D lock under 650 Transalp seat. How?

[Fruit Loop]

Under the seat on my 650 Alp is a nice moulding to take a U lock. I splashed out and bought the Honda U lock (from David Silver), which is just the right size and shape for the moulding. Unfortunately, I can't work out how to get the U lock into it's storage place. Maybe I'm missing something really obvious, but...

The lock is too deep to pass under the seat support/lock bar in one piece. If I unlock the U Lock, I can pass the 'U' part's legs under the bar, or I can put the piece with the actual lock barrel in it in its moulding in the tail, but there doesn't seem enough room to get the key into the barrel so you can lock the two bits together.

Can anyone help?

[btbloke]

That's anew one on me, I thought the u-lock was stored under the rear top box mounting plate. I would be interested to see a pick of this u-lock mounting bit under the seat,any chance of a picture so we can see it?

[Fruit Loop]

Here's some pics that might help.

First shows moulding which takes U-lock.

Second shows more closely the moulding in the tailpiece which takes the
locking bar of the U-lock (you can see anti-rattle bits of rubber in it).

Third shows the U part of the lock in place in the moulding (and under the retaining rubber straps), without the locking bar.

Fourth shows the locking bar in place without the U bit of the lock. (I think it's actually upside down in the shot (it would fit better the other way up) but it had just started chucking it down with train at this point in the photo-shoot!)

[Wigan Chris]

the baby vara had a similair space under the seat for a u lock, altho i never got round to getting one that fitted (i had 2 different brands of lock but Honda seemed to have carefully designed it not to take them)

[Ronnie]

I never knew there was a mount for a lock anywhere on the bike! The things one learns...!

[btbloke]

D'you know what,even I didn't know that,under my seat is so crammed full of stuff I never realised that was for the u-lock. I have used the rubber for that many different things but never the proper job.
I dom know there are various different u locks by how much the different ones I have seen sticking out different lengths under the rear rack. Maybe the dealer looked up the wrong one or they stopped selling the right one who knows.
Looks good though.maybe a bit of fiddling would make it fit.

[micksylver]

Under the seat on my 650 Alp is a nice moulding to take a U lock. I splashed out and bought the Honda U lock (from David Silver), which is just the right size and shape for the moulding. Unfortunately, I can't work out how to get the U lock into it's storage place. Maybe I'm missing something really obvious, but...

The lock is too deep to pass under the seat support/lock bar in one piece. If I unlock the U Lock, I can pass the 'U' part's legs under the bar, or I can put the piece with the actual lock barrel in it in its moulding in the tail, but there doesn't seem enough room to get the key into the barrel so you can lock the two bits together.

Can anyone help?

Does it matter if it's not locked? As long as it's all held in place under the seat, which is locked, where's it gonna go? Not got a u-lock myself, so it's just a guess.

[btbloke]

Looked it up on the honda website, check you have the right u-lock. Should be Lock number 120/340, item code 08M53-KAZ-800.

[Fruit Loop]

Looked it up on the honda website, check you have the right u-lock. Should be Lock number 120/340, item code 08M53-KAZ-800.

Yes, that's the lock I have (c£65 from Mr. Silver), and it fits the moulding perfectly (or at least it would if I could work out how to get it in!). I'll try micksylver's suggestion of having it unlocked, but I suspect that this will mean that neither end is very secure, and will rattle around and could dislodge. (Otherwise it might mean permanently carrying round a pillion with daintier hands than mine to reach the key into the recesses of the tailpiece!)

Cold, dark, wet and windy here just now, so will have another go tomorrow.

Thanks for the suggestions - keep 'em coming.

[davsato]

on the varadero it is not supposed to be locked at all, the U goes under the clips under the seat lock and the shackle goes to the side in its own moulded space. which is all very well but the honda lock is not very good, but the underseat space is only tailor made for it and stronger locks dont fit very well. i wish they hadn't tried to be so helpful and just made a bigger underseat space.
i bought a thatcham rated abus granit (only a fiver more than the honda tonka lock, from a cycling store) that only just fits under the seat but fortunately fits under the topbox nicely, and dont forget to put in the rubber holding strap to stop it rattling. dont buy it, its easy to make