Product review: HelmetSecure motorcycle helmet lock

April 3, 5:58 PMMotorcycle ExaminerKen Bingenheimer

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The HelmetSecure motorcycle helmet lock system, disassembled

I received a HelmetSecure motorcycle helmet lock to play with and to review, and the review is what you're going to get right here. Cutting straight to the bottom line, this product is very appealing but it has some issues that will probably be all-important in determining whether it is something that would serve your needs. Now for the details.

The entire HelmetSecure package

First off, the HelmetSecure is one serious piece of metal. It weighs in at nearly one pound and the design is such that I have total confidence that no one will ever bust the thing and take your helmet. The picture above shows how it all fits together.

First you put the two pieces of the bracket, at lower left, around your handlebar and use the supplied Allen wrench to connect the two pieces with the screw. Depending on the diameter of your handlebars, there are rubber inserts to insure a good fit.

Then you connect the lock portion to the bracket portion and connect them with the other screw. Now, the second screw goes in from the other side, where you see the cable coiled. That puts it out of reach when the lock is in use because the end of the cable feeds into that same slot.

Once the lock is attached and assembled you keep the cable secured until you want to use it. You then insert the key and free up the end of the cable, run the cable through your full-face helmet, and insert the cable back into the slot. Use the key to lock it and you're done. So far so good.

With helmet attached, sitting on top of the gas tank

Where my misgivings come in with this system is the cable. The cable is not as hefty as you would use to secure the bike itself and you just have to wonder what it would take for someone to cut it and walk off with your helmet. At least when you use the standard helmet lock that most bikes come equipped with you have the security of knowing that about the only way someone could take the helmet would be to cut the strap. Of course, cutting the strap would render the helmet useless, so who would do that?

I mounted the HelmetSecure on my Kawasaki Concours and visited a couple nearby dealership to get other opinions. Bicycle Village sells bicycles, of course, not motorcycles, but they are nearby and they sell chains and locks. The fellow I spoke to there (didn't get his name, my bad) looked at the cable and said it could definitely be cut with bolt cutters but he doubted anything less would do the job. Less in this case meaning something you could carry concealed in your pocket and whip out to quickly snip the cable and make off with the helmet.

Then I stopped at Aurora Honda, where Jon gave me his opinion. Jon wasn't as convinced that it would take bolt cutters to sever that cable. But he told me that in his four years in the motorcycle business he had not seen that helmet theft was a significant problem. While the cable wouldn't stop a determined thief, it would probably hold off someone who was just looking to make a quick, easy grab. Of course, that is true for nearly all deterrent systems.

I spoke with Trevor Weyland, CEO and founder of PeeveyWeyland Inc., the manufacturer, and he acknowledged straight up that bolt cutters would go through that cable. The point he made, however, is that the same can be said for most other products on the market. In selecting the size of the cable they were trying to balance security and design functionality to come up with the thickest cable that still works with the coiled design. What they ended up with is a 7x7 cable, meaning it has seven strands of twisted steel. He offered to send me a second lock just so I could test and see how hard it would be to cut the cable but I told I didn't think that was necessary.

Trevor said their intent in designing this lock was to provide convenience. A motorcyclist himself, he said he has no desire to carry his helmet around and carrying a portable lock in his jacket pocket does not appeal to him in case he should go down. Their answer was a lock that mounts permanently and provides an acceptable level of security. It's then up to you to make the same wise decisions about where you're going to leave your bike that you make anyway.

The HelmetSecure attached to my riser

So what would determine whether this thing is right for you? Well, for starters, you may have a hard time finding a place to attach it if you have clip-ons. That generally means sport bikes. My Kawi came with clip-ons but I installed a Heli-Bar riser that allows me to have a more comfortable, upright riding position. I attached the HelmetSecure to the riser, as you can see in the photo at right. Trevor noted that the company is now working on a lock designed for sports bikes but that product is still several months away.

As for other issues, I looked at my Honda CB750 Custom and there was really nowhere on the handlebar that this big hunk of metal was going to look anything but totally out of place. What this means is that you should really look at your bike and figure where you would put it and how that would look.

The other thing you would want to consider is the price. The HelmetSecure runs $59.99 plus shipping. On a couple forums I visited where they're already talking about this thing a number of people offered their preferred alternatives which generally cost quite a bit less. But those are all detachable devices, whereas one of the company's big selling points with the HelmetSecure is that you do the attachment one time and that's it. They also make the point that keeping the helmet up high keeps it away from dirt and hot exhaust pipes, and leaving it sitting upright keeps the rain out.

The truth of the matter is that this lock works extremely well on my Kawi. In what has to be one of the most idiotic design decisions in the history of motorcycles, Kawasaki built the original model Concours with two helmet locks that are only accessible if you remove the hard bags. I'm sure the thinking was that if you had the bags on the bike you'd just put the helmet(s) in the bag(s). Wrong! What if you already have something else in the bags? Which I generally do. You know, insignificant things like my rain suit.

Of course the company shot some more flattering photos than mine. You may want to look at the slide show to get a better idea how this would look on your bike.