Thoughts on carry for a motorcyclist.

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misANTHrope

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So at some point in the next few months, I'll get my TN HCP and return to the world of armed citizenry. Since I lived in NC and had a permit there, I've acquired a bike and become quite addicted to riding it anywhere I go when the weather's good. So I've been thinking about how I'm going to work carrying and riding together.

I normally carry IWB in daily life, and I'd like to stick with what's worked for me, but I'm not too thrilled with the idea of carrying on the bike. I have experienced the joy of rolling through the dirt at highway speeds, and the thought of doing that again with a chunk of metal under my hip bone isn't a good one.

So far, the best thing I've come up with is to use my tank bag any time I want to carry, and just unholster and stick it in the bag while I'm riding. If I did that, I'd probably get some kind of cheap holster to put it in just so the trigger would be covered. Of course, that leaves me with the issue of holstering and unholstering in parking lots, trying to be discreet. I don't think there would be any legal issues with this, as a TN HCP allows the holder to carry openly or concealed.

I know we've got some other two-wheeler fans around here- what's your approach to this?
 
Front (real motorcycle) jacket pockets (below the ribs) are your best bet. Just zip that pocket up and remember it isn't for keys. :)

If you highside and slide belly-down the gun will push into your soft underbelly rather than smashing your flesh hard against your bones. If you slide on your back or side the gun won't be an issue at all. If you are thrown you will probably ball up slightly anyway because your underbelly is a natural "vunlerable spot" you need to protect. Anything that hits your stomach hard enough to cause damage will cause damage anyway whether the gun was there or not. The gun might actually offer some marginal protection in some cases.

Avoid Small of Back, hip, or other external locations above bone. If you have a gun on on your hip or especially back and land on it you can do yourself some extra hurt.

Alternatively you can get tank bags w/ built-in holsters (actual holsters, not pockets). I don't have one so I can't comment on whether it's a good idea.
 
About the only thing I could fit in the front pockets of my riding jacket would be something like a J-frame... but hey, I've thought many times about picking up a good pocket pistol to supplement my normal carry weapon, which is a 4" XD. That sure won't fit in the jacket pocket!

I've also thought about picking up a Smartcarry and giving it a try, but that's definitely not gonna work, especially since I have a sportbike. :eek:
 
It depends on what you carry. A fullsize 1911 or XD is hard to put in a pocket. A small auto or snub can fit right in the pockets of a jacket.

I wear a Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket that has more pockets than anything else I own. It has two handy map pockets that are lined and are at about the lower rib levels. These two can swallow a snub apiece.

Apart from that, you'll find that most "Adventure" jackets like the K-jaro have a belt on the outside of the midsection. You could mount a flap holster if you wanted. It's likely no one would notice.

If you're a Harley leatherboy, the quintessential "biker" accessory the black leather vest actually came to be in part because the real bikers back in the day needed a way to hide their guns and show their colors. So, you can wear a shoulder rig under a vest.

You can also try boot carry, if you spring for the right pair of boots. On a standard or sport bike, the left leg is easily within reach. On a cruiser, the forward controls make it difficult.

Of course, you can always carry in a tankbag, or my favorite- the tank bra, for easy access. And, if/when you have a wreck you won't worry about the gun bruising your liver, spleen, or other guts. A highside could really hurt if you get slammed onto a gun.

As gas prices go up, i think we'll see more of these type questions.
 
Is smartcarry like a gun-oriented inside clothes fanny-pack?
Click to expand...

It's a pouch that wears somewhat like an apron, so your pistol ends up sitting in front of your, um, package. I've been interested in one for when I want to carry my XD Service in a more discreet manner. Just from looking at it, I think a cruiser guy might be able to get away with it (or a scooter rider, for that matter), but on a sportbike, you ride with your crotch right up against the gas tank, and the thought of having a chunk of steel there makes me shudder a little. :)

http://www.smartcarry.com
 
i just carry IWB like always when i'm riding. (i ride a sportbike) i realize there is potential for injuries where its carried but i doubt that it would increase the severity all that much. if i'm going down, (knock on wood) the last thing i'm going to worry about is the gun on my hip.

Bobby
 
Well now you have an excuse to get a j-frame. Everyone should have one. :)


Also... (for hollywood) there are jackets that are completely comfortable even in the warm. Even in the sauna heat actually. Mesh jackets work even at very low speeds (or with a slight breeze) and provide significant protection compared to a shirt. Decent leather jackets are in the heat so long as you open the vents and keep moving.
 
