Motorcycle camping in Alaska, Yellowstone, or other bear-infested regions? Hopefully you have very sturdy metal saddlebags and aren't too attached to your paint job. Hopefully you aren't sleeping with your food. What to do to keep bears away from your food and, more importantly, from attacking you? (Not an unknown scenario; see this article.) Carry a bear canister, or even rent one from ranger stations or in nearby towns. Here's an informative video that shows you how a bear canister works, what to put in it, and how far away it needs to be from your campsite. Backpacker Magazine – How to Use a Bear Canister.
Here's more good advice from a member of trailspace.com on the gear selection forum: . . . contact the rangers or land managers for the area . . . to see
what works there. If, like much of the Rockies in Colorado and New
Mexico, you can get along with just a bag and some parachute cord or
counterbalancing, then save your money. Or, as in Yosemite, if you can
just rent the container or only have to come up with a refundable
deposit, again save your money. But if you are going to Denali NP, you
may have to spring for a BearIKade.
The best resource I could find for more information is the Get Bear Smart Society. They've got tons of info on containers, spray, food storage, differences between kinds of bears, and "in case of attack" advice, and lots more.
