Reda Innovations is an Illinois-based company with many novel motorcycle-specific accessories (among other products) available for sale on its website. I initially contacted owner Ron Reda regarding his saddlebag-compatible gas can. However, the EPA changed their emission rules, and the Reda Gas Can needs to be recertified. When COVID-19 hit, the recertification process came to a halt. So, while I wait on the gas can, I’m checking out the Reda Luggage Jacket Lock, as well as the Reda Helmet Lock.
Every time I head off on a seven-day road trip, my saddlebags are completely stuffed. Everything is locked away from prying eyes and opportunistic thieves. However, my $400 jacket has to either be carried or left behind to chance as I visit a museum, take a hike down to a river to cool off, go into shops along my route, or spend hours at a bike show. The Reda Luggage Jacket Lock is a simple cable lock device. It’s six-feet of hardened aircraft stainless steel cable with a loop at one end and a glass-filled nylon ball at the other.
There are no extra keys to carry or combinations to remember. Instead, you must have a way to trap and lock away a one-inch ball.
Here is how it’s done:
- Slide the looped end through the jacket sleeve, helmet D-ring, or the secure loops on your bag.
- Pass the nylon ball through the loop.
- Close the ball in a locking saddlebag.
It’s simple, quick, and secure. The cable is rubber-coated, so you won’t scratch your motorcycle’s paint.
If you don’t have locking saddlebags, but do have a mounted helmet lock, most helmet locks I have seen will hold the ball securely. If your seat locks securely, you can probably secure the ball there.
I have a friend with an Aprilia RSV4. He has just enough space in the ‘trunk’ to keep his folded up registration and insurance papers. I was able to lock the ball in that tiny little space. Now he doesn’t have to carry his $2000 airbag jacket or his $700 helmet around with him every time he stops to see the sights.
For those of you who have a bike that is helmet-lock challenged, Reda had a specific 12-inch Helmet Lock. It works on the same principle— you must have a way to lock away the ball. However, on the Helmet Lock, there is a removable ball at one end and a fixed ball at the other.
Here’s the process:
- Take the removable ball off the cable.
- Slide the cable through your D-rings.
- Slip the removable ball back on.
- Trap and lock the removable ball end under your seat or in a locking saddlebag.
Yes, with enough energy, noise, and commotion, a determined thief will eventually be able to break your saddlebag lid, though not without attracting a lot of attention. My Yamaha Venture has built-in helmet locks, but some of the new helmets are coming with ratchet closures that don’t have D-rings to put the cable through. If you have a helmet without D-rings, or are thinking of getting one, a motorcycle’s built-in helmet lock won’t work. I suggest the six-foot jacket cable and run the loop around the chin bar, and sling it through your jacket, too.
The Reda Helmet Lock and the Reda Luggage Jacket Lock are easy to use, quick to install, and provide protection from opportunistic thieves. Each $20 lock is strong, versatile, and useful.
Reda Helmet Lock and Reda Luggage Jacket Lock Photo Gallery
