Jump to content
IGNORED

air travel and motorcycle gear question


xbubblehead

Recommended Posts

xbubblehead

I decided to take up an offer from my friend and meet him in Germany this summer to do a little ride. The only issue (other than the flight over the pond) I need to bring my own gear. While I can wear my boots and my jacket onto the plane I will still have my helmet to be packed with all my other gear/clothes. I'm trying to keep it to one carry on bag, i don't want to check anything that can be "lost" and ruin my two week trip.

 

I'm flying Lufthansa and the website say "Its maximum weight is 23 kg and the sum of its dimensions must not exceed 158 cm" and I can also carry a bag and Its weight must not exceed 8 kg and its dimensions must be smaller than 55×40×23 cm. I'm thinking my helmet bag could be a "man purse" if needed.

 

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a good bag which I can use for this purpose and then use it on the 700GS I will be riding.

Link to comment

There are several helmet bag backpacks. This is one I found real quick.

By Shoei. http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/sport/helmet+parts/shoei_helmet+backpack

 

Take a couple Rok Straps to secure it and your good.

Not sure if you've moto'd abroad but some countries are very picky about gear coming in clean. Meaning no grass seeds or insect parts. So simply wash your riding jacket check the pockets for grass bits, make sure your helmet is clean of insect parts. The soles of your boots clean of grass.

When I did an Edelweiss of NZ, they check everything to insure no non-native plant seeds or insect parts that may have eggs come in.

Have fun!

Edited by Tri750
Link to comment
I decided to take up an offer from my friend and meet him in Germany this summer to do a little ride.

I know it's off topic, but which area of Germany?

Haven't been back for over 30 years.

Link to comment

I did a riding trip to Germany a few years ago. I took my helmet, gloves, boots, and Aerostich Transit suit as carry on.

 

I bought a cheap nylon duffle bag that was the maximum size for carry on for the airline. A full face shoei just fit in it. I took all the pads out of the Transit and stuffed them in the helmet, as well as gloves. It was a tight fit but I was able to get the leathers and helmet in the duffle bag and get it zipped. I wore the boots on the plane but changed into flip flops after boarding for more comfort on a long flight.

 

All the stuff I had to have for my trip - riding gear and toothbrush - I carried on. All the luxuries - clean clothes - I checked through.

 

BTW, the maximum reimbursement the airline would pay for a lost bag was about 25% of the replacement cost of my riding gear.

Edited by UberXY
Link to comment

Another option is to Fed Ex your gear ahead of time. Not UPS, I know of a horror story, Fed has been doing this much better.

2 friends came to visit from the UK this summer, they flew Virgin. Carry on, helmets wouldn't fit the spec. They brought their kit but riding buddy's here supplied helmets.

Link to comment

My experience has been that luggage loss rarely occurs provided the flight you book is non-stop, or involves no plane changes. If that's the case you are safe putting your stuff in a checked bag, and irreplaceable stuff in a carry on.

Link to comment
Blind Squirrel

I would not trust my helmet in checked baggage unless you have a hard sided case. Like others, I have worn my boots and even my jacket on the plane, and carried the helmet in the bag that came with it. If fit well under the seat.

Link to comment
xbubblehead

My main concern was the helmet. I haven't flown in years so I really don't have a frame of reference to gauge the storage areas. i did get a nonstop flight so, as a few people have mentioned, checking a small bag and carrying on the important stuff may be the way to go. Thanks

 

Alfred02 - we are meeting in Erding and taking the Edelweiss tour. I just have to get there with my gear - he took care of the rest for my birthday. Great lifelong friend who got me into riding years ago.

Link to comment
My experience has been that luggage loss rarely occurs provided the flight you book is non-stop, or involves no plane changes.
I only check luggage when I'm backpacking or scuba diving. That equipment can't fit (or contains things like knives they won't let me bring aboard). Every one of those trips in the past 5 years has left me without my luggage on one end or the other - not lost, it shows up the next day, but it's not there when I land and it's a PITA at best. I can travel for a week (which means forever) on what I can carry on (and no I don't look like a wrinkle bum). I only carry on and only 1 bag at that - almost always a Red Oxx Sky Train convertible backpack/suitcase or their Air Boss.
Link to comment

Edelweiss bikes all have bags and a trunk too. You won't want anything but a standard backpack or a manbag for the days stuff and extra layer. They have a chase van to take your real luggage to the next hotel.

Knowing its Edelweiss changes things.

When we went I had a big roller soft suitcase with helmet and riding gear in it. Carried a backpack as carry on.

Take some space bags to keep your dirty laundry separate and your clothes organized and compact. Depending on the length of the tour, you get one day off a week.

When you arrive the afternoon before the day off see if the room has a combo washer/dryer. if not, hurry to the laundry room and start your laundry before you even check in. The rush to do laundry otherwise will have you up late or wasting your day off.

Take your riding earplugs with you on the plane. Use them to get some sleep. On a long flight, a seat over the wing gets pretty loud. I used earplugs and the movie earphones for some peace.

