Hi all, as i have noticed many hunters/shooters in the various posts, I was wondering who carries protection, of any sort on their ride? As the U.S. gives us the right to own and the individual states may give us the right to carry concealed i'll bet some of you in America carry sidearm's. How about those of you in other countries? Do any of you carry a protective measure with you on your ride?Ever needed one?Ride safe... J.R.

For protection in Australia we use condoms, only the baddies carry guns here, oh and the police...

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2006 Suzuki DL1000
2003 BMW R1150RS
1991 BMW R100RS
1980 Suzuki GSX750E
1979 Yamaha DT175
1973 Yamaha RD350
1972 Yamaha TD3-350
1978 Yamaha XS750
1974 Honda CB500
1976 Honda TL250 (My First Bike)

Reach in and pull out the big ones

I do from time to time. I have a Tennessee carry permit and it's recognized in some of the neighboring states.

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Scott Craig - Nashville, TN
Red '06 Suzuki DL650 - Red '07 Honda VFR800 - My Bike Page

I like guns, own several, and am a pretty fair shot. That said if your net worth is north of say an '82 Goldwing, if you ever do pull the thing out and wing something or body, no matter what the cause, odd's are good you'd be tied up in litigation until your old and grey. If you want protection carry pepper spray or a knife. The problem with traveling with a gun is it's benefits don't begin to offset it's liablities. The minute you pull it out, you've got a problem likely larger than the problem you pulled it out to address.

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The road to enlightenment is not paved.

There is a lot of truth in that, and anyone who chooses to carry a firearm had better understand it. A bullet, once loosed, cannot be recalled and whatever it hits (ANYTHING it hits) you are going to pay for. If you are justified then the cost will be minor. If you are not justified the cost will be enormous.

Tennessee state law, and presumably most of the other states have a similar law, states that you are only justified in using a firearm for self defense or the defense of another. To be able to justify that you must be in "Immediate threat of death or serious injury." Some guy in the car next to you mouthing off is not justification. A gorilla running at you with a crowbar is also NOT justification unless you are convinced that he intends to use it on you immediately.

That said, there are no statistics available that show the number of times that the simple presence of a firearm have prevented further violence simply because they are never reported. I have personally been in a position twice where simply letting it be seen that I was carrying a gun stopped things from escalating. In both instances simply taking my gun from the holster and putting it on the seat beside me was enough.

This thread is going to get heated. There are too many opinions on both sides of the argument, and I've been involved in this same sort of topic too many times before. When the fur starts to fly I'm out of this one. I'll simply say that one shoud choose what they feel is best for them and respect the fact that others have the right to their own opinion (Even though they are usually wrong!).

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Scott Craig - Nashville, TN
Red '06 Suzuki DL650 - Red '07 Honda VFR800 - My Bike Page

While I do have a concealed carry permit for PA, I very rarely have any gun with me. The problem is, on a bike, there is nowhere I could place it to access it quick enough in an emergency. Lets say I put it in my jacket pocket. I would need to take off my gloves, so I could hold the zipper and so my finger would fit through the trigger guard, pull it out and take the safety off. It sounds easy, but in an attack, you don't have that long.

Ummm....

I live in Canada.

Most of the time even our soldiers are not allowed to carry a loaded gun while on active duty in "peacekeeping" actions.

What do you think the powers that be would do if they caught someone here with one. Heck we are supposed to register our hunting rifles. If someone breaks into your home and trips over a coffee table in the dark they can sue you for their injury. Can you imagine what you would have to do if you actually shot someone? Even the police are not supposed to draw unless there is a gun in view. Every time they do draw there is a book of paperwork to file.

So... no I don't carry. :rolleyes:

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Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.
Albert Einstein

09 Moto Guzzi Stelvio (Red of course)
07 DL650 Blue (wife's)
05 DL650 Grey.. (retired )

Stromtrooper Offroad Riders #7

I have a Missouri concealed carry permit, and I carry a small 2-shot derringer all the time, just out of habit. It's so small it's like carrying a large pocket-knife, and it's actually less bulky then a Leatherman. It does fire two 9mm cartridges, capable of stopping most attackers, but only at very close range.

What has been said here about the consequences of pulling out your pistola is very true... and I would never use it unless I was sure I was going to die otherwise. If one cannot remain calm and cool in a road-rage scenario or be prepared to take some lumps in an un-armed fist-fight, then they shouldn't be carrying a gun.

My main reason for having it is possible situations off the bike... such as rest stops, gas stations, convenience stores, etc... and if I'm going to be camping overnight I usually take along something a little larger with more cartridge capacity to keep in my tent with me.

A word of caution... if you are traveling across state lines, be very sure that the state(s) you'll be riding in do honor your state's carry permit... and it's a damn good idea to carry documentation that testifies to that. Even just a print-out of the reciprical carry laws listing the states that participate would be very helpful to show to any law-enforcement officer that stops you. Most cops don't like regular folks carrying guns whether it's legal or not, and many would ignore a permit from another state unless you show them in black-in-white that you are within the law. If they see they have a case that they would lose in court they might think twice before arresting you or taking your weapon.

Cops can ruin your life if they really want to... so it's your call how important it is to you. For me, I'm willing to take a stand on my Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms... even if it means a lot of hassle in court. It's better to have a gun and not need it than to need one and not have it, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let some scumbag criminal take me away from my family and loved ones without a fight.

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"High Probability of Certain Death with Little Chance of Success... What Are We Waiting For?"

It's also good defence to cary a small digital camera, just pointing that at someone who's out of control and it seems to straighten some of the do wrongers' up in a hurry. No harm in pointing it either.

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'07 DL650......grey...sold
'07 Yamaha RSTD....sold
'12 Connie14
hanging around because the DL got me here

i respectfully suggest this thread is mis-filed. shouldn't it be filed under "off-topic?"

and to answer ... no, don't carry. never felt the need.