Bike Security

[Easy-X]

On a more serious note, compared to my previous posts, there have been a series of break ins, burglaries and bike thefts in my area.

At the moment I have the back wheel chained to a post (that would only be removable with serious demolition tools) and the chain has 8mm thick links. I take it that would keep a noisy angle grinder busy for a few minutes? On top of that I'm going to add a disc lock to the front when the reminder cable turns up.

My bike has an unused factory immobiliser/alarm socket and I've got an NCS unit to plug in there.

Finally, a friend got me a GPS tracker as a gift. And this is where it all goes down hill...

It's a cheap and cheerful thing with a horrendous Chinglish manual. I have, more by luck than anything else, got it to text me a Google maps location on demand and ring me in the event of power failure (i.e. the thing has been discovered, torn out and lying in a ditch somewhere.)

So I had a thought: would there be any interest in repackaging such devices with a) a useful manual and b) web services based in the UK rather than relying on the quaint Chinese websites and apps which may disappear in a puff of smoke at any moment.

Also, any other security suggestion would be most welcome.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[ThatDippyTwat]

8mm is easily in the range bolt croppers can chop open. Forget it as primary security, it just deters opportunists from pushing it away. Use it *in addition* to somethign decent, another layer of security, if you want.

Have a search for Almax or Pragmasis chains on here. Get a *decent* lock to go with it. It won't be cheap, but it'll likely be cheaper than the insurance hike, not to mention the excess when making a theft claim. The bigger the better. Bear in mind they're heavy, especially when carting these things around. Some people take a smaller 13mm out and about with them, and have a chunky 19 or 22mm where the bike lives at home.

Add a disc lock. Doesn't have to be expensive.

Angle grinders go through anything. Seconds rather than minutes. The more items/layers you add, the longer you get, but the bigger the faff of getting the bike out in the morning/locking it up at night.

Don't declare any security to insurance unless you have to.

Anything else is window dressing. Forget cheap, dubious quality trackers, if I have a bike worth using a tracker on, I'll pay for the service. I'm not chucking a tracker on a hack or a cheap bike.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[Sister Sledge]

Do a search on YouTube for your lock manufacturer and cry! So many promise the Earth but in reality they often don't need the help of an angle grinder.
Thieves are ingenious. They learn fast and spread information rapidly. If they discover a weakness then they'll use it. One such story is actual bike brake discs. A lock was fitted so the thief unbolted the disc so that the wheel could turn and the bike be moved away. Far quieter than a grinder..

Security will not fully stop someone. It will slow them down. There are many other tricks you could be doing to deter burglars such as having a beware of the dog sign, a chewed up old dog bowl and toys in the garden etc. A security light near the bike helps too.
There's a heap of stories, hints and information on here - you need to go looking.

Some top tips with security mentioned above already.
Think of security this way: It's an initial investment. Yes it'll cost a lot but it's not like you'll be buying it again any time soon.
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CCM 404 DS

[SDFarsight]

I'd expect that 2 or even 3 average-good devices are better than a single high-end one: it gives the thief more to think about especially if they're not just 2 identical locks.

As ThatDippyTwat said, 8mm is certainly on the weak end of chains.

Aside from locks, it's also good to have a bike cover as it prevents thiefs from casually checking out your bike from afar; they have to make the commitment to touch your bike which possibly means being on private land. Not that being on private land is going to stop them, but it's just another psychological thing which makes other bikes more tempting.
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Riding: 2009 Kawasaki ER6f
Previous: Sym Wolf SB125Ni, 2008 Kawasaki ER6f

[Nobby the Bastard]

I rely on barky dogs at home and armed police when at work....
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[SDFarsight]

[Robby]

Multiple security devices, of different kinds, will be more effective than a single one - even if the single one is really good. Your bike is sat where thieves can get a good look at it, and attack when they want to.

At a minimum I would go for chain and disk lock. Chain can be cropped, disc lock can also be defeated, but that means your thief having the skills and tools to do both. You've already eliminated the scrotes that just have a set of bolt croppers. They can still cut the chain, but they can't wheel it away.

A cover is a good idea, but a faff if you don't have somewhere to keep it.

There are cheap trackers that use a better interface, I had one for a while that used GPSlive.co.uk, and it only cost £30 on ebay. Pain in the arse to keep it working though. If I was serious about having a tracker, I'd spend the tenner a month to have a biketrac.

Your bike is a Chinese 125. It isn't being stolen to order, it's being stolen by scum for no good reason.

Have enough security to be a deterrent and always use it. Don't have so much that you can't be bothered to use it. Also remember that all you can do is reduce the risk, not eliminate it. Vandalism can also still happen even if they can't make off with the bike.

[Easy-X]

I appreciate the advice. I shall definitely invest in a tougher bike chain when I have some spare pennies. I'm not expecting to defeat someone organised enough to remember to charge their battery powered angle grinder; bolt cutters, on the other hand, any moron can work.

(I forgot to mention I already have a bike cover.)