F800GS seat isn't that great, if you can borrow or buy an Alaska Leather sheepskin or an Airhawk for the trip, you'll thank me.

If the TV screen in front of you has a GPS channel so you can check the progress of the flight, skip over it. It's depressing!

Avoid wearing your riding boots on the flight. Take your boots and a pair of smooth leather or foux-leather Slides or slip ons with no backs. Benefit: at the airport, you can slide right out of them, on the flight, you don't have to fight the laces or zip to relax, you can wear them to dinner instead of your riding boots that you've been wearing all day. On your day off, you can wear them sightseeing. L.L. Bean makes some nice ones.

Sorry for writing a book, but these tips made my trip very easy.

Link to comment
xbubblehead

Thanks for the info, the more the merrier. I will make sure my equipment is clean and bug free for the trip as well as bring some of the items mentioned ie Alaska Leather sheepskin, wear my boots but switch on the plane.

Link to comment
  • 4 years later...

Glad I searched the archives. We plan to board our flight Sunday wearing jackets, armored riding pants, and boots, carrying our helmets in their own travel pouches. We have a 1-stop flight, Philadelphia to New York to Rome, so keep boots on for the first leg, then when we're headed for Italy, take them off and put sandals on feet, foam ear plugs in ears, and a sleep mask over eyes for the rest of the flight.

Link to comment
Glad I searched the archives. We plan to board our flight Sunday wearing jackets, armored riding pants, and boots, carrying our helmets in their own travel pouches. We have a 1-stop flight, Philadelphia to New York to Rome, so keep boots on for the first leg, then when we're headed for Italy, take them off and put sandals on feet, foam ear plugs in ears, and a sleep mask over eyes for the rest of the flight.

 

I traveled once with a carry on bag containing my helmet and gear. This was flying out of Denver International in August of 2003 and I underwent a thorough inspection and intense questioning. The TSA folks pretty much let me know they didn't give a s**t that I might miss my flight......and that is exactly what happened.

Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday
I traveled once with a carry on bag containing my helmet and gear. This was flying out of Denver International in August of 2003 and I underwent a thorough inspection and intense questioning. The TSA folks pretty much let me know they didn't give a s**t that I might miss my flight......and that is exactly what happened.

 

What were they so fussy about?

Link to comment

I've flown internationally 5 times. Once to New Zealand and 4 times to Germany. Guess I've been lucky as I've never been harassed. I usually carry my helmet and everything else goes in the panniers on the moto. In fairness I've never started in the US. I ride to Montreal and ship the bike from there.

Link to comment

That's why I'm planning to get to the airport 3 hours ahead of departure time.

 

I have printed out the tour information, and will have it ready, should TSA inquire. Today I realized that since I'm checking my bag, rather than carry on, I can squeeze my riding pants into the suitcase, so I can wear "civilian" pants through security, leaving only my riding jacket and helmet for them to fuss over.

 

Normally, my tickets are TSA Pre, something that I have to check for this trip. TSA Pre status makes going through the checkin process much less stressful.

Edited by Selden
Link to comment

I would really avoid trying to bring an electric heated jacket in the cabin. And the helmet prolly wouldn't fit under the seat (overhead perhaps?). The helmet could go in a padded case (or wrapped in bubble wrap) and then checked in a suitcase.

 

Seems like a reasonably paranoid conclusion that one could potentially board the plane, don a helmet and moto suit, and then run amok. A rogue passenger might get farther dressed in full moto gear, than he would with a pair of nail clippers. But what do I know, I'm neither paranoid, or nefarious. I just want to get off the plane on the other end and go about my business.

 

Really, I think I'd go ahead and check most everything. It's just not worth the potential delay for a trip you've planned for a long time, and spent a lot of money on. If you have to carry on your boxers to make room in your checked bag, then that's easier to explain and less useful. OTOH, one could create quite a commotion chasing people around with a skid mark. Seems doubtful that that would be enough to cause your nefarious plot to succeed though.

Link to comment
I traveled once with a carry on bag containing my helmet and gear. This was flying out of Denver International in August of 2003 and I underwent a thorough inspection and intense questioning. The TSA folks pretty much let me know they didn't give a s**t that I might miss my flight......and that is exactly what happened.

 

What were they so fussy about?

 

Mitch, to this day I wonder the same thing. We're all into this riding thing we like to do however, people who aren't familiar with motorcycle riding and protective clothing sometime view said clothing differently. All my gear was black as was my helmet, I had gloves with CF knuckles and BMW riding boots that were somewhat rugged. Add to that a black Joe Rocket jacket and people might think I was rockin' some combat wear. It didn't help that I let them know I wasn't too keen about the way they went through my luggage and inspected every single item as though it was a potential weapon. I could go on and on about it but it simply amounted to some overly officious gubmint workers with an inferiority complex. Well, that and my inability to deal with red tape, delays, and overly officious people. Hey, I seem to recall that you work for the Feds, right? :stir:

Link to comment

I had traveled abroad with riding gears just a couple of times. The first was just a few years back, and that was to Scotland. I had my helmet and boots, plus all the electronics packed in my carry-on. No issues with TSA. This past November/December, I went to New Zealand for a little over a month, but this time I had bought a padded helmet bag, and packed my riding gear in my main luggage, taking care to wrap my riding jacket around the helmet as extra protection. I had a smaller carry-on, and all of my electronics (including a drone!) plus all of the Li batteries were packed in there. I had expected delays with TSA because of all the electronics and nest of wires inside the carry-on, but they didn't even blink or asked me any questions!

