How do bike thieves do their work

[czakal]

So as some of you may know I just moved on to a Ybr250 from my Kymco Pulsar ( cg125 clone)... The reason was the latter was stolen, it happened after I had a minor accident and left it at the scene thinking I'd be able to fetch it later (it was still running but I had a hand injury). But I had to wait a week before I got treated and by then it was gone. Before that I had a Hyosung Gt125 that I parked on the road outside my house, no problem for 2 years but one morning it was simply gone. I read afterwards that Chinese 125s were the most commonly stolen vehicle here. I imagine it's because few owners would have much security for cheap bikes (I certainly didn't, though I think the only effective security is chaining it to something and I didn't have that choice either occasion). Not good, but at least those were cheap bikes and they saved me more in transport costs than I lost. Now I have a better bike that I like, I guess I need to be more careful? I lock the rear wheel with a chain but nothing to chain it to. Am I correct that most thieves here in London probably have vans? If I move to another place in a year and I don't have any anchor, I will consider making a brick and concrete ballast with a metal loop for the chain.

Seb

[fatjames]

I think they either go into the back of a van and are never seen again or local scroats hot wire them.
But you're right, it needs to be chained to something and with a huge chain (17mm if you can afford it)

[czakal]

I have an Oxford chain, I think it's 17mm but not sure. That stops the opportunist hotwire thefts but van theft still a problem.

Seb

[johnsmith222]

[G]

I think generally you get two basic types of thieves (ignoring pikeys stealing to weigh in) - kids who want to rag the bike around and professional thieves looking to make money.

The former are going to be the ones after cheap 125s - generally they don't go for bigger bikes and will probably go for the least hassle.

The latter will have vans, possibly targeting a specific bike 'to order'.

Even without a van, it'd be easy enough for a few kids to lift the back of your bike up and wheel it away.

[J4mes]

Probably using "jaws of life" tools to snip chains on the quiet before going in the back of a van.

[monkeybiker]

If you can't use a ground anchor then your idea of concrete ballast with a metal loop for the chain is probably your best bet.

Best thing really is a locked garage mainly to keep it out of sight.

[Northern Monkey]

Fit a ground anchor, then when you leave the house after a year, park the wheely bin on top of it and deny all knowledge
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Fisty: after polishing the tank with the glistenng beads of sweat from my full hot scrotum, I filled the headrace bearings with 10cc of my manmilk

[sidewinder]

I use a length of crane chain and a bucket full on concrete with a hole through it...

[G]

[CieL]

This guy went all out but maybe you can get some useful pointers (he did that thing with the concrete).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFWVTUkihG4
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Semper Paratus

[hmmmnz]

in my case the little scum bags first checked out the bike,
then grabbed a few mates,
broke the steering lock, and wheeled the bike away to where i assume they hot wired it in privacy,
i didnt use a chain, but i doubt it would have mattered
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[WULFSTAN]

I know when my 636 got took a big back man picked it up and threw it in his van very kind of him.
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Your backside is better enough for you to run again, if need be – bristle up the courage of the cornered rat, put on a bold front, and to hell with them. Bluff my boy – bluff, shift and lie for the sake of your neck and the honour of Old England

[MC]

Did he look like this?

https://erinsylvania.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/big-back-muscles.jpg
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[Rogerborg]

[BigShow]

My main theft prevention is the family at the end of the road, who leave their Busa and YBR outside uncovered and unsecured 90% of the time.

[Rogerborg]

There was a Daytona left out at the end of the road. It's gone now.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[BigShow]

[dydey90]

I'm always surprised when I go to the local Morrisons, through one of the eh... lower rent estates, there's an unidentified bike under a tarp outside somebody's front door. Must either be a pile of rust or the owner is the local nut-job.

My preferred security method is to park a car in front of the garage door. Cars have alarms and locks and stuff.
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[STONEY!]

I know of an ex bike thief who used to go to a local car park find a bike with only a disc lock on the front wheel, lift it up put front wheel on skateboard with bungee cords hotwire it and ride home

[BigShow]

[andys675]

park up an estate car in front of a small bike, tell passers by you've lost your keys and ask them to help you lift "your" bike into the back of your estate car, and see what happens
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[ScottT]

Many years ago one of the monthly mags did an article an interview with a pro bike thief, he stated he would spend his evenings riding around London looking for bikes, to see where they were parked.
He kept records at home, so when he was asked for a particular bike he knew exactly where to find it.

One thing from that article I've always remembered, he went out with a mate one night to steal a certain bike, they found the bike and moved it away from where it had been kept but couldn't get it started. So they went off found a length of rope and stole another bike then towed the first one half way across London!!!!

I remember the police turning up at a local race meeting many years ago, a quick look around the paddock area and at least a dozen people were having to explain why their 250-350LC's had no engine or frame numbers!!!

[G]

[TheSmiler]

When my Cg was stolen from Morrisons car park in Newcastle Under Lyme, there was white powder found all over the floor right where the bike was parked.

To be honest it was most probably some scrote but that has always confused me.
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CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
A2 completed 23/07/15 Ready for the Golden Crisp Packet