Travelling with a seat bag (or a knapsack on the seat), any security issues?

[Neil]

For those of you who have toured solo, have any of you had problems with stuff getting pilfered out of a seat bag, or a knapsack bungeed (or however attached) to the seat? Or the whole thing being swiped? I'm referring to distance touring as opposed to a no stop commute to work or school. If you can't park the bike in view of the restaurant window let's say, do you take the bag in with you, or do you trust your fellow man to leave a bike alone? (You can stop laughing now!) I'm not referring here to side bags or a tail bag locked onto a rack.

[Chuck in Indiana]

For those of you who have toured solo, have any of you had problems with stuff getting pilfered out of a seat bag, or a knapsack bungeed (or however attached) to the seat? Or the whole thing being swiped? I'm referring to distance touring as opposed to a no stop commute to work or school. If you can't park the bike in view of the restaurant window let's say, do you take the bag in with you, or do you trust your fellow man to leave a bike alone? (You can stop laughing now!) I'm not referring here to side bags or a tail bag locked onto a rack.

Well..... no. I've *never* had a problem. That said, "The times, they are a changing.." <shrug>

[charlie b]

I haven't had a problem with it either, but....

I've left it loaded in parking lots at places like Zion NP, Yosemite, Winchester House, Hurst Castle, etc for hours at a time.

Another but......I never leave anything of real value unsecured.  Mostly stuff like clothes, gloves, first aid kit, etc, etc.

[fotoguzzi]

I don't worry about it mostly.. but sometimes I have some valuable stuff in the top bag..

a locking top box is  good thing..

[OlDogface]

I've normally used some type of duffle bag attached to the pillion for one or two night touring and never had an issue with short stops. A picture of my current set up is below. The bag on the V7 is a Tourmaster Elite Tail bag and works great for my purposes. I take the bag in with me to a motel/long stop but leave it on the bike for lunch/tourist type stops.

Come to think of it, the only time I have ever had any issue with my bike was at a motel in Texas. Someone turned my bike around so it was parked front-in instead of front-out. No damage at all, they just turned it 180 degrees. It was a bit disconcerting coming out and seeing my bike parked "backwards." 




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Here is my previous Honda 250 commuter with an HD bag. I never took it on an overnight but it did many a commute and several day trips to local state parks....

[Tom]

Overnight stay.  All bags off the bike.  Soft bags.  No real valuables in the tank bag but that comes off if the bike is not visible from the restaurant.  Has not been a problem in small towns. 

[Huzo]

I never worried about it 'till I started going to Europe from Australia. Now it's "lockable" hard luggage to protect passport, visas and stuff that's just too damn hard to replace if stolen. But no dramas before that.

[Bud]

     I have a California 1400 Touring and electronics and valuables are locked in hard bags. I have a sissy bar bag which clips on which I pack my clothes in. I sometimes also have a dry bag with my camping gear which I attach with a cargo net. During the day I lock my helmet to the mirror to avoid a quick snatch but have never lost anything. At night the gear comes off the bike.
     Generally speaking I probably would not be traveling or stopping in a place where I felt uncomfortable in the first place but I understand that is not always possible.

[Daniel Kalal]

I've used this same setup (no saddle bags and no tank bag) for many years and many miles in several places (NZ, Aus, Europe, India, US).  I've never had a problem; haven't worried about it.  My passport and any other documents are always on my person.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

I travel with my tank bag on 100% of the time and have traveled a lot over the years with stuff stapped to my motorcycle and bicycle. Never have had anything taken. I do try to park my bikes in view and stay out of high crime areas.

[Gliderjohn]

Before the Norge I did a lot of touring in the early years (starting in 1979) with a homemade duffle bag and/or a gym bag secured with bungie cords. Later with the T-3 I have and still use an unlockable trunk with soft luggage. I have yet to have any problems, probably look to poor. This includes riding in Ft. Worth/Dallas, Tulsa, Ok. City, KC, Denver, Moab, Ozark's, small towns everywhere in the midwest, you get the idea. Maybe no one wants to mess with anyone crazy enough to be a Guzzi Owner. 
GliderJohn

[Huzo]

. Maybe no one wants to mess with anyone crazy enough to be a Guzzi Owner. 
GliderJohn

Or someone who'd go up in the air with no engine !!! What do you do if the wind stops !!!

[Tom]

Do a steep dive then yank backwards on the stick.

[Gliderjohn]

Quote from Huzo:

Or someone who'd go up in the air with no engine !!! What do you do if the wind stops !!!

Ah!, young grasshopper. In the midwest it is not when the wind quits but when the heat goes away.
GliderJohn

[Tom H]

Maybe no one wants to mess with anyone crazy enough to be a Guzzi Owner. 
GliderJohn

I like that 

MHO: If you have something in the easily removable bag that you value, take it with you. If your spending the night away from your bike and have something that you value in your LOCKED hard case, take it with you. Or just keep the valued items on you or a small bag that you can easily take with you.

With that said, I've had my tent and sleeping bag strapped to the bike many times, never a problem. Now when I travel with my fishing rods in the back of the truck worth about a grand strapped down so that it's time consuming to remove, I only stop for gas with them in the back. Drive through dining is my friend. Motel stay, the rods come in with me.

On the security note, a lock is only as good as the time it takes person to remove it.

Tom

[Farmer Dan]

Wife and I stopped in a bar once, had two drinks came out and both helmets were gone.

[Huzo]

Quote from Huzo:
Ah!, young grasshopper. In the midwest it is not when the wind quits but when the heat goes away.
GliderJohn

Yeah. I remember now... How many times I've been asked that question.

[JesterGrin_1]

Come to think of it, the only time I have ever had any issue with my bike was at a motel in Texas. Someone turned my bike around so it was parked front-in instead of front-out. No damage at all, they just turned it 180 degrees. It was a bit disconcerting coming out and seeing my bike parked "backwards." 

