Pacsafe Lidsafe Anti-Theft Helmet Bag

It’s been a while since I did a product review, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on a product which I feel would be a worthwhile investment for any motorcycle rider.

As you know, I’m a Pacsafe whore. Whenever I need to purchase a bag (or storage apparatus) for a particular need, my first instinct is to check if Pacsafe has got a bag that addresses that specific need. When I started riding, I was pleased to find out that they too had made a very practical “bag” for my use – the Lidsafe Anti-Theft Helmet Bag.

Unfortunately, had is the operative word – as the bag seems to have been discontinued (even before I got to motorcycle riding). Thankfully, online shops seem to be carrying excess of the product, so if you decide that this product is for you after reading this review – I suggest you make haste and secure your own as soon as you can.

Solution to a problem

Apart from the bike itself, the helmet is one of the most important possessions a rider may have. Unfortunately, because of its shape and size, it is also one of the most cumbersome non-negotiables to be lugging around. While its easy enough to find a way to secure it to your bike, some helmets can be quite pricey (depending on how you value your skull) – and therefore riders would prefer to take good care of them and not just leave them hanging/exposed to the elements while they’re away.

The only way for a person to have the peace of mind of leaving their helmet on their bikes [while protecting its finish] is to put it inside a hardshell case that’s secured to the bike. Of course the implications is that you compromise the aesthetics of your bike by having some permanent fixture on your bike – whether it be the bag itself, or the rack it connects to.

Lidsafe

The Lidsafe solves this issue: You only have to use it when you’re off your bike – or not use it at all (if you decide to just bring your helmet along with you). Its outer layer is water-resistant, so it’ll keep the helmet from getting soaked should it rain. Its inner layer is felt to prevent scratches if it’s resting against your bike 1 Wish I could say the same for the bike hehehe. It’s got Pacsafe’s eXomesh technology to prevent thieves from cutting their way to your helmet. 2 Well, technically they CAN cut through the fabric and expose your helmet, they just can’t get your helmet out of the mesh, short of having a wire-cutter And of course, it can be secured to a fixture. It’s a very well-conceived product.

Size

From the previous paragraph(s) it goes without saying that this is a stowable/packable product. So the only real issue here is its size – will it be small enough when packed that it wouldn’t be cumbersome.

Here’s how big it is compared to a wristwatch:

Now, it’s far from being “pocketable” – but it’ll definitely fit in your backpack or something. Here’s how it fits inside the smallest tankbag I have: a Givi TPH02.

Components

Removing the rolled-up Lidsafe from its carrying sleeve and you see that it also comes with (what seems to be) a heavy duty padlock – which you would expect; after all, we do have to secure it to our bike at some point.

Freeing the integrated velcro fasteners and unrolling reveals the Lidsafe in all its glory:

It’s quite amazing considering that we’ve got the wires from the eXomesh as well as a 4mm high tensile steel locking cable, and it still could be rolled into such a compact size.

The velcro fasteners serve two purposes: One obviously is to keep the lid safe rolled-up when not in use. But they also comprise the mounting loop for which you will hang your Lidsafe to your motorcycle’s handlebars.

Here’s what it’ll look like with your helmet inside, and ready to be hung.

And, of course, the money shot:

I really appreciate how long that locking cable is, it’s long enough to give you choices on where to secure the Lidsafe to. You could wrap it around your fork, or in my case (like in the picture) to the bike’s frame. Whatever/wherever you choose, there’s enough play in there to avoid struggling with it. It’s also coated, so you don’t have to worry about scratching the surface of whatever it is you tie it around.

The only change I made was replacing the padlock with a [Pacsafe] Prosafe 1000. I figured it would be an extreme hassle should I lose the keys to the padlock, so using a combination lock would be better. Granted, it’s less secure – but I lose stuff easily, and the last thing I want happening not being able to access my helmet and drive my bike because I couldn’t get the Lidsafe off it.

Ideally, I’d have the padlock keys converted to Keyport blades, or better yet, get a BOLT lock if ever they release locks compatible with the new Ducati keys. 3 They seem to be exclusive to 4 wheel vehicles at the moment In the meantime, this is the best I can do.

Weaknesses

The only improvements I could think of would be more on the materials and components used. For example, velcro wears over time, so it would’ve been better if they used some old-school plastic strap buckle/falstener/ring that would be better suited for re-use.

So a quick trip to Mr. Quickie resulted in this:

They could’ve also made an integrated locking mechanism like how they did it with the bigger MetroSafe models. That would make the Lidsafe pretty much a self-contained product with less components to “lose.”

Of course it goes without saying that this mechanism should be considerably beefed up – as the lock on my Metrosafe gave up on me after 3 years. In the meantime, I decided to upgrade the Prosafe 1000 to an even beefier padlock. 4 And more digits for good measure

Conclusion

Like I said, this is a very well-throught product. It’s extremely practical, does what it’s designed to do, and does it very well.

Notes

Notes
1 Wish I could say the same for the bike hehehe
2 Well, technically they CAN cut through the fabric and expose your helmet, they just can’t get your helmet out of the mesh, short of having a wire-cutter
3 They seem to be exclusive to 4 wheel vehicles at the moment
4 And more digits for good measure

2 Replies to “Pacsafe Lidsafe Anti-Theft Helmet Bag”

  1. hey bro, where’d you get yours? haven’t seen one or a similar product here in manila. i’m looking for a similar solution.

  2. @Hvkong I got this from Amazon and had a friend bring it home. It’s not available in the Philippines unfortunately; I confirmed this with the local PacSafe distributor.

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