How do you lock your bike?
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There are basically two kinds of thieves to worry about - those who would steal your bike for a joyride and those stealing it to sell.
Joyriders are fairly easy: never leave the key in the ignition, lock the steering, and park the bike where you can watch it. Add a U-bolt or a disc-brake lock if you want, but make sure you have a process that keeps you from trying to move the bike with it attached.
Pro thieves are harder. They'll most likely pick the bike up and put it in the back of a truck and drive off, so the steering and/or U-Lock won't help. A good alarm sensor with motion will, but if you're parking outside you might consider a length of 1/2" Grade 80 or 100 straight-link chain with the biggest lock you can find (your LOL is not what you think!) Grade 80 /100 is extremely difficult to break with bolt cutters - even big ones: it's normally parted using an abrasive saw or a torch. The lock will be the weak link - try to get it off the gound so that a potential thief can't stand on the bolt cutters..
The best defense is a good offense, a multi-layered one:
Good luck! By the way, if I had to boil all of the above down to three words, they would be:
WATCH THE BIKE!
Joyriders are fairly easy: never leave the key in the ignition, lock the steering, and park the bike where you can watch it. Add a U-bolt or a disc-brake lock if you want, but make sure you have a process that keeps you from trying to move the bike with it attached.
Pro thieves are harder. They'll most likely pick the bike up and put it in the back of a truck and drive off, so the steering and/or U-Lock won't help. A good alarm sensor with motion will, but if you're parking outside you might consider a length of 1/2" Grade 80 or 100 straight-link chain with the biggest lock you can find (your LOL is not what you think!) Grade 80 /100 is extremely difficult to break with bolt cutters - even big ones: it's normally parted using an abrasive saw or a torch. The lock will be the weak link - try to get it off the gound so that a potential thief can't stand on the bolt cutters..
The best defense is a good offense, a multi-layered one:
- If possible, don't park your bike at home where it can be seen from the street. Inside is best, but behind the house is better than sitting in the front drive. Cover the bike - they'll know it's a bike but not if it's the one they're looking for.
- In public, look for busy locations. It might be tempting to stick the bike around the corner, but thats exactly where a thief wants you to put it. As mentioned, the best location is one where you can watch the bike.
- If a car (or better yet, a van) follows you through several turns, take a random one. If it turns with you, pull over, and when he passes write his license on the back of your hand (or pretend to - just make sure he sees you). People making a living stealing stuff are always interested in where stuff goes. Warning: don't try to "lose the tail" or worse, confront the other driver. You may be attacking the grandmother who lives at the end of your street and tried to follow you home. Also, keep in mind that guys who are used to picking up 400+ lb bikes and stealing them are usually muscular and keenly disinterested in police intervention:thus, they likely will be more difficult to open a can of whip-ass on than the pimply 16-year-old joyrider.
Good luck! By the way, if I had to boil all of the above down to three words, they would be:
WATCH THE BIKE!
From a theft standpoint, one of the "problems" with this bike is its light weight...unless you have the bike well secured to something immovable you run the risk of the bad guys just picking up the bike pretty quickly and whoosh they are gone. So what to do? The best of chain or cable locks will be helpful but add so much weight to carry around...and they are expensive!........Try not to leave it overnight outside..........
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Edit: The chain I'm talking about (1/2" grade 100) weighs about 2-1/2" lbs per foot. Obviously not a good choice for your backpack... I was thinking about that solution for home, where you could leave the chain hanging around the base of a tree.... It's also about $15 for that foot of chain, so it wouldn't take long to get really expensive.
Sorry....
Sorry....
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I have had two bikes stolen, both in England, the vehicle crime capital of Europe. I always figured it was usually a opportunist thing, so just making it a bit more difficult would be enough.
The first was stolen from the centre of Bedford in the afternoon. I had it chained to a steel railing with a lightish chain, though a medium sized set of bolt cutters would have freed it, and probably did. No opportunist that one.
I had a more substantial, hardened chain for the second, which I carried around the grab rail and over the seat. It was clearly visible, and easy to drop though the back wheel and locked for a short stop. For a longer stop it could be removed and so I could chain the bike to something solid. It was stolen when I had just ducked into a newsagent for a few minutes, so had not bothered locking the chain or the steering lock.... though of course I took the ignition key out and had it with me. Some opportunist had that one.
Where I worked at the time I kept the bike in a locked shed in the farm yard, about 20 metres from the mobile home I lived in. We had a large trailer go missing from the farm yard, but did not realise it until a few days later when we wanted to use it, and were trying to work out where we left it!