I have an answer for this one lol. As I have seen it. Actually they could have been good people doing you what they felt was a favor. This is how I have seen it. Lets say a Motorcycle is parked between two vehicles that make the motorcycle hard to make out at night when a vehicle is going to park in that space and being the front of the motorcycle there is no reflective parts such as a tail light that one can make out quickly and thus a person if not paying attention could easily run into the motorcycle. So some good people thinking this simply turned your motorcycle around so anyone attempting to park in that spot would spot the reflective tail lamp right off. It might sound odd but again I have seen this lol. Only once though lol. :) But I had to ask lol. 

[Huzo]

I have an answer for this one lol. As I have seen it. Actually they could have been good people doing you what they felt was a favor. This is how I have seen it. Lets say a Motorcycle is parked between two vehicles that make the motorcycle hard to make out at night when a vehicle is going to park in that space and being the front of the motorcycle there is no reflective parts such as a tail light that one can make out quickly and thus a person if not paying attention could easily run into the motorcycle. So some good people thinking this simply turned your motorcycle around so anyone attempting to park in that spot would spot the reflective tail lamp right off. It might sound odd but again I have seen this lol. Only once though lol. :) But I had to ask lol.

You'd be taking a major risk if you did that with someone's bike in Australia, (or I dare say most anywhere else)

[Gliderjohn]

Years ago in Wichita I had two helmets stolen. One was in the lock and they cut the chin strap. So what are they going to do with a helmet with no chin strap?
GliderJohn

[webmost]

For those of you who have toured solo, have any of you had problems with stuff getting pilfered out of a seat bag, or a knapsack bungeed (or however attached) to the seat? Or the whole thing being swiped? I'm referring to distance touring as opposed to a no stop commute to work or school. If you can't park the bike in view of the restaurant window let's say, do you take the bag in with you, or do you trust your fellow man to leave a bike alone? (You can stop laughing now!) I'm not referring here to side bags or a tail bag locked onto a rack.

Do it all the time. Never a prob. I also hang the helmet on the handlebars. When touring aboard my KLR Biffy Bullfrog I even leave my key in the ignition -- cause that bike is too damn ugggly to steal. Fact is, I leave the key in all the time, even round town. Extreme case: 2015, went canoe camping in Minnesota. Left Sopowa parked beside the campground showers for two weeks, while we paddled, portaged, and camped far away in the wilderness. Bear in mind that Sopowa's a new shiny 2015 bright red Indian Scout, with removable and unlockable leather saddlebags and a zip open for bag. No prob.

There's far more paranoids than there are bad people in this world. Least there are in places I like to tour. If I have to look over my shoulder, I don't wanna go there.

Enjoy.

[Brevaman]

Wife and I stopped in a bar once, had two drinks came out and both helmets were gone.

Leaving helmets on the bikes was your 2nd error of judgement.  2 drinks and riding?  Seriously?

[JeffOlson]

I would never leave anything of value unsecured. Thieves abound.

Our Vespas have locking under-seat storage and locking top boxes, and my Norge has a locking top box and locking panniers. We always lock up anything of value.

Unfortunately, in some parts of the world (like London), you need to secure your bike as well or it will be stolen (especially Vespas). Here, I just carry insurance. (No, I don't mean my guns, though I do have those, too.  )

[Sheepdog]

As others have said, I don't keep things that are expensive or that I can't continue without. Usually, camping gear or rain gear is about it. Even then, I keep my time away from the bike to a minimum or choose a table in the restaurant with a view of my bike. My Vintage has both locking saddlebags and a 46 liter locking top case. I can secure things like my helmet, gloves, and jacket on the bike and enter my destination looking like a regular guy...

[Jabo911]

In my travels I've never had a problem. I do have a duffle bag that I strap to my seat mainly for dirty clothes, spare shoes, etc. I use a shorter ratchet strap that I secure it with. It would only take a few seconds to cut the strap to remove it if someone wanted it more than I do. I almost always secure my helmet with a gun lock (the cable type for a pistol) when I can't keep an eye on the bike.

[Huzo]

Do it all the time. Never a prob. I also hang the helmet on the handlebars. When touring aboard my KLR Biffy Bullfrog I even leave my key in the ignition -- cause that bike is too damn ugggly to steal. Fact is, I leave the key in all the time, even round town. Extreme case: 2015, went canoe camping in Minnesota. Left Sopowa parked beside the campground showers for two weeks, while we paddled, portaged, and camped far away in the wilderness. Bear in mind that Sopowa's a new shiny 2015 bright red Indian Scout, with removable and unlockable leather saddlebags and a zip open for bag. No prob.

There's far more paranoids than there are bad people in this world. Least there are in places I like to tour. If I have to look over my shoulder, I don't wanna go there.

Enjoy.

do you ride without a helmet 'cos what's the chances of face planting an on coming truck ? I mean, like, it's never happened before...

[swooshdave]

I have a Kriega bag that attaches to the seat with four quick release buckles. I take it and my helmet anytime I can't see the bike. Maybe I'm paranoid but it takes less time to take the stuff with me than it does to replace said stuff.

[Huzo]

Leaving helmets on the bikes was your 2nd error of judgement.  2 drinks and riding?  Seriously?

he didn't say what he was drinking

[Sasquatch Jim]

  I had my best rain pants stolen from a bag on my bike in Washington state at a marina.
 When I came back to the bike, the zipper was open and rain pants gone.

[Green1]

Never had a problem myself,never left an unlocked bag on the bike overnight and that would be the only time I could see a problem arise,only time I have seen people rifling through my tankbag were US Customs officials with handguns so I didn't say anything.