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Motorcycle Carry

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:41 pm
by grandpatim
I ride a Goldwing on a lot of trips and need to figure out the best carry option on a bike. I do wear a leather vest and sometimes a leather jacket. I don't think they will cover my sob for my Kimber Ultra Carry. I'm thinking about the kangaroo or another belly band type. I did a search on here but found very little.

I also do a lot of travelling in New Mexico and since nearly every store there sells alcohol I wonder what to do with my weapon while I go into the store. I'm worried whether the saddlebags or travel trunk would be secure enough to keep it in.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Motorcycle Carry

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:50 pm
by KBCraig
grandpatim wrote:I also do a lot of travelling in New Mexico and since nearly every store there sells alcohol I wonder what to do with my weapon while I go into the store.
I think they're going to have that fixed by this summer.

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:45 pm
by ScubaSigGuy
grand,

Even though I don't currently own one I have ridden motorcyles for several years and have lots of friends that do. I have heard of a few guys that have been seriously injured (back and hip injuries) while carrying concealed and laying thier bike down. Now they would have been hurt either way but a hunk of metal in your side or spine can't be good. It can also cause you to roll instead of slide upon contact with the ground. My solution was to keep mine in a canvas tank bak with a magnetic base. these bags are available in all sizes and are securly attached to your tank. This might be harder on a Gold Wing but I think that you could work it out. If you need to stop you unzip your jacket and the bag and discreetly move it your person or simply grab the handle on the tank bag and carry it with you in your weak hand. This can be done away from prying eyes of others. Just a suggestion.

Be safe and keep the rubber side down.

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:39 am
by grandpatim
KBCraig,

I read they were probably going to pass something but I read it won't take effect until July 1st. My first trip is May 17th. I guess I'll just take my chances on the saddlebags being secure or send my wife into the stores. Thanks.

Scubasig,

I didn't think about the damage it could cause you if you went down. Being a paramedic I can just imagine the 1911 outline on the x-rays. :lol: I guess I need to reconsider and explore your suggestion.

Thanks.

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:08 am
by packina45
Look into something like the SafePacker.

Just strap it onto the bike, move it to your belt when you park.

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 7:08 pm
by phddan
I always have my 9mm on my ankle. And I usually carry a 45 in a shoulder rig, when its not to hot to wear my vest. When I ride with just a t-shirt, my 45 is in the saddle bag. Works for me.

Dan

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:56 pm
by frankie_the_yankee
I carry a Commander-sized 45 in a strong side IWB holster. A vest or leather jacket covers it nicely. And since nearly everybody who rides a Harley wears a black vest, nothing stands out.

When it gets too hot for a vest, I carry a SP101 in a fanny pack.

I figure that if I have to lay the bike down, having a gun will be the least of my problems.

The only thing I don't like about my Sportster is that there is no place to safely stash the gun if I need to go somewhere that's off limits. But this happens so seldom that it is only a minor concern for me.

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:56 pm
by Cobra S/C
I ride a Sportster and carry a S&W 649 in a Tucker IWB,strong side.

I have wondered if a weakside,left hand,might be better.

The reason I wonder is;wouldn't it be better,if moving,to beable to draw and still keep your right hand on the throttle ??
I think being able to give it some gas and use the front brake would be a big plus in maybe getting out of a bad situation.

This make any sense ?

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:36 pm
by grandpatim
Since I started this thread in April I had an incident on my bike that has made me rethink carrying on my person while riding. During the trip that I spoke of back in April my wife and I had a wreck on the mtorcycle. We were ran off the road and layed the bike down. I had decided not to carry that day and left my gun at the cabin. I suffered 4 broken ribs and a ruptured spleen and liver along with a bruised lung. All on the left side. If I had been carrying in a belly band or other cross draw holster on my left side I feel like my injuries would have been much worse. When I said something about a 1911 shaped fracture on the x-rays it was purely in jest. But know I know it could have been. I will not carry on my person when I get another bike. It is just too much damage to have to deal with. Of course you are all adults but I would caution against it knowing what I know now.

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:31 pm
by KBCraig
grandpatim wrote:I will not carry on my person when I get another bike. It is just too much damage to have to deal with.
Sorry to hear about your spill, and about your bike, and I'm glad you've healed up.

That said, I have to disagree, because the fixed objects you encounter on the ground are goin to do far more damage to you than your pistol would. If anything, it would spread out the impact area.

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:03 am
by CleverNickname
Cobra S/C wrote: The reason I wonder is;wouldn't it be better,if moving,to beable to draw and still keep your right hand on the throttle ??
Don't tell me that you're seriously advocating trying to ride and shoot at the same time. Do one or the other. Trying to do both at the same time will just mean you'll fail at doing both. This isn't the movies.

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:56 am
by phddan
grandpatim,
Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad your are still around to talk about it. How's your wife doing?
So, for the sake of the other riders on this board, how did you get run off the road?
Do you think an ankle holster would of had a detrimental affect in your accident?
Have you got your bike back up and running?
So many questions left unanswered in your post. :grin:

Dan

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:58 am
by grandpatim
Hey phddan,

My wife only had some bruised ribs and some road rash. I also had a broken shoulder blade and spent a week in the ICU at the El Paso hospital. My wife said as we went down that I reached around around with my left arm like I was trying to protect her. Kind of like when you slam on your car brakes and reach over to brace the person in the other seat. I don't remember doing it. I feel like if I would have had my gun in a shoulder holster or weak side belly band I would have landed right on the gun and possibly broke even more ribs. Or if it was in a IWB or OWB holster I might have broken a hip or pelvis.

As far as how it happened. We were at the Aspencash Rally in Ruidoso NM in May. We were taking a day trip to Cloudcroft and Alamogordo. We were going around a sharp curve north of Cloudcroft and a car was coming from the other direction in our lane. I swerved to miss and hit some gravel on the shoulder and the front wheel slid out from under us. He didn't stop but no suprise there. My Goldwing was totaled. I am trying to replace it but I just got back to work 2 weeks ago and money is short with all the bills. But we are alive and that is what matters. We will ride again.

I think an ankle holster would have been all right. I might not have been able to carry my Ultra Classic II but my Taurus 605 would work great in one.

Thanks for asking,
Tim

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:46 pm
by Wildscar
grandpatim wrote: We will ride again.
Aside from being alive thats the next best thing to hear after a motorcycle accident. I had one real bad wreck. There was a firetruck on the service road and they saw the whole thing. After i cam to a sto pand jumped up they where all in shock casue they thought I was going t obe dead. Everyone in my Family thought I was going to hang up my helmet after that one. I still ride to this day. Its about the ride, not the what ifs.

:thumbsup: to you and your wife. Good to hear yall are all ok.

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:43 pm
by govnor
Man, sorry to hear that you went down. It happens to everyone from time to time. I wear a spine protector, armored jacket and pants, boots and duh, a helmet! Almost every crash I hear about is because a car pulled out in front, ran them off the road, etc. I've had near misses from people cutting me off or pulling out right in front of me. Can't you see the headlight!?!

I have a magnetic tank bag that goes on top of my bike. I ride a Yamaha R1 and it stays put on that. Obviously you have to have a metal tank for it to work. It will fit any full size pistol.