Hi all, I had just handed over my deposit after finally making a decision on my first bike (after great advice on here ) and was given a pretty sober warning about bike security and how thefts and bike jacking was massivly on the rise! To be honest the thought of some little scumbags on scooters kicking people or clubbing people off bikes hadn't even been on my radar! Before I go to pick up my new beauty I would be very grateful if anyone has advice on best security devices to buy before hand. Disc lock? D lock or chain? Or both? Or any other safety devices worth buying I'm unaware of? The locks seem to vary hugely in price. Are the more expensive ones really worth the huge price tag or are the cheaper ones pretty much as good? Also I was told if parked in a street not to bother using the steering lock?? By the sounds of it securing a bike days is a complectated task!!???? Thanks in advance for any advice
Consider where you keep it. Garage? Ground anchor and chain. If you ride to work, where do you park? same place every day is a problem. Disc lock is good with steering lock its a minimum. Can you leave a heavy duty lock at work for use? Trackers are cheap although they include an annual fee. Check your lock is approved by insurance companies, this will reduce your premium, Also I hear that if your steering lock is off, and your bike is stolen they may not pay out ( dont know if this is correct). This is a theft deterrent,
Disc lock and/or U lock when out and about. Both lighter than a chain and padlock. I bought the Triumph disc lock but bought the Abus Granite Extreme U lock. When using the U lock I put it through the front shocks and wheel spokes unless there is a post it can be attached to that it can't be lifted over.
Just another thing I personally don't declare what security I have for the bike. If you forget to put it on your excess doubles ( usually written into the small print somewhere ) I don't particularly find that this increases the quote by much but then I have full no claims etc
I agree with the previous post. If you have a garage make sure it is in it at all times, cause if it is lifted when on your drive or outside the house when you get back from work or a ride, the insurance won't pay out. All you can hope to do with the various security devices is to slow down any potential thieves. It is a sad fact that the probabilty of your bike being stolen is a real threat. I just put it to the back of my mind and don't worry about it; at the end of the day that is what the insurance is for, so no point in worying. Wessa
If your bike is stolen & then recovered, if the steering lock stops are in tact, ( I.e you failed lock the steering), the insurance company will not pay. Agree with last comment, you may get a small discount if you fit further security, but again fail to prove that these were fitted at the time of theft, they may not pay. A secure garage, ground anchor & good quality padlock / chain with steering lock on, apart from cctv not a lot more you can do. Try not to park bike in same place day after day out in the open. Thieves reccy zones & then return next day.
Will be garaged whilst at home so I'll invest in a good ground anchor and chain. Work should be ok as I work at a fire station which is secured so mainly concerned about when I'm out and about. Disc lock and D lock it is then. Cheers guys
Welcome to the forum Wesser. Bike theft unfortunately is definitely on the increase, numerous reports on this forum testify to that. Just take every precaution you can to lock it up and be aware of bike-jacking which seems to be getting more popular among the scumbags.
If you are stopped at lights and someone gets a bit close for comfort, keep an eye on them It isn't unknown for scumbags to fix a magnetic tracker to your bike and then follow up later to where you park it. They can also distract you while a mate snatches the key from the ignition, so it is useful to have one of those short curly yellow cables attaching your ignition key to the handlebar. With the key gone you are forced to try and leave your bike somewhere safe, but they come back later with the key and they are off. I personally drive the last couple of miles home using one of three different routes, just in case someone is trying to pinpoint where I live. I believe I may have been followed a few months ago, scooter behind me but staying at a distance, so I went round a large roundabout a few times, he stayed behind me for two laps and dissapeared on the third Finally, keep your ignition key separate from any alarm or lock keys, so if your ignition key is lost/stolen, at least you have the keys to the locks, and they can't nick them
Hi Wesser, I am in a similar boat to you although I've just made those decisions. I don't have a garage so the bike is parked on the drive. This sounds a bit risky but it is parked right in front of the lounge window and we have two Labradors which don't allow anyone near the house without barking the place down (I wouldn't trust them to see any one off, but they can certainly bark for Britain!) I have had a BikeTrac fitted which seems to be very good I have to say. They rang me this morning seconds after I accidentally rocked the bike putting the top box on. They also texted my brother and girlfriend to advise them of the movement! Cost me £300 and now £9.99 pcm but you can buy a cheaper deal yearly etc. For the moment, and for a £16k bike, it's worth it for a bit of peace of mind! I have a ground anchor in the concrete which I attach the bike to with a sold secure chain. I also put a disk lock on the other wheel (depending on which way around I park! The bike (an Explorer XCA) also has an immobiliser operated by a transponder in the key. One of the best deterrents and one of the cheapest though is a cover. They are not given the credit they deserve. Not only do they protect it from the elements but people just don't seem to look at a bike under cover. For a couple of days (due to my minor paranoia) I have been watching people walking past and initially with the cover off, lots of people would look (it's a beautiful shiny new bike after all!) With the cover on, no one looked - it just seemed to disappear! So now I don't leave it at home with the cover off (apart from a few mins letting the engine/exhaust cool.) At work I can see it all day, so although I still chain it and put the disk lock on, there's nothing better than simply being able to sit and more or less watch it all day. The greatest problem I think is complacency. Don't be complacent. Don't think, oh I'll just pop in the shop without locking it. Thieves always will pick the low hanging fruit - whack a big chain on/alarm etc and they'll look somewhere else. If you leave it easy to nick, sooner or later it will get nicked. I think we worry a lot about theft but so often people make it too easy for the thieves. And if I get bike-jacked I'll just let her fall over. At over a quarter of a ton they'd never be able to pick her up and fend me off at the same time! Good luck - and most of all, if it is going to be stolen at some point, make sure you enjoy every minute of it while you can! Sorry this went on a bit long ...
It really is a crazy situation when you have to ride and be vigilant for scum following you and trying to take your bike by whatever means possible! It must tempting to take them to a dead end then turn around and take them out!! I think the shot gun was the best idea
Hi Chris. Thanks for that. Good advice. I will definitely look into the tracker. Sounds like a great idea
Hi Wesser, I don't know if I'm supposed to push brands on here but this is only from personal experience so far; BikeTrac certainly does a job. At least if the bike gets nicked there is still a very good chance that it can be found and recovered quickly. Also, if you ever forget where you've parked ... Have a look into it anyway. My dealer only semi-jokingly told me he refused to sell me any other tracker!