Plenty of fork locks have been overpowered by thieves.
Seconds later, those bikes might be gone. This is why many motorcyclists use
Additional security gear to protect their rides.
There are a few different ways to protect your motorcycle from theft,
And anyone of them is better than leaving the bike unprotected.
Combining multiple protection methods increases your chances of avoiding theft,
But the old axiom remains:
“If they want it badly enough, they will get it.” The good news?
With a few simple security tools,
You can make your motorcycle a lot less appealing to thieves.
You’ll also protect your bike from people other than thieves.
Occasionally, morons sit on motorcycles they don’t own,
Let their kids sit on them, Move motorcycles around to get a better parking spot, or simply vandalize them.
A few security measures will stop these chumps in their tracks.
If you choose to use any of these security devices,
It might be a good idea to check with your insurance provider to
see if you can get a discount on your premiums.
$0 security
The first lines of defense are common sense and general awareness. They’re free! Riding to a rally in a city where theft is common,
You’re going to want to think carefully about your parking situation. A rash of garage break-ins strikes your suburb, with thieves targeting sportbikes? Maybe start using that ground anchor again when parking the Ducati. It’s little things, too. At the risk of sounding too obvious,
Don’t leave your keys in your bike’s ignition or store a spare key on the bike in an easily found spot. Make sure your garage,
If you’re lucky enough to have one, it is actually locked up for the night. Prefer well lit, high-traffic areas when parking,
Especially if they have cameras or a nice line of sight to wherever you’ll be. Why make a thief’s job easier?
Preventative security
Common sense and general awareness are great,
But the basics will only get you so far. Get serious with some preventative security.
These are the tools you used to prevent theft by making your motorcycle
As annoying to steal as possible.
Motorcycle covers
In addition to keeping your motorcycle dry and clean,
A good bike cover obscures your motorcycle from view.
The casual bike appear doesn’t know what’s under there,
Especially if the cover is long enough to hide the wheels. It’s worth mentioning that a plain cover suggests a plain motorcycle. I had to park my Suzuki DR-Z250 in a location visible from the street for a few weeks,
And I hated the amount of attention it received from strangers.
Do you fix dirt bikes?
What year is that? How much for the bike?
After throwing a cover over it, nobody has asked about my bike since. Problem solved. If you want to improve the odds that your cover stays put, get a cover lock. Let’s say our enterprising thief is a real go-getter,
And a quick peek under the cover reveals a bike worth stealing.
Brake lever locks
A clever little device is the brake lever lock, also called a grip lock. These units attach to your motorcycle’s front brake lever,
Clamping the front brake and preventing the motorcycle from rolling. Lock it with a key, and you’re all set.
While brake lever locks can certainly be defeated,
They are one more obstacle to stealing a motorcycle,
And they prevent less nefarious folk from easily rolling your bike around. A bonus is that they’re very compact and light for a security device. They fit just about any motorcycle.
Disc locks
A step up from the brake lever lock is the disc lock. These devices pass through your brake disc so that the disc can’t spin around without the lock hitting the caliper. Disc locks are usually sturdier than brake lever locks.
Of course, they can be defeated with the right tools of persuasion.
But like the lever lock, they take up very little space and often come with alarms.
Chains
It’s widely accepted that a chain is most effective when looped through the motorcycle’s frame. Ideally,
The chain also loops around a sturdy anchor, with a good lock to tie it all together. Thieves are unlikely to cut your frame to get a chain off. This forces them to attack either the chain itself, the lock, or the anchor.
A sturdy chain and mounting point will buy you some time. A steel cable, closely related to the chain, serves the same basic function. If you don’t have a good anchor spot, lock your motorcycle to a buddy’s bike if you’re riding together.
In addition to being annoying hunks of metal,
Chains can have some other tricks up their sleeves.
One possibility is, in fact, a sleeve made of tough fabric. This is intended to slow down bolt cutters and other criminal classics,
Since they’ll struggle to bite through to the steel they were designed to cut. This all comes at the price of added bulk.
It’s widely accepted that a chain is most effective when looped through the motorcycle’s frame. Ideally, the chain also loops around a sturdy anchor,
With a good lock to tie it all together. Thieves are unlikely to cut your frame to get a chain off. This forces them to attack either the chain itself, the lock, or the anchor.
A sturdy chain and mounting point will buy you some time. A steel cable, closely related to the chain, serves the same basic function. If you don’t have a good anchor spot,
Lock your motorcycle to a buddy’s bike if you’re riding together. In addition to being annoying hunks of metal,
Chains can have some other tricks up their sleeves.
One possibility is, in fact, a sleeve made of tough fabric. This is intended to slow down bolt cutters and other criminal classics,
Since they’ll struggle to bite through to the steel they were designed to cut. This all comes at the price of added bulk.
Also, read – How to make spark plug wires
2 Comments