Helmet Guardian helmet locks

[Fred H.]

Now don't get me wrong, this is not necessarily a bad product, but it just is not a good fit for the FJR. For starters, the key way on the key cylinder has offsets that are 180 degrees out from the Yamaha key. This means there is no way your Yamaha key can ever be made to work with it unless you can find some whole new lock cylinders that happen to fit and have the proper end support tab it needs. Good luck with that.

Second, the mounting plate does not fit the bike well and you will have to modify it just to get it on the bike and still be able to get your license plate on.

Third, when you do finally get it on the bike and hang a helmet on it, the outer shell of the helmet will rest on your hot muffler. No thank you. My Arai costs way to much to do that to it.

While there may be a way to remove the locks and find an alternate location to mount them, I think it is going to be a significant effort. And then couple all this with the fact that the whole set up consists of about $3 worth of cheap Taiwan locks and a small bar with a couple holes drilled in it and a couple threaded stud all for $45. I suspect there are better alternatives out there.

Anybody wanna buy an unused Helmet Guardian?

 

[ron melton]

Fred, Thanks for th info. Here's ah solution that works for me & i can use it on either bike. Aerostich sells 'em.

 

[FlyingLow]

Oh, well. For a fairly small price you did the rest of us a favor. So thanks.

On rare occasions I padlock my lid to the brake line and let it sit on the dash; keeps the sun off.

 

[GreyGoose]

Thats good information to know. i just ordered one about 4 days ago after someone mentioned it on the forum. i havent heard any mounting issues problems , but maybe whoever recommended it was putting it on an 05. Hopefully your missing something and someone can get us straightened out before our new guardians hit ebay.

Does everyone concur with this initial assessment of this product?

GreyGoose

 

[GreyGoose]

Fred,

there return policy is as follows: All items must be returned in resellable condition within 10 days of receipt. Some items may be subject to a repackaging fee. Please E-mail [email protected] or call (574) 935-5600 for a return authorization number to ensure that your package is accepted.

Sounds like we've got some recourse.

GreyGoose

 

[650cent]

Fred,

I'll take them off your hands if you can't return them

Bill

 

[Toecutter]

IIRC, there were some different generation Guardians (maybe older) that were reworkable to the stock key. Mine work fine, after a trip to the local locksmith for re-keying.

 

[Diesel]

As an alternative, I've been very pleased with my barender lock.

https://www.barender.com/

 

[TheAxeman]

I just put the helmet guardian on my '06 and didn't have any problem getting the license plate (NY) on but that may be because the screw slots are longer than Fred's. I agree with him that the quality of construction doesn't warrant a $45.00 price tag and, to be honest, I haven't even hung a helmet off of it to see if it touches the muffler. If thats the case it will be useless to me. As far as rekeying, it doesn't bother me that much that I can't key it alike but have read other threads of people doing this. If I had to do it again I probably wouldn't purchase it....my 2 cents.

 

[ionbeam]

Fred, sorry you got a POS Guardian! The fit may be different between an '06 and other years.

I recently purchased a Guardian after seeing Bandatat1200's '05 install. My locksmith had no problem re-keying my dual lock Guardian. The Guardian fit my '04 bike fine after removing the two reflectors screwed onto the plate frame and my NH plate went on fine too. The Guardian takes both my Arai and my wife's Arai (per Fred, big buck buckets) without significant contact with anything but our bags. For us, the Guardian is a fall-back for when there is no room left in the bags or trunk. Can't yet speak to reliability of the hook or locks. I wasn't looking for Fort Knox security, just something better than setting my helmet on the seat and walking away.

I suspect that this isn't the first case where two people from this Forum have had different results from the same product. :glare: :lol: Heed Fred's warning and realize this isn't a risk free farkle.

 

[xcsp]

I bought a Helmet Guardian from Cyclegadgets.com a few years back for my '03 and had the locks re-keyed to use my ignition key-no issues. Maybe some changes were made since as mentioned.

Yes, mounting them behind the license plate and using them there can be tricky.

I found out about the brackets (believe these only work on '03-'05 FJRs) from TownsendsFJR1300 that allow you to mount the locks on either side of the bike below the side panels and this is a great set-up!!

