Which Motorcycles Have Helmet Locks?
Dear MOby,
I’ve about given up on road tests that barely mention, if they mention at all, a bike’s headlight. But why can’t you report if a bike has a helmet lock or not? That’s a simple thing that doesn’t even require you to ride after dark. I’m aware that very few motorcycles have a helmet lock anymore (God forbid two of them), but it happens to be a thing that’s important to me. Nothing’s worse than arriving at an event and having to carry a bulky helmet around the whole time. Tell me you’ll be better about this in the future.
Not Headless Horseman
Dear NHH,
Why not just wear a helmet nobody wants to steal, like the “Predator” in our lead photo?
You’re right, and we’re sorry. Very few bikes have an old-school visible helmet lock anymore, that’s operated by the ignition key, but a surprising preponderance of them do have provisions in the form of a metal stud under the seat, or a plastic tang on the seat base itself for securing a helmet or two. As a matter of fact, until you Asked MO, I would’ve said, no, my 2000 R1 does not have a helmet lock.
Upon closer inspection, it actually has two helmet locks molded into its seat base. It might be a bit clumsy to attach two helmets, but you could probably learn the trick quick enough, especially with two sets of hands.
Locking a single helmet to the old girl is a piece of cake. Just lock the seat back in place and there you have it. Note also the four nylon strap loops at each corner under the seat for securing cargo. The Japanese have always been a crafty bunch when it comes to making the most out of tight spaces.
Does the new Kawasaki Versys-X 300 in my garage have helmet hooks? Pretty sure it does not, but let’s have a look…
Why, yes it does have a pair of helmet locks – which could really lock up lots of things if you looped a steel cable through – well hidden on either side of its seat-to-tank junction.
Et veye-ola! No need to schlep your helmet around.
Those are the only two bikes I have around right now, but I remember finding little cables in the tool kits of several Ducatis, which are used to loop around frame tabs and secure helmets.
A quick poll of a few other MO test units scattered about SoCal reveals a pair of seat-base plastic hooks on both our new Suzuki GSX-S750 and GSX250R, a steel hook-type lock under the Aprilia Shiver’s back seat, a cable type lock under the Kawasaki Z900…
… and amazingly, an actual old-school key-type sliding-pin helmet lock on back of our new Honda CRF250L Rally. If you must have one of these and your bike has a place to put one, there are tens of them available on the aftermarket as soon as you google up “motorcycle helmet lock.” Most of them are so inexpensive you could probably defeat them with a popsicle stick, so caveat emptor. But anything’s better than relying on the goodness of human nature.
The easiest and best solution, if your bike has no helmet lock at all, might be this type of thing, which will be instantly recognizable to people who own firearms. Small and easily portable, you can loop this around a footpeg bracket or whatever to secure a helmet or two.
We promise to check the Panigale V4 and Kawasaki H2 SX for lights and helmet locks first when we get our hands on them!
Send your moto-related questions to AskMOAnything@motorcycle.com If we can’t answer them, we’ll at least make you feel temporarily better by thinking you’re talking to somebody who cares even if we don’t. Though come to think of it, we haven’t not been able to come up with a plausible answer that’s provably wrong yet. Hah! Snopes can’t touch us. And we do care, really we do.
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I prefer the cable lock. I have a fairly long coiled cable lock that easily accommodates two helmets and two jackets. The firearms lock you picture works well for a single helmet.
I've had a few bikes with bits of wire that the manufacturers try to pass off as helmet locks. They are just a neusence. I'm afraid that like hinged seats they have sadly gone. Bloody shame. Dumb as dog shit.