Suspicious marks on my bike

[vuduvu]

Hi guys. Some suspicious scratches have appear on my bike overnight, near the ignition. The scratches are deep, in hard plastic and could not have been done by accident but I cannot figure out what the perpetrator was trying to do, any ideas?

The marks are on the screen, the heated grip controller and near the ignition but not a scratch on the ignition.

Photos attached.

[Bhud]

Not sure. Some sort of long lever to brute-force the ignition key barrel, I think. Or a breaker bar to force the steering lock. Or just a long snips like a garden shears (inept opportunist thief trying to cut wires and join them up until it starts). Nothing good, whatever it is.

Could you park it somewhere else, somewhere safe and secure, preferably in a locked garage, under motion-sensor video cameras and lights? I would expect them to return, if I were you. Just like burglars coming around to the same house again, because they know how to get around, how to avoid detection and how to defeat the security.

[vuduvu]

The steering lock is already broken from a previous attempted theft at a different location. I've had a couple of attempts on my bike, some successful, some not. Odd thing is that it had a disc lock on it and that was untouched, usually they start with that.

Ordinarily I park it in a secure compound but for this one night I forgot and left it parked outside my house.

Anyway I was just thought the pattern of the scratches was interesting. I cannot imagine what kind of tool they were using, and why they attacked the heated grips controller.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Looks like aimless stabbing, sawing and scraping with a knife. Dumb vandalism.

[Riejufixing]

[NJD]

[martin734]

Looks like inept, theiving fucktards who didn't know what they were doing and thought the heated grip controller was some sort of security device.
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Current bike: ST1100 "Big Red"

[defblade]

[doggone]

I've seen similar gnawing by rats and squirrels too, which would explain the extraordinary ineptness if it was a theft attempt.
Mind some of those squirrels might have tried to start it even if their legs aren't long enough to change gear.

[Sister Sledge]

It's been chewed by an animal. Notice the steel backing plate on the controller has no marks on it? No paint removed, nothing. A grinder or metal tool would scratch that paint at the very least but not teeth..

Makes me wonder if you've had wires cut through in the past?
Might also be a good time to check insulation on wires is unbroken too.

I see other damage further down behind the screen and what looks like two pivot points on an edge near the controller - they might well be from an attempted theft.
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CCM 404 DS

[vuduvu]

Thanks for the responses guys. I think you're right, rats or squirrels. That might also explain the giant nut that appeared wedged behind the screen.

You've put my mind at ease at least someone's not trying to steal it. Now I've just got to figure out now how to make it squirrel resistant. Let's see if squirrels like hot sauce.

Cheers.

[Bhud]

Good to know it wasn't a vandal or thief. I could forgive a rodent for doing something like that. They have to gnaw on something or their incisors would keep growing. Looks like the squirrels' foraging season has begun.

[A100man]

Yep, squirrels are everywhere at the moment - the fuckers.
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Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600