence of my bikes once I clear-out.

Then, I couldn't replace it. Now, I don't wanna replace any of them... forcibly.

That one had at least three theft attempts so far. My XR1000 had one attempt and one success. My old 'Glide went to the swap-meet in the sky.... Just those three alone represent what are to me irreplaceable items in what they are in particular and what they represent to me mostly.

Yup, I do it and apologize to no one. In fact, I kinda marvel at not appreciating them more than... "Oh well, I'll hammer the insurance and buy another/something else".


Todd.