So why hasn't Yamaha incorporated helmet locks of some type on the '06 FJRs??

 

[FJRMGM]

I've had the Helmet Guardian on my '05 FJR for about six months now and couldn't be happier with it - it does exactly what I want it to do.

I didn't have to modify anything to put it on and never had a problem with the helmet touching the exhaust. I've had many people look at it and say it's a good idea and the quality on mine was good.

I didn't get it re-keyed but the local locksmith said "no problem" if I ever wanted to do that.

I'd buy another.

 

[Fred H.]

My locksmith had no problem re-keying my dual lock Guardian

I called the manufacture of the Guardian and they told me that they have always used the same key type for many years on this lock. From what I read on here, I assumed it would work. Maybe the key on the 06 is different from the 05, but I don't think so as it still uses the same Ilco blank number.

My key won't even insert in the lock, cause the channels (keyways) are cut different. I wonder if your locksmith changed out the entire cyclinder. I may have to go see if I can find a locksmith that has a cylinder that will work in this lock, maybe I will get lucky.

If I mount the Guardian where it is designed to be put, and put the bike on the sidestand, the left helmet contacts the muffler, but the right side does not. If I centerstand the bike, both helmets contact the ends of the mufflers.

I probably would be happy with it if I could just find a way to mount it so that the helmets didn't rest on the muffler ends. I could live with not being able to re-key the locks, and I can modify the bracket to make it work, but I can't have my helmets on the muffler.

I will give it another go and see if I can find a way to mount the locks so they are a few inches higher up. I may also go visit a locksmith and see what he can do with the cylinders. Stay tuned....

 

[Fred H.]

Here is what I need....

https://sanding.en.alibaba.com/product/0/50...rs/showimg.html

Maybe I should just go visit one of the local motorcycle junk yards near me and see what I can scrounge up.

 

[ionbeam]

My key won't even insert in the lock, cause the channels (keyways) are cut different. I wonder if your locksmith changed out the entire cylinder. I may have to go see if I can find a locksmith that has a cylinder that will work in this lock, maybe I will get lucky.

Time to start comparing key blanks! My locksmith only changed the tumblers, not the cylinders. As cosmic coincidence, my stock Yamaha key was so close to the keying of the stock Guardian locks that I could open one lock with my Yamaha key before re-keying the lock. My locksmith said it would take him three days to do the job because he needed to study the locks, never having seen them before. Twenty minutes later, as I walked into my house the phone was ringing -- the locksmith was on the line saying to come back and pick up the Guardian 'cuse he was done.

 

[Fred H.]

My locksmith only changed the tumblers, not the cylinders.

The only explaination for this is that the folks at Helmet Guardian must be using a different lock now than what they used to use.

 

[flyinlow]

I had no issues mounting the Helmet Guardian on my 06. You will have to take the round reflectors off, but no big deal. Yes, the helmets hit the exhaust but I solved that issue. Go to any motorcycle shop and they will have a set of metal helmet extensions for locks. These are used alot on sport bikes where the helmet lock is a hook under the seat. Its always hard to get your D rings on the hook and then get the seat back on. These extensions work for that. For the helmet Guardian, it allows the helmet to hang lower, below the exhaust.

As far as re-keying the locks, not a big deal to me because I already have other keys to carry with me for my Xenia disc lock, my Kryptonite cable lock. Get a two piece key chain that allows you to put your ignition key on one ring and the other keys on the other ring. When you go to start the bike, disconnect the one key ring from the other.

It helps to have experience from a sport bike, where you have NO storage room whatsoever. Sometimes you have to get creative.

 

[Fred H.]

Yes, the helmets hit the exhaust but I solved that issue. Go to any motorcycle shop and they will have a set of metal helmet extensions for locks.

That is probably a viable solution, though I may try to find a better location to mount them in so they don't hit the mufflers. I thought about removing the locks from the bar altogether and mounting them higher up on the fender.

 

[Fred H.]

FYI, I spoke to the Helmet Guardian folks again this morning, and they confirmed that the older style locks they used did indeed have the key way cut differently on them, but they no longer have any of the older style. So this probably explains why some folks with the older style helmet guardians were able to use the Yamaha key in them. If you have a set of the older locks, consider yourself lucky.