Unscrupulous characters next door eyeing up my bike

[Snorty]

So I don't even live in a scummy area of Leeds, but I've just had some right wrong'uns move in next door. Selling draws at all hours of the day (don't have an issue with that really).

My issue is it brings dodgy characters around next to my house - already had two pikeys on crossers with balaclavas and no plates either picking up or dropping off.

The bike is garaged behind a 7ft gate and the only easy way out is up the drive. I have a car blocking the drive most of the time so you would have to steal the car first which is worth more than the bike anyway.

Only issue is my fence ends where I had some conifer trees, these have been dead for a while now, so they have had direct view into my garden from their balcony. Between two of the trees is a gap big enough to get a bike through, but there is a concrete wall behind it (which is fallling down).

I was out in the garden today and had my ZX9 out and my FZ1 as I had to re-arrange some stuff, later on I overheard them on their phones talking about "finding two bikes" and when I went to the bit of the garden to hear closer, one of them nudged the other one and they turned the phone off and went inside.

So far I'm planning to extend the fence across the front of the old trees, to negate that access. Going to put a garage defender at the bottom of the door.

Any other advise other than to wait with a fucking baseball bat? I've owned this bike less than three weeks and now I have to worry about this.

People are telling me it would be a lot of effort and not to worry but I've already had ones stolen and I'm not down for that happening again. Has anybody had a bike stolen from what seemed to be a secure situation?
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[MarJay]

I used to live next door to a 15 year old kid who had some dodgy mates who used to go up the road and perform little transactions involving brown envelopes. he had a mate who walked past my garage one day with his burberry coat pulled up over his ears, and he glanced inside.

Two days later I came out to find the locks were all snipped off with bolt cutters, and all my tools had gone. So yeah, I'd be flipping careful. Nowadays I have a double garage, and I keep my bikes in one side, and I ONLY open the other side which then looks empty. I'm very wary of people seeing bikes and tools now. Apologies, I know this doesn't help, but be careful.

I would also say that a baseball bat is a spectacularly bad weapon. It needs two hands, it's hard to control and won't work in a close environment.... Build a big fence, fit a garage defender, and then start looking to move house.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[stinkwheel]

[Easy-X]

Buy some burner phones and keep reporting them for dealing heroin or cocaine. Dobbing them in for puff won't get any reaction from the police. Anonymous tip off to the council/housing association/landlord might also help to move them on.

If you get lucky and find out their names there's usually somebody they owe money to that would be interested in their most recent relocation
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[jeffyjeff]

Here is an idea. I once configured an alarm that was triggered by a common motion sensor light fixture. Removed the light bulb and screwed in a standard receptacle adapter. Plugged in a transformer to power a 12V horn. Works good, but 1) needs to be located where it won't be tripped by passers by, 2) only works at night unless you put it in a dark garage, 3) needs to be on a switched circuit so you can turn it off to access your bike. Never caught anyone and never had a false alarm, but it did give me peace of mind.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[spongefinger]

Its pretty cheap these days to set up a camera and motion sensor lights. I've got a £40 WiFi camera from eBay. It alerts my phone as soon as it detects motion. You can then activate an alarm in the camera or you can actually talk through the camera using your phone eg " fuck off the police are on thier way" or " I've have a bat and I'm on my way down" . As with all security devices it's actually more about being a deterrent rather than a solution make it hard enough and they will look elsewhere.

[/code]

[Robby]

Google nest cameras. One at the front in the doorbell, one at the back watching the garden, fence and gate, one in the garage. Footage is continually uploaded, so they can't steal the camera/recording box and get away with the evidence. If I'm dealing with more advanced criminals who cut the power or comms then I'm blind, but one of the cameras sees them making the cut.

Also mentioning to the police that customers of the drug dealers next door mentioned stealing your bikes may help. Unlikely to be arrests, but in my area it means they make their presence known a bit more for a few months, just driving up and down the street slowly a few times a day. Does wonders for persuading people to be more subtle in their criminal activity.

Violence will not end well. You probably have more to lose. It's a lot cheaper to increase your insurance cover.

[Snorty]

Thanks for the advice all, picking up a garage defender and fitting it today. I like the baby monitor idea a lot, will check out the models.

