A Better
Mousetrap!
An Innovative Motorcycle Lock
System Hits The Streets.
How does someone make fundamental improvements to a product that we all take for granted? The phrase "breakthrough innovations" is often misused. When you see a real one your immediate reaction is "Why didn't I think of that?"
Boston Biker frequently receives product announcements. We read
each one and if it seems to be relevant to our reading audience then we
investigate further.
We received a product announcement from the folks at RoadLoK about their new
motorcycle lock. At first we thought ok here is another claim for a 'better
mousetrap'. After all,
how can you improve on a motorcycle lock? We were intrigued and continued
reading. We then went to their website (www.RoadLoK.com).
After reviewing the products on their website, it appears that their products
were indeed different. They had a whole new approach to securing your
motorcycle. The lock is an integral part of the motorcycle, not just something
that you hang on your brake rotor. This difference results in a
locking system that is easier to use (and therefore more likely to be used),
almost impossible to detect, and most of all safer for the rider.
Safer? How can a lock be safer? Like many other riders that use the
disk locks, I have forgotten that I had put one on and started my bike, put it
in gear, flipped up the kickstand, and started to take off. After a few
feet the brake rotor (and my disk lock) had gone about 3/4 the way around and
hit the back of my caliper. You know the result... A very abrupt
stop and I lost my balance. Try as much as I could, I couldn't prevent
dropping the bike. This is dangerous for the rider and not very good for
the bike (it is also very embarrassing). The RoadLoK prevents this
from happening. Once the bike is locked it won't move an inch. As
the rider lets out the clutch the bike simply stalls. Still a little
embarrassing but much safer.
Boston Biker's Larry Cahill contacted Steve Rouhana at RoadLoK
Security to request an evaluation unit. Steve was very enthusiastic about
showing us his product in action. Our next step
was to find a bike for the evaluation. Larry called Bob Stewart at
Stewy's Custom Cycles to see if they
could provide an evaluation bike. Bob asked his son, Mike, if he wanted to use
his bike. Mike jumped on the opportunity to have his custom bike used for the
evaluation. Bob got in touch with Steve and gave him the specifics so that Steve
could get the right lock out to him. Basically, all that Steve needed was the
year and type of frontend that was on the bike.
We asked that the evaluation unit be shipped to Boston Biker so
that we could see the packaging and have an initial look at the lock system. A
few days later the package arrived. The outer packaging was in perfect shape and
was more than adequate to protect the product. The carton was filled with the
foam peanuts we have come to expect, no big surprise there. As we dug through
the peanuts we were pleasantly surprised at what we saw. The RoadLoK was
beautiful! I know that the word 'beautiful' isn't used much in motorcycle
product reviews but this is the only word to describe our first impression of
the product.
RoadLoK has teamed up with JayBrake to produce a durable locking system that
looks fantastic! I was so excited to inspect the lock that I didn't take a
picture of it in the durable shrink wrapped packaging. These locks won't
get scratched or damaged in transportation, handling, or storage.
The lock system looks like a brake caliper without the pads. Ingenious.
We made sure that the digital camera was fully charged and we headed out to Stewy's to document the installation process. We ended up disappointed. The installation was so simple and quick that we didn't need to have a fully charged camera. It only took 15 minutes! However, we were thrilled with the product, the ease of installation, and the integrated look of the product once it was installed.
Enough talk... Let's get into the installation!
| The RoadLoK system is offered in brilliant chrome finish or
in a powder coated black. Choose the finish to match your caliper and
the lock will blend right in and almost disappear. Here you can see the locks with the locking pin installed, the keys and the DressPlug™ for the black lock. |
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| The hardened, stainless steel locking pin clicks into place
when inserted into the RoadLoK.
For the ultimate in rider safety, the locking pin is completely removed from the lock system while you're riding. a simple twist of the key and the locking pin is easily removed. |
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| The pin is spring-loaded so that if it doesn't immediately drop into one of the rotor's ventilation holes, rolling the bike a few inches on way or the other allows it to do so. A nice solid click along with the fact that the bike is frozen in place lets you know the bike is safely locked. Just imagine what it feels like trying to move your bike while holding in the front brake leaver firmly. |
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| Now for the installation. Bob put the bike on the lift and raised it to working height. The two bolts that mount the caliper to the fork are removed. You don't need to remove the brake line. Just swing the caliper out of the way. |
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| A few drops of thread locker (LockTite) on the RoadLoK
mounting bolts and then they are tightened up to the right torque. (this photo shows the black DressPlug™ installed) |
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| The brake caliper is then bolted to the RoadLoK.
Again, using just a few drops of thread locker before tightening them to the
right torque setting. DONE! It is that simple!! Total time for installation was only 15 minutes. |
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| Once the pin is locked in the rider then has to roll the
bike an inch or-so until the locking pin automatically pops into a
ventilation hole. The yellow flag identifies that the RoadLoK is engaged. The flag can be removed from the locking pin to have a completely stealth locking system if you choose. |
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| A close-up photo of the RoadLoK installed. It is
nicely integrated into your bike that it is hardly noticeable.
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We asked Mike to ride his bike for a month and get back to us with his impressions. When we did talk he was thrilled with the RoadLoK. "It is so easy to use", said Mike, "When I get off the bike I pull the pin out of my pocket, snap it into the lock, and roll my bike for a few inches and it is locked." "Taking the pin out is just as easy" quipped Mike. A twist of the key and I hook a finger on the lanyard and out comes the pin" He has gotten good at one handed locking and unlocking his bike. It is such a smooth operation that most don't even notice that he is locking/unlocking his bike. Mike doesn't usually put in the dummy plug when riding, "I leave it open." he said. He said that a number of people have seen it at bike shows and he is constantly being asked questions about it. It seems like Stewy's Customs will be installing more of these locks in the near future.
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