 

Bottom line is that, I believe that your experience will depend greatly on which airport you decide to leave from! I left from NY's Kennedy for the Scotland trip, and Washington DC for the recent NZ trip.

Edited by PadG
Link to comment
szurszewski
I would really avoid trying to bring an electric heated jacket in the cabin. And the helmet prolly wouldn't fit under the seat (overhead perhaps?). The helmet could go in a padded case (or wrapped in bubble wrap) and then checked in a suitcase.

 

Seems like a reasonably paranoid conclusion that one could potentially board the plane, don a helmet and moto suit, and then run amok. A rogue passenger might get farther dressed in full moto gear, than he would with a pair of nail clippers. But what do I know, I'm neither paranoid, or nefarious. I just want to get off the plane on the other end and go about my business.

 

Really, I think I'd go ahead and check most everything. It's just not worth the potential delay for a trip you've planned for a long time, and spent a lot of money on. If you have to carry on your boxers to make room in your checked bag, then that's easier to explain and less useful. OTOH, one could create quite a commotion chasing people around with a skid mark. Seems doubtful that that would be enough to cause your nefarious plot to succeed though.

 

My helmet is an XL modular and it fits under most of the seats - but not all. I usually put my moto jacket (motoport, 3/4 ish, so it's long and BULKY) and helmet up top and my bag under the seat. If I have to wear my pants, well, they might go up top as well, but they usually go in my bag. All that come on the plane with me as carry on. The times I've done this it's always been for a quick trip and I can pack light, so all my "other" stuff has fit inside my carry on (usually with my motoport pants, which take up 85% of the space).

 

I think a wired up jacket might give them pause - I always expect to get questions about the wires in my helmet for my comm system, but I've never had them ask anything about that or any of my other gear. Always short domestic flights for me though.

 

 

oh - and if Selden came at me with dirty drawers, I'd absolutely surrender control of the aircraft.

Link to comment

xbubblehead,

The Mrs and I were touring a bit in Europe late last summer. One day we visited Florence in the rain, I had forgotten to pack the cable lock for our jackets and helmets, so we ( I ) ended up carrying them and the tank bag, the wife had the camera. We were both wearing our Frogg Toggs (somewhat baggy) as we wandered the sights. When we came to the Florence Cathedral / Brunelleschi's dome, I couldn't help but notice there were several soldiers and army vehicles guarding the area. We garnered more than our share of their attention as we strolled around. They didn't actually approach us though, perhaps they hadn't graduated anywhere near the top of their class.

My point is why attract attention, the security folks have a job to do.

When we fly over we travel as light as possible and everything except computer stuff, camera, and a few toiletries goes in the checked bags. You are not traveling to a third world country, whatever hasn't come with you due to weight / size restrictions can be acquired over there...and can remain at your friend's place for your return visit next year!

Enjoy.

Link to comment

I have traveled to Europe (EU) with motorcycle gear multiple times. Last trip was November 2017. My observations/recommendations.

1) Boots take up too much room in a checked bag so I wear them and bought a pair that is more comfortable for walking since you will always do some walking in them during the riding day.

2) Carry on your helmet. My helmets came with a light "sock" with a pull cord that is convenient to put over your should or head when you hands are full with other things. The thin bag allows the helmet to fit in storage bins easier. My helmet will not fit under seats but will fit in the overhead if it is not a regional size jet.

3) Organize your charging cables/communicators etc in zip lock bags for easy inspection when carried on. Lithium battery items should always be carried on and never checked to prevent cargo hold fires. In Europe they will ask you to take out all electrical item but probably not your shoes.

4) I wear my riding jacket but if I am packing anything with protective pads, it is easier to pack everything if I remove them to make the gear less bulky. I can cram the pads various places in the luggage.

5) You are typically allowed one carry on and one "personal item" which becomes the helmet so I put camera bags inside the helmet so it does not become a third item. I usually take it out for the screening process then put in back in the helmet for boarding which is where they will count your carry ons.

6) If you are flying a foreign airline, the size allowed for roller bags/carry on is a bit smaller than allowed in the US. Be aware. You will notice "tiny" roller bags all over European airports because of this.

7) You will not ever be questioned about wearing motorcycle gear at airports. They can do the math to know what you are doing.

8) Be aware some checked bag sizes may be rejected for being too large or heavy and if they are accepted, they may require a huge fee. Check with your airline. Some airlines will also limit the number of bags you can check even if you are willing to pay additional fees.

9) Check your airlines international bag rules, they are not the same as for domestic flights and can vary by where you are traveling in the world.

 

But it is still worth the trouble.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...