Going to put a ground anchor in and get a chain round both wheels of the bikes, and alarm the garage. Got some fencing panels coming to block the access now so they will have to climb over a 7ft fence with carpet grippers at the top.

There's no way to get the bike out as the only access then will be up the drive, through the 7ft locked gate and past the two big cars on the drive.

It's only a cheap bike, but they don't know that.

It's not just the bikes I'm wary of either.

Can anybody recommend a decent alarm that isn't Chinese tat? I try to buy things that last.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[Freddyfruitba...]

A really shitty situation and I feel for you.

I think your strategy has to be to make it as difficult as possible for the buggers. Your problem (obviously) is that they've decided they want your bikes, they know exactly where they are, will be able to work out when the best time is to nick them, they'll be able to see your security measures and have all the time in the world to work out how to circumvent those.

I think spending money on and relying on security cameras isn't great. They will be able to work out how long they'll need to get your bike out and be gone before popo arrives, and confronting them yourselves is a bad idea as already discussed. They'll be balaclava'd up to the nines so the video footage will be useless as evidence.

Physical barriers are surely the way forward. Fix that gap between the trees with something impregnable. Make sure the gate is secured with the biggest fuck-off lock known to mankind. Garage defender's a great idea - ideally make sure they know it's there somehow, so they don't trash your garage doors before giving up when they find it...
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KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS

[bugeye_bob]

Electrify the door handle, easy to find a YT video on, cheap remote relay off ebay so you can turn it on and off, even put a warning sign up, then barbed wires across the open gap before you have time to fill the gap.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Next time they are in the garden talking....

pretend to ring someone and say 'Yep, theyre in the garden again. They better not be looking at my bikes again'....

Pause for reply

'Yes, I still have the shotgun buit thats not the point.'
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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."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[NJD]

[stinkwheel]

It's amazingly difficult to move a motorbike about if you've removed the handlebar bolts.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[wr6133]

Stuff the gap with a load of this till you get fencing up. Nothing says "Fuck off", quite as well as razor wire.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAZOR-WIRE-10M-65M-GALVANISED-BARBED-STEEL-SECURITY-FENCE-FARM-COILED-CONCERTINA/324017354211?hash=item4b70f075e3:g:VTwAAOSw7rRd-z9g

[Polarbear]

I would suggest a dog but nowadays they'd probably nick that as well.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[BRUN]

for chains, locks, anchors etc, id recommend pragmasis from securityforbikes

toolstation actually sell some of the better/big squire padlocks cheaper than most places

[Freddyfruitba...]

[yen_powell]

[xX-Alex-Xx]

Ring cameras work really well for motion detection and have good night vision on them. External ones on the house, and an internal camera in the garage would be a good idea. Doesn't stop em breaking in but at least you'll get a notification and video stored online even if they rip the cameras off later.
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DILLIGAF

[steve the grease]

In chess and elsewhere they say that the best form of defence is attack.
Contantly reporting therk hunts to the Police and housing association for drug dealing has got to be a start.
Emailing your County and local Councillors complaning about your neighbours constant and obvious drug dealing and how it's terrible that the government sends one message , but nothing is ever done, etc etc, blah blah local elections coming up etc.
That might get the Councillor on the phone to the Chief Constable, which should get things moving along a bit more quickly.

A sound recording of a dog barking on replay at full blast on the stereo while you are out all day might not do any harm.

As a short term option can you not stick the bikes in a container somewhere for a few weeks and see how this all develops. Looks like you can have a 10 footer in leeds area for £15 a week , might be worth splashing out a couple of hundred quid to save losing your bikes and dealing with the insurance .My sister lives in Burley and frankly she might as well leave her garage unlocked , it gets broken into so often.

Meanwhile carry on with the razor wire and so on .

Best of luck mate.
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All the above is my personal opinion, you can see my lips move, but I'm talking out of my arse.
I've been riding, and fixing , bikes for 50 years, in that time the more I learn, the less I am absolutely sure of.....

[madnlooney]

A Poacher Alarm with wire across takes a 12 bore blank cartridge and if they enter it will shit them up when it goes off