Here in Thailand I doubt that anybody wants a 14 year old Honda Dream. I just lock the steering, and keep the bike under cover where I live.
In NZ, the same. I have never done any more than lock the steering.
For one of my bikes, a Suzuki TS 185, I did not even do that. In rewiring the bike I had not bothered with the ignition switch, so it did not need a key. In the several years I had it, no one wanted to steal it. I did not like that bike much, and frankly it would not have bothered me if someone did!
The first was stolen from the centre of Bedford in the afternoon. I had it chained to a steel railing with a lightish chain, though a medium sized set of bolt cutters would have freed it, and probably did. No opportunist that one.
I had a more substantial, hardened chain for the second, which I carried around the grab rail and over the seat. It was clearly visible, and easy to drop though the back wheel and locked for a short stop. For a longer stop it could be removed and so I could chain the bike to something solid. It was stolen when I had just ducked into a newsagent for a few minutes, so had not bothered locking the chain or the steering lock.... though of course I took the ignition key out and had it with me. Some opportunist had that one.
Where I worked at the time I kept the bike in a locked shed in the farm yard, about 20 metres from the mobile home I lived in. We had a large trailer go missing from the farm yard, but did not realise it until a few days later when we wanted to use it, and were trying to work out where we left it!
Here in Thailand I doubt that anybody wants a 14 year old Honda Dream. I just lock the steering, and keep the bike under cover where I live.
In NZ, the same. I have never done any more than lock the steering.
For one of my bikes, a Suzuki TS 185, I did not even do that. In rewiring the bike I had not bothered with the ignition switch, so it did not need a key. In the several years I had it, no one wanted to steal it. I did not like that bike much, and frankly it would not have bothered me if someone did!
If someone wants to steal your bike bad enough, it's going to happen. You can do all the tricks in the book but in reality an experienced thief will have all the tools and experience to pick that thing up and go. However, my thought is the best protection is good insurance. Locking it up everywhere is a good idea, but you still don't have the peace of mind that comprehensive insurance will give you. For $150 a month, I have insurance that will cover total loss of the bike with only a $100 deductible and includes collision and liability.
I have a lock and krypotonite steal rope, but in reality all you are doing is trying to discourage the thief enough to steal the next bike over because yours will make him have to work harder.
Also, even though this bike is "hot", it's relatively inexpensive and isn't a master-thiefs target. They are much more likely to go after CBR600RRs and other bike that will land them thousands of dollars more in parts, hence why it is WAY cheaper to insure than the 600RR.
I have a lock and krypotonite steal rope, but in reality all you are doing is trying to discourage the thief enough to steal the next bike over because yours will make him have to work harder.
Also, even though this bike is "hot", it's relatively inexpensive and isn't a master-thiefs target. They are much more likely to go after CBR600RRs and other bike that will land them thousands of dollars more in parts, hence why it is WAY cheaper to insure than the 600RR.
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i dont live in the nicest of areas, i use kryptonite wire rope attached to a metal pole connected with a ulock attached to the front tire and of course locking the sterring wheel. i really would think they would be after something more expensive instead of wasting their time cutting the rope and then picking up the bike.
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i would like to lock my ulock onto some part of the frame, instead of just the rim, any idea of where i could do that?
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Please tell me that was a misprint and you meant a year!?
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I pay $118 every 6 months for liability plus comprehensive..which covers theft..and i assume will only pay estimated book value at the time of theft and not my actual investment including countless hours researching and ordering aftermarket accessories for it..
with that said..i use a wheel lock on the front anytime Im off the bike...when at work i get to roll it inside the building after dayshift leaves..when its parked in my garage (which is easy to break into) i have a large carabiner style lock that goes on the back rim and is attached with a thick chain to a support beam.
I dont want to find out the hard way if it gets stolen that my insurance will only write me a check for $3000 when I actually payed $4580 out the door price for it and have added another $1000 (easily) in accessories to it....
with that said..i use a wheel lock on the front anytime Im off the bike...when at work i get to roll it inside the building after dayshift leaves..when its parked in my garage (which is easy to break into) i have a large carabiner style lock that goes on the back rim and is attached with a thick chain to a support beam.
I dont want to find out the hard way if it gets stolen that my insurance will only write me a check for $3000 when I actually payed $4580 out the door price for it and have added another $1000 (easily) in accessories to it....
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^ Insurance covers up to 3k in accessories. Just keep your reciepts.
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best defence, good insurance. Get it and forget it. If someone wants to steal something badly enough, physical deterrence will not stop them eventually.
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