Road Trip by Motorcycle

[.40Cal]

Hey guys,

I'm doing a road trip with some buddies in a month 4 days 3 nights. We will have many riders (6 -30 riders). First leg of the trip will be up to Enter the dragon (30+ riders) 1st day. Then everyone comes back. But the 2nd leg of the trip will have only 4-6 riders going through Yosemite (Hwy 120 to 395), to Mono Lake, Tahoe, Reno, and back to bay area.

I own a Sig 226 in 9mm. (Also have a Raven, a tiny .25Auto). Can I carry a handgun in my backpack? What are some legal suggestions / concerns?

Thank!

[edgerly779]

AS long as not loaded and the backpack has a lock on it. Better in locked container in saddlebags or compartment on bike.

[alfred1222]

Ya, unloaded, locked backpack, and YES I KNOW IT IS NOT CONFIRMED BUT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE no loaded mags. im not here to start a debate, i know the CGN (not CGF, the CGN) collective opinion is that you can have loaded mags in the case, but ive been stopped, had cops search my gun cases (leaving BLM) and in the first case was told 1) dont have loaded mags, some cops will arrest you for having a concealed weapon and the second time 2) cop actually took me in for a concealed weapon before his captain told him i wasnt breaking the law and there was nothing to book me on.

Also, be prepared to have a sore ***.

[.40Cal]

Yeah, that a B**** when cops don't know the law themselves and they can F*** up your trip/vacation, waste time/add additional fines, etc.

From what I understood over the years, you can transport a gun in a locked bag/container. So I could throw on a padlock on the backpack. (It's a sport bike, so I don't have saddles, etc) As for the mags, I thought loaded mags are allowed as long as they're not in the gun or same compartment.

Forget all this, I'll just carry a lil knife

[dirtrider04]

Not sure what kind of bike you have... I had a gsxr that had storage under rear seat accessible with a key... would that suffice? mags in pack... firearm locked under seat?

[glockman19]

I regularly travel on motorcycle and I carry in my backpack unloaded in a locking Allen soft case. My ammo is either in magazines or speed loaders in the locked soft case.
As long as the magazines are not attached to the gun, you are good to go.
Happy safe riding

[emsalex]

I ride with it in my tank bag so it can come with me when I go to the little girls room.

I also have a lockable soft case for my LC9 that is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket.

[.40Cal]

Not sure what kind of bike you have... I had a gsxr that had storage under rear seat accessible with a key... would that suffice? mags in pack... firearm locked under seat?

It's a Honda CBR F4i. There isn't much space under the seat. I can barely put a couple of envelops there - for registration, insurance, etc.

I regularly travel on motorcycle and I carry in my backpack unloaded in a locking Allen soft case. My ammo is either in magazines or speed loaders in the locked soft case. As long as the magazines are not attached to the gun, you are good to go. Happy safe riding

That's what I thought. I thought you could have loaded mags, not installed in the handgun, and in a different compartment/bag, and the gun unloaded & locked in a a case/bag would meet the legal requirements.

Do I even need it? Honestly, it's not really necessary to carry a handgun on a road trip; but then you don't need one at home too... It's just for *in case*. One can never predict what they may encounter on a road trip or at home (it's just for protection). And with the mags separate from the gun, it actually slows you down, but in the back of your mind you know you have it *just in case*. That's what I think - could I be wrong?

I ride with it in my tank bag so it can come with me when I go to the little girls room. I also have a lockable soft case for my LC9 that is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket.

A Sig 226 is a full-size all metal handgun. I probably need to get a smaller one for these kinda situations (an excuse to buy another gun...lol). Considering a Glock19, though I've stayed away from Glocks for as long as I could...

[brianm767]

Before I got my CCW, I would take a firearm with me only if i was staying overnight some where, then I would have it at my camp site or sleazy motel. If your going for multiple days, I'd take it.

If it was just a day trip, I'd leave it at home, I figured while carrying it legally in a locked container, either my side or top box, with loaded mags with it( its legal ) not in it, I wouldn't have time to get to it if I needed it.

My wife rode an 05 F4I, we had a nice med size tank bag on it, could easily carry a P226 in it, but yes I agree, great excuse to buy another gun, mayby a compact Kahr CW9 or a Ruger LCP, that's what I carry in my pocket on my rides now.


From CHP's web site. Frequently asked questions.

I will be traveling to California and want to carry my weapon. I currently have a concealed weapon permit. How can I legally transport my weapon while driving through the state?
California law does not recognize concealed weapon permits from other states; therefore, they would not be held valid. If you wish to transport a handgun during your California visit, it should be carried unloaded in a locked container. In the absence of a suitable container, you may secure the unloaded handgun in the locked trunk of a passenger car. Ammunition may be kept in the same container or trunk, but the handgun must remain unloaded with no rounds in the cylinder and no loaded magazines in the magazine well.

But as seen above, you may still end up crossing an uniformed cop who doesn't know the law as Alfred 1222 says happened to him, appears on two occasions he says his gun cases were searched? Don't know what the PC was to warrant that search? So some, as Alfred1222 does, goes buy the rule you can't have loaded mags in the same case, that's not a bad ideal, you won't get hassled by the cops that way. I've met numerous cops who are not clear on this and also think its illegal to have loaded mags in the same compartment, just as the cops in Alfred's situation.

I choose to follow the law and I carry ammo in the same compartment, before I had my permit, I carried my HG in a small zip up nylon case that had an out side sleeve, I would either throw the case in a locked trunk, or I would put a tiny pad lock on the case zippers, and it would not open at all the way I locked it, then I'd slip two loaded mags in the sleeve on the case, I often carried this in my tank bag on my Hayabua or Blackbird.

In my last 32 years of driving as a gun owner, I have never had any of my vehicles or my person searched, I have never been asked if I give concent to search, and I never would give concent any ways. And I had more than a few incounters with the popo when I terrorized the west coast on my Hayabusa.

I used to work nights at the airlines and i was often pulled over by the cops on my way home between 0200-0400, they would use any pc, such as licence plate light inop, or reg sticker not legible, it was BS, they were looking for drunks, I knew that so i didnt get torqued about it, i figured maybe they take a drunk off the oad that might hit me, once i was in my Toyata 4door Tercell and they said my car matched the description of a car that was invloved in street racing, but not once did they ever ask for concent to search my vehicle.

I've read a lot about what Apears to be harassment from various agencies while on BLM land, what gives there? Why would they search any ones gun case? I would never give concent to that, do they just do it? I'm curious because I plan on riding my XR650R on BLM land this summer and I will have a gun on me, with a permit that is, but others in my group will not have permits, and a few legally carry small guns with them as well.