I need some advice...

[cjttchris]

I haven't been active on the forum for a few months due to going back to uni and being constantly busy. I try to stay away from the forum otherwise I start to reminisce about my bike, so sorry...

Anyway I want to bring my bike down to London for uni as originally intended to avoid public transport as much as possible. I am thinking of doing so after the Christmas break (January time).

Now my problem is firstly I'm worried sick of the bike crime rate where I live and in London in general, especially the fact I will have to park my bike out the front of the house I live in.
Secondly my bike is in almost pristine condition and I'm now slightly annoyed I got such a nice bike as I don't know if I want to use it around London.

So should I be worried about crime and my bike being stoled, and also should I just man the f**k up and not worry about making my shiny bike dirty?
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-Suzuki GSF600-

[nowhere.elysium]

Where in London, and will it be parked on the street, off the street, in a garage, what sort of security and so on.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[Pjay]

Do not under any circumstances leave a nice bike on the streets of London.
Thieves are stealing them with alarming frequency. Just sell it and buy something not worth stealing, or spend 2k on locks and alarms.

It may still get stolen.

[cjttchris]

[Azoth]

Sorry. Keep that back at home and have something to look forward to when you visit home. You're going to leave the bike there on that open patch of driveway in north Hendon? Come on, man. How about just giving it away to the first lowlife you see as a Christmas/birthday/every-day's-a-holiday gift?
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Safety in numbers

[cjttchris]

[ackack]

I would be spending as little as possible on the bike if it was me. £1000 is a lot to spend on a shitter that may get nicked.

edit* just seen your current bike assumed you were learner
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"fli hi mi angle"

[skatefreak]

Picked up a 98 CBR600 F3 in superb mechanical condition (literally looked like a dog after a failed/abandoned respray attempt) that I doubt would get robbed (even in London) for 500 bucks a few years ago.
Beats a shcooter

[cjttchris]

From the sound of it, almost worth just taking public transport for the few months I have in London after Christmas. The fact that the scum steal anything and everything makes me not want to give them anything, even if the bike cost £100. Maybe next year I will look into a house with access to the garden or somewhere inside to put the bike...
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-Suzuki GSF600-

[Azoth]

They'll nick anything - even a bicycle - if they want it. They'll do it in public and they don't care who sees or identifies them. If your bike is nicked and they want to sell it, you'll be able to find the thieves themselves selling it on Instagram and Facebook, saying they stole it and want to sell it. That's how open they are. The big deal with motorcycles is that they have an understanding that they won't be pursued by the police. The Met, especially, is indifferent. They (the police) make money out of it, as do recovery companies and others. Prolific bike theft also works out nicely for TFL. Cheap old bangers are stolen to rag around on and for use in other crimes (especially robberies). The same thieves then resell more expensive bikes immediately to professional fences. Knives are being pulled out and used on people who try to stop them, and it doesn't even make the news. It's good to be aware of these things. The country is going to the dogs, and it's by design - selective enforcement of various laws.

The only way you will park your bike safely in London with complete peace of mind is to be a member of a thief's gang, or else to illegally inflict such brutal violence on the territorial gangs responsible for bike theft that they're afraid of you and don't mess with you. As proof of this, you will find that the thieves themselves leave bikes they've stolen anywhere they like, for days on end to drain tracker batteries, or weeks on end for no reason, and nobody touches them. Don't get a bike in London.

Insurance may be prohibitive. I've heard of people paying thousands for TPFT on average bikes. If you get an old banger and it's stolen, it will affect your NCB.
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Safety in numbers

[Alpineandy]

Is there access to the back garden So you could get the bike in there)?
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[M.C]

For what its worth, and I hope I'm not tempting fate here, but I park my bike in the back garden with no security. People know it's there, I've heard locals yoofs talking about it. Never had an attempted theft.

In the OP's situation if my bedroom was round the front, with a ground anchor, almax and maybe alarmed disc lock I'd park my bike there. IMO parking a bike on street's where the risk lies.

[nowhere.elysium]

It's funny, I've lived in London for over thirty years, and never had any vehicles nicked. Admittedly, some gobshite did cut the exhaust off my car once, but that's the sole instance of such a thing happening to me. I'm pretty sure that Newham qualifies as being worse for crime than Hendon, too.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[Rogerborg]

https://i.imgur.com/cWoU6NF.png?1

[Alpineandy]

[cjttchris]

[Pjay]

I'd buy an old CB500 or the like. Thieves leave this type alone in London, as they are neither cool, or worth anything to anyone.

I'd happily ride one than the buses.

Also, just insure it Third Party. If it does get nicked, don't even report it to your insurance company, just tell the Police. Insuring a piece of crap with theft cover is not worth the trouble. The bike would be worth £500, that would be virtually gone with any excess, so losing NCB for the sake of a couple of hundred at best would be counter-productive.

[Tdibs]

Im guessing its not your property and cant put a ground anchor in the front garden either?
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[cjttchris]

[M.C]

[-]

Do you mean "advice"? What degree are you studying for?
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TZR250 2MA road, TZR250 1KT road, TZR250 2MA race, TDR250, YZF-750R Boost colours.
Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 Sport R, VW Transporter T5 GP LWB Shuttle 140ps DSG.

[G]

[Polarbear]

I wouldn't bother with a bike for commuting if I lived in London. Public transport is relatively cheap and easy and the scum haven't got around to nicking that...... yet
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[M.C]

[Pjay]

Travelcard cost me over £50 a week , fuel for the same is around £25 a week. Time on Bus/Tube 75 mins each way. Time on bike 35 mins each way.

I don't think wild horses could drag me back to TFL.