Last bike to get nicked in my area was a 400cc Suzuki DRZ which is probably worth more second-hand than my bike cost new but hey, ppl steal whatever isn't bolted down...

I like the multi layered approach: hassle, hassle, hassle. A spotlight with PIR is a great idea which also makes it easier for me to put the cover on the bike when it's dark

Shame about the tracker. Its feature list is as breathtakingly large as its usability is small. I shall still endeavour to duplicate its Chinese backend on my own servers - purely for amusement.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[johnsmith222]

my favourite disc locks are the kryptonite new york ones. There are better disc locks available from abus, but they're at a price that's just too expensive, and they'll just cut the disc anyway.

I'd go for 1 disc lock per wheel ideally, as stops 1 wheel being lifted during the theft.

This is the one that I like:

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Kryptonite-New-York-Liberty-Disc-Lock-With-Reminder-Cable_92541.htm?sku=323138&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwvbLkBRBbEiwAChbckXH4NQC0c7EF8Fgdr0hJNtyEg51xCrSYf9BW8NnKGEdku59Tba4O3RoCNqkQAvD_BwE

[ThatDippyTwat]

[Ste]

Park next to something that's got worse security than you.

[Sister Sledge]

Just for fun you should do a FOI request with the local plod as to how many motorcycles were stolen in your county last year.
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CCM 404 DS

[Easy-X]

[Easy-X]

Wow... talk about factory fit! Not only did the NCS alarm connect directly to the factory immobiliser plug it even fitted perfectly in the slot under the air box that a factory alarm would go in!
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Robby]

[EazyDuz]

Motorcycle security is massively overpriced, you'd be better off with a gold rated BICYCLE lock. Such as this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite-York-Standard-Frame-U-Bracket/dp/B06XCH21YH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=bicycle+lock+new+york&qid=1552923109&s=gateway&sr=8-3

And using it as a disc lock (assuming it will fit) or just get creative with where you lock it.
That said ive always gone for the multiple cheap options rather than the 1 tonne chain option.

E.g. if parking for a long time in a major city centre, I put the ebay disc lock with orange safety cable on, basic £20 ebay chain and padlock, and arm the incredibly loud ebay alarm.
At a glance it looks much more secure than the bike next to it with some rusty old chain no matter how big the links are. No attempts of theft thus far.
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[Nobby the Bastard]

If I have to park somewhere that isn't a secure car park or guarded by armed police, I use the feck off gert almax that is on long term loan from ste.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Easy-X]

Given the spate of thefts in my area I'm worried that whatever "spotters" the thieves use are too thick to realise mines a faux-cruiser and not at all valuable.

Yes, I didn't pay much for the bike and yes it isn't worth much more now but I did have a lot of fun making it roadworthy and it continues to amuse me.

Bonus points if it sh*ts up the postman as he brushes by it on the way to my front door
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[ThunderGuts]

As mentioned above, it's all about making it as awkward as possible. It'll never be impossible, that's . . . err, impossible. But start simple;

- Out of sight, out of mind - can you garage it or cover it? Even though a motorcycle under a cover is clearly a motorcycle, it's an unknown motorcycle so someone has to make a positive intervention to determine what it is and what security might be lurking underneath (and risk being spotted in the process)

- A decent chain . . . I use a 16mm (14mm for the "hack" bike), but some consider that to be "lightwieght" for home security. 8mm is really very light indeed - as mentioned, bolt croppers will make easy and silent work of it. Make sure your lock/shackle is up to the task too, no good having a huge chain but an 8mm padlock on it

- Make sure whatever you chain it to is as robust as the chain. Lots of options here to make things more robust, ground anchors (good ones) are obviously decent but are pretty worthless if they're not attached to something solid

- disc locks; some will go through the rear sprocket (better as it's less easy to defeat, but the lock will get oily - have a rag that lives with it to clean it, especially if you swap it between the sprocket and an actual disc). On the front wheel it's a *thin* layer of protection as it's easy to unbolt or cut a disc, or even swap a wheel out for a generic wheel enough to get the bike away. Having one on either or both wheels is still an extra deterrent and makes the thief's job harder. Some are alarmed too, this can be useful to alert yourself (unlikely to attract attention from anyone else I'm afraid, even if parked outside the police station)

- location security; can you make your bike parking location at home less accessible? Block the path with your car? Improve the garden gate? Fit a lock to it?

Ultimately it's all about layers. The goal is to make it too much of a pain for a thief to go through, so they'll look for another target. That said, if they really want it they'll still take it.
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TG.

[leolion]

Has anyone ever sold a bike or given up on biking altogether because of the threat of theft?

[Easy-X]

If it were me then I'd think about moving to a different area before giving up on biking.

The rash of burglaries and bike thefts in my area is unusual so probably only one or two perpetrators... hopefully a nice easy job for the plod.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[ThunderGuts]

I think the situation would have to be pretty dire to give up completely. If I didn't have anywhere to store a bike and moving somewhere with storage wasn't on the cards, I might put biking on hold for a bit until my circumstances changed (no different to anything else really).
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TG.