Yup, they're out there. Basically the mesh is just there to locate armor around strategic places. Obviously, though, the mesh material isn't going to be as effective at preventing rash as a textile or leather jacket, but it's still more protection than a t-shirt.

Personally, I wear a textile jacket with a zip-out liner for cooler weather. It has vents on the arms, chest, and back that can be zipped open as desired for warm weather. I wear it every time I ride, even in near 100-degree temp days around here. It is warm, but I figure that sweat, unlike road rash, comes off in the shower.

Check out www.newenough.com for some pretty good deals. I got almost all my gear from their closeout section when I started riding, and geared up for about $300. That's including jacket, overpants, boots, gloves, and helmet. I can even say that I've crash tested all my gear.
:rolleyes:
 
I strongly recommend a fanny pack, set up to one side or the other of your belt buckle.

That puts the gun over the pelvis bone, which is pretty tough. It does NOT put it over soft tissue like the liver or kidneys, or worst of all your nuts (smartcarry=DUMB).
 
Take a look at something like this.

Versipak

0403k_1784_detail.jpg


Doesn't completley scream gun and is pretty handy for basic hauling aounrd a lot of basic junk.
The size on this basic on is just big enough for a tight fit on a full size 1911.
 
I carry a full size 1911 in a summer special. I ride a '85 honda sabre and wear leathers. I too was worried about security/injury if I went down....well...I went down over labor day weekend (damn deer) @ 60mph. Believe me, the last thing you are thinking about is the pistol. No damage to me from the pistol, just some road rash where the asphalt wore through the knees of my pants and the palms of my gloves.

About going down, I've heard people say "stick your arms out to keep from flipping" and others say "curl in a ball and roll". The deer hit the side of my gas tank and flipped the bike right, I was able to land on top of the bike momentarily as it slid down the road and then got launched off it, (probably slowed to 40-ish when I hit the pavement). I tucked my arms in across my chest and rolled down the road like a log 7 or 8 times and then got up to push the bike off the road. Didn't break anything so I guess I did it the right way.
 
If you can OC I would reccommend a thigh holster. I don't like thigh holsters for just about any other application but for motorcycles they make sense. They keep the weapon out of the way, they are comfortable, they are an easy reach when seated and you can attach magazines to the holster. The blackhawk ones with the retention lock are especially useful.
 
A shoulder rig is best for CCW on a bike.
Fanny pack, over-the-shoulder bag and jacket pocket carry are all less accessible, but viable for some, as can be AIWB for small revolvers.

Carrying in a tank bag or saddle bag is just self deception, IMNSHO. The gun just isn't readily available enough. It's a way of transporting a firearm, certainly, but it's not really "CCW".
 
Carrying in a tank bag or saddle bag is just self deception, IMNSHO. The gun just isn't readily available enough. It's a way of transporting a firearm, certainly, but it's not really "CCW".
Click to expand...

I don't see how a shoulder holster is advantageous when it's inside a tight-fitting jacket that requires undoing several snaps AND unzipping. It's certainly no more convenient than my tank bag, which I could access with a quick tug of the zipper, and which is maybe six inches from my hand. Same thing for a jacket pocket- a quick zipper yank, and I'm in.

Not to mention that once I get off the bike and take off my jacket, it's not concealed at all. And you'd better believe that when August rolls around and it's hotter than the hinges of hell, that jacket comes off as soon as I park.
 
Re: I went down with my Browning

Back in 2002 I went dpwn on a Honda CB 1000 Hard. Real Hard. Hard enough to Crack my helmet and almost get me my last rites. I always carry a Browning HP in an IWB Holster. I did not walk away, the Police confiscated the Browning [later returned]. I wound up with a massive bruise , luckely the leather saved my hide. I was more concerned with the concussion and internal injuries. Luckely it was my hip and not my spine that interacted with Mr. Browning. But I still carry IWB for the concealabiliy. The shoulder holster is just to uncomfortable. Now this is all my personal preference. Right now I'm considering getting a holster vest.

by the way it hurt for a few months afterwards.....
 
This is a very timely thread for me. I hope to purchase my first motorcycle later this year, and concealed carry on a bike is something I have thought about. In addition, I am curious how many contributors transport their firearms and ammo to a range on a bike. Some infomation on this topic would be greatly appreciated also. Talk about great timing.:D


Timthinker
 
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