Constant Vandalism

[SuperMike]

Hey all - bit of a moan / rant / opinion gathering piece. I recently upgraded to a big bike as some will know. I have been riding a little Honda PCX quite happily for the past few years or so. Thing is, every couple of months without fail, it will get something done to it.

It first got the mirrors keyed (both sides), then got stolen and retrieved (lesson learned about getting a sturdy chain), has had the wheels deflated, side panel keyed, been moved a couple of times, and now I came out this morning to find someone has jimmied the seat up and decided to snap it off the luggage holder. So, in essence they have busted a reasonably new underseat hold area (brought when the scum stole it and smashed the seat the first time) and my saddle. About 200 quids worth at Honda dealer prices. I have just fixed her up as I am going to sell her on and now it has got smashed again and I am livid. It's not even like they have tried to steal it - someone has just thought I know what would be fun, let's rip the seat off that scooter.

Question I guess to the forum is how often do your bikes get hit by the bored scum in the area? I live in a reasonably affluent part of SW London, and the bike is left under a street light out the front of my house on a quiet residential road. My new CBR has a cover over her, but the other day I came out to find that had been lifted off and someone has obviously had a nose as to what is underneath. It just seems to be a relentless onslaught and it's getting me down. Anything you can suggest?

[NJD]

Look on gumtree for any possible garage rentals.

But my only real suggestion, MOVE!

[c_dug]

I've never had a bike vandalised in nearly 10 years of keeping bikes in accessible places, I've had a few thefts and attempted thefts, but I'm pretty lax with security.

Sounds like your bike is being targeted to me, obviously you've reported all instances to the police for what good it will do?

I'm not normally one for the internet hard man antics but I'd seriously consider fitting something loud and sensitive to the bike and being prepared to be there quickly when you hear it go off.

I did my time as an annoying youth and I'll tell you from experience that the appearance of an angry bloke with something hard in his hand* will be enough to quickly disperse any unwanted attention, nobody with half a brain will wait around long enough to see if you're angry enough to use said hard object, and they won't be back in a hurry either.

*By hard object I was thinking bat/pole, but stocking up on Viagra would probably have a similar effect, without the offensive weapon tag.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Suntan Sid]

[zico]

Is there no way at all to get it off the road?

[Duvenaag]

[Duvenaag]

But yeah, OP - any way you could get a camera (or dummy) posed over the bike? A wee red light is sometimes enough to ward off stupidity.
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Give a man a match, he'll be warm for a minute. Set him on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Licenced 2015 - '96 Yamaha SR125

[Tinkz]

Agree that it sounds like you're being targeted, have you upset anyone you can think of.

Also agree about thumpin the fuckers, but you risk a criminal record if you're caught/reported, and lets face it the law never falls favourably on the defenders side
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I can resist everything.........except temptation!

[Vracktal]

Parking my bike in Central London for work i've had the tank keyed twice, and someone tried to steal the bar end mirrors once.

With my car there was one time someone walked down the road it was parked on and slashed the pavement side tyres of every car there. Literally the angriest i've ever been.
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[Rogerborg]

I would not own a motorcycle unless I had a garage in which to store it.

Times infinity in London.

Thanks, Beveridge.
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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

[andym]

When I lived in Wales I never had a problem with any of my bikes (more than once they were left on the driveway with the keys in the ignition), within 6 months of moving back to Glasgow someone made a half arsed attempt at stealing (screwdriver in ignition and turned with force), knocked the bike over and ripped one of the side panels off.... After that I pretty much demanded a lockup or I was sending the housing association the bill for further damage. They said there was a 6 month waiting list, but somehow managed to find 1 a few days later for me.... maybe because I pointed out that the panel that was ripped off was being sold for £450 on ebay (only one listed at the time)

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Supermoto_Fan]

[Irn-Bru]

I don't have one of them posh garage things so I drag mine in the house. If I didn't I wouldn't have a bike, it would have been stolen a long time ago or set on fire. It's not that my area is especially rough but there are loads of scrapmen driving up and down the back lanes all day, and there is always some scruffy kid standing on the back looking in everyones back yards.

When I had a scooter back in my Loser Plate days someone at college let the rear tyre down, had to push it back home, I thought it was a puncture at the time. Did not realise it was flat until I nearly came off at a roundabout, cheers for that.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[monkeybiker]

Another reason not to live in london.

[SuperMike]

Not upset anyone that I can think of - certainly not any of the local scum anyway. Occasionally ask our neighbours to turn the music down...I'm half inclined to spend a week sitting up all night watching, but it happens every now and again - no sort of pattern or every saturday night or whatever. Found the replacement parts on e-bay from a breakers for about 80 quid, so not the end of the world, but means i now have to take it apart again to get at the under seat holder - literally have to pull all the panels off to remove it.

Thought about installing a camera, but I think it will just wind me up even more watching them do it with the knowledge nothing can be done about it. How bothered are the police going to be about a gang of teenagers pulling a scooter apart? I've got an alarmed disc lock on it but I guess they didn't tilt it enough to set it off. Think I will get a oxford bike cover after I have replaced the parts again and then attach the alarmed lock to that so if the cover is moved it goes off. Will probably keep things a bit safer.

Seem they have a bit of a code of honour anyway - the new BMW GS1200 next to mine has never been touched, and my brand new CBR 650 hasn't been touched as of yet. Seems they just want to rough up scooters? Maybe they have some weird code where they don't touch expensive bikes?

[ScaredyCat]

[Duvenaag]

[Undinist]

Dude, the obvious answer is to sell the scooter, and don't let anyone find out that the PCX rider and the CBR650 rider are one and the same person. If someone hates you, you don't want them transferring the hate to your CBR.

My K11LT lived on an expensive street in Brixton for 18 months and the only vandalism it suffered was snapping the radio aerial. It was also knocked over three times by idiot car drivers. It now lives in a neighbour's yard. Thank God for friendly neighbours.
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[Tomahawk]

When you say it was stolen and retrieved... maybe the guy who stole it came back, tried to steal it again, failed, and now holds a grudge.

I'd say move somewhere else that has a garage.

[someotherguy]

[gorillaonabik...]

I live in zone 1 and decent scooters and sports bikes are unfortunately targets. Every chav on the planet wants one and might as well buy a flashing light on it saying 'steal me.'

Part of my motorcycle choice is sadly, that no-one is going to nick a CB1300. It's too cumbersome, wide and just plain uncool and no chav is going to be riding around on it saying, 'look at me.' It's bloody annoying being unable to buy whatever I want to but that's just how it is.

Wish you luck and hope you get the SoB who's f@cking with it. Hope you catch the SoB.
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FZR400 (blown engine), ZXR750 (blown engine), ZX6R (accident), CBR600 which had engine issues after which I learned to change gear..., CBR900, CBR924 (stolen), CB600, CB1300 (everything blew up), BMW K1300GT (written off, hit from rear while stationary), Bandit 1250 for a couple of months, Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (nicked) and somewhere in there, I wrote off a Ducati 748 at Cadwell.

[ScaredyCat]

I might yoink your cb1300 just to teach you not to bad mouth it..
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Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[Vincent]

I've had bikes stolen but don't recall any being vandalised.
Me and a few mates stayed overnight at a party once and when we headed off home in the morning found all our bikes had been turned upside-down on the pavement 'Never found out who it was, (although there were plenty of squaddie flats nearby so we had our suspicions). 'Weird thing was, they'd done it really carefully and there was hardly any damage....most strange
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Space Is Deep

[Val]