Security home & away

[coxy1983]

Hello all,

Im about to purchase my first big bike (Well a 600) and Id like to know what you lovely people could advise as security measures for when bike is parked at home and whist away (at work).

At home I have just built a timber 10 x 5 foot shed, I need some security for this or whilst the bike is in the shed overnight. We have cctv looking in to the back garden where the shed is and also our neighbour over the road also has cctv looking on to my back garden. Im fully aware this wont stop a thief taking the bike, and if they are going to take it they are probably going to take it, i just want to make it as difficult as possible or to make prying eyes think twice about attempting to steal my bike.

I work in a city centre and bike will be parked on the ground floor of a multi storey car park, the bike parking area is directly accross from the car parking attendants office (which gives me a little more peace of mind)

Im thinking of getting a 1.8 metre chain (mammoth 10mm) but imagine this to be too heavy to take with me on my travels to work or rideouts at the weekend.

Im also planning to get a cable lock and disc lock (for when im away from home)

Also looking at a nano gps tracker (about £40) that requires a sim card and comes with free subscription to tracking website / app.... the charges are the texts it sends to and from the tracker i believe - but not 100% sure how these fully work just yet

If anyone has any advice or tips it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[Ste]

Mammoth 10mm sounds small so you don't want one of those.

Get yourself an Almax or Pragmasis chain. They're not the cheapest but consider it an investment.

A cable lock sounds like a waste of time.

You also need a ground anchor for attaching the chain to.

With regards to the GPS tracker, if your bike gets nicked then are you actually going to want it back with whatever damage there is?

[Tdibs]

Plenty of cheap tailbags/rollbags to bungee down to the back of the bike and keep a chain/disc lock in there for when you take it to work.
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[SuperMike]

I went with a tracker system from the point of view that it gives me a bit of hope at getting the bike back, and if I can prevent some scum getting a payday then it is worth it. Got my old scooter back a few days after it went missing - they had smashed the front panels on it trying to hotwire it, but hadn't managed to get around the immobiliser, so actually I did want the bike back.

I agree with the thoughts on the chain. A 10mm is nowhere near big enough. I have an Almax 16mm immobiliser with squire stronghold lock. This is all attached to a lamppost. It has so far thwarted the little shits round my neck of the woods which is rife for bike crime. Because they can't steal it they tend to do petty things such as snap my indicators off or steal the oxford bike cover, bend the mirrors, key the back of the mirrors etc etc. Bit of a war of attrition going on. My next step is CCTV and then failing that I am actually considering sitting up all night on a Friday and Saturday (that is generally when they strike) to try and catch them at it. Unless they are a very sizeable mob god help them if I do - it has cost me nearly a grand in repairs.

[NJD]

Ground anchor + 16/19mm Almax or Pragmasis looped through the ground anchor and bikes frame at home.

13/16mm Almax or Pragmasis to carry around to secure through bikes frame and then looped round an unmoveable object when out and about or at the car park.

Heavy? You're not carrying it because you're going to invest in a tailpack or topbox to put the chain and everything else you want to ride with in. Straps left under the seat mean nothing but unclipping and re-attaching at each end and you don't even notice the weight providing the tailpack is secured tightly.

[J.M.]

A 10mm chain is best used as dental floss. I am happy with my Almax at 19mm.

Many people seem to think that carrying a huge chain is a problem. I don't think it is. If you have a topbox, it's a non-issue. If you have a pillion seat, get a tailpack, and it only becomes an issue if you want to take a passenger (which 99.9% of the time I don't).

Once I got used to the "procedure" it would take me about 1 minute to unpack the chain and chain the bike up, and 2-3 minutes to pack the chain up into the tailpack and onto the bike. Not really a huge inconvenience for peace of mind!
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Ste]

"Bit of a war of attrition going on. My next step is CCTV and then failing that I am actually considering sitting up all night on a Friday and Saturday (that is generally when they strike) to try and catch them at it. Unless they are a very sizeable mob god help them if I do - it has cost me nearly a grand in repairs."

Or you could park the bike in your 10 x 5 foot shed.

I don't see the point in a GPS tracker. Spend your time and effort on preventing it being stolen, if it does get nicked then your insurance will buy you a new one instead of you have a damaged bike to repair.

Make your shed secure and with the bike locked up with an Almax chain to a suitable ground anchor, nobody will be stealing your bike or vandalising it.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Apply many layers of security, lighting + cctv, chain + ground anchor, dog + shotgun.

Cover the bike and have a disk-lock for good measure.

You can get the wireless cctv that emails you when the 'ring-fenced' area is intruded. Mine wakes me up at 4:47am so I can see the local cat admiring my bike.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[bamt]

What length chain do people normally carry on their bikes? Obviously there's a trade off between convenience of carrying and ability to lock to things rather than just looping around the wheel.

Generally I'm parking in good areas (like the coded access area at work), if it's somewhere a bit more iffy then I'll throw a disk lock on. But there was one evening last week when I needed to park up in that there London and wasn't too comfortable leaving it - even in a well lit multi storey - which made me think that I should be looking at security more.

[MCN]

Don't bother with any form of security.
If enough people have there bikes nicked then the stolen bike market will become saturated making bike theft less attractive to Scrotes and everyone's bikes will be much safer.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Rogerborg]

[BTTD]

I'm just using a disc lock, but it's in a company car park, right outside reception, and not a dodgy area.
In my last two jobs, none of the other bikes I parked next to had any additional security. No chains, no disc locks, nothing. That always surprised me, but there were no reported thefts of motorcycles. Pushbikes did get nicked though.
If I was parking up in a more public place, daily, then I would be considering a 16mm chain, although it would be grudgingly - having to lug that about would piss me off, they're not light. Finding my bike not where I left it would piss me off a hell of a lot more though.

[P.addy]

[JoeDaStudd]

I got the 10mm 1.8m mammoth chain and lock combo when I got my ybr last year as I needed a chain and lock asap and they had it in stock.

I upgraded to an Almax III (2m with SS65CS lock) and it's the world of difference.
I had no illusions after watching a few videos that the Mammoth could be cut in less then a minute with a decent pair of bolt cutters.
The Almax ... well if they manage to get through it they have powertools and nothing is going to stop them, even then it's going to be hard and loud enough that hopefully they will go somewhere else.

iirc my excess is £250 and all the hassle involved with making a claim the ~£150 difference (between the two chains) means it really makes sense to spend the extra.

[SuperMike]

[Ste]

How is a theft claim for July last year still not settled?

If the bike is bought on finance then should it be nicked, you pay off the existing finance and you get your new bike on finance.

The cost of replacing some fairing panels (and footpeg hangers, levers, ignition, some of the loom, maye the petrol tank lock mechanism and no doubt some other parts would also be damaged would almost certainly be quite a bit more expensive than the excess. Oh, don't forget the recovery and storage fees if your bike is ever found.

You need a sturdy chain and a solid ground anchor at home. When out and about, lock your bike to the nearest suitably heavy inanimate object.

[SuperMike]