The 650R does have helmet locks.
Mine is a 2006 as well. I have 2
Yea, just bend it out. If they want your helmet, they'll have to cut the strap which then would make the helmet useless. Good luck!
I bought this bag a few years ago and love it. I use it every day as my gym bag and as my travel bag when I need one on the bike. It has a lot of room in it and is very versatile. However when I need to carry something like my laptop I use a regular laptop backpack as this isn't something I would carry a laptop in. But it is a good bag.