Targa Helmet-Lock Extender
TARGA HELMET-LOCK EXTENDER
A KEY TO THE TWO-UP LOCKUP
MOTORCYCLISTS WHO TRAVEL TWO-up often speak eloquently about the companionship that exists between rider and passenger, and the bond that comes from sharing experiences on the road. Off the motorcycle, though, two-up travelers face a somewhat less pleasant bond, namely the one between hand and helmet. Because unless you've got extra luggage space or a second helmet lock, one of you will have to tote several pounds of helmet when you climb off the motorcycle. And while lugging around a helmet might seem like a minor annoyance, it takes on major proportions when you try to stow the thing in a restaurant or theater, for instance. Then the helmet becomes the equivalent of a ball and chain.
Targa Accessories' Helmet Lock Extender (available at motorcycle dealers) can be a ticket to freedom for members of the helmet chain gang. Simple in appearance, the Extender is a small, T-shaped piece of gold-an odized stamped aluminum, with an oblong hole at the base of the T. It's equally simple to use, too: Just thread the helmets' D-rings over the shank, and slip the bike's helmet lock through the hole. Securing one or two helmets becomes a snap, and with a little juggling it's even possible to lock three full-face helmets to some motorcycles. Plus, the Extender's di minutive size means it can be slipped into a pocket when you head back out on the road.
Unfortunately, the Extender isn't especially sturdy. In fact, a hacksaw blazes through the soft aluminum in seconds, and a pair of dykes snips through the area around the lock hole before you can holler, "Stop, thiefi" Moreover, the Extender won't work on some helmets with seat-belt-type chin-strap fasteners.
Targa's Helmet Lock Extender, then, remains an appealingly cheap (suggested retail price of $2.49), sim ple solution to an aggravating prob lem. But you get what you pay for. Because while the Extender can free you of the burden of carrying your helmet, in the wrong neighborhood you might be freed of it for good.
