Motorcycle Lock Options

[B.Craig]

Does anyone here use a lock when parking the bike for an extended time? If so, is there a recommended brand or type that is preferred.

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

[drewl]

I have the disc lock that I use in certain situations. General consensus is that one should chain the bike to a fixed object to be secure. Thieves have been literally picking bikes up and loading them into trucks rather than trying to roll them away.

[ewryly]

I use one of the Xena alarm disc locks under a bike cover when I am traveling. But that is not really long term. Are you looking to lock it over the winter? Where will it be during the time you want to secure it?

[B.Craig]

Over the winter it will be in the home garage, and during the work day I park in a secure underground garage. I am just looking to have something in the saddlebag to be used in any situation where I'm going to be in a store/restaurant/whatever for an extended period of time.

[drewl]

The disc type lock or an alarm cable lock is what you are looking for.

[ewryly]

Aerostich lists some locking options including the Xena locks and cables and some reasonably inexpensive alarm systems.

[Molsan]

a coiled bike lock to something hard....
i would not mind a break lock with alarm....but have fears of forgeting about it.

[Yakima9]

Luma Disc Lock :: Disc Locks :: Locks & Alarms :: A to B Utilities :: Aerostich/RiderWearHouse Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

I've got this disc lock from Aerostich. I also bought the reminder cable. I hook it around the right hand grip so that I see it before I start the bike. It's nice because there is no key to have to worry about. A nice, heavy, visible lock.

Originally Posted by drewl

...Thieves have been literally picking bikes up and loading them into trucks rather than trying to roll them away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JJEQFLBI68

[Molsan]

Originally Posted by Yakima9

YouTube - Furto Honda Cbr

Wow, that was fast.

even an alarm would do little as it was only out in the open for a few seconds before being shut in a van. Alarms only work to get people to look, that was abusy street and doubt that an alarm would have done anything.
Also they lifted the front so the wheel mattered little.

Sucks because nothing is normally near the curb to lock your bike 2. I feel a lot less safe about my bike now, any parking lot this could happen. takes so little time even a well lit busy parking lot it could happen. Even underground, in a van who whould check the back.

Wow, just wow.

Need to hook my bike up so if someone touches it they get tazzed some how.

[lynchingacers]

that was hella fast man
at least the older Sabres are a little too heavy to do that to

mabye u should lock both wheels then then they need 4 guys lol

[Rollin_Again]

The best way to keep your bike from getting stolen it to put a Hyosung sticker over the Honda Wing decal on the tank. Muhahahaha!!!

Regards,
Rollin

[Lgn001]

I use a disk lock. The professionals will get the bike if they want it, so all you can do is discourage the "casual" thieves, who steal whatever is convenient.

[i_needit]

I have two of these, one front, one back. If they realy want it they will take it and I will get another one.

[GregPaul]

I'm bumping up this thread because I need to improve my security measures and this thread already has touched on some points I am considering. Plus, that's an interesting video.


YouTube - Furto Honda Cbr


In the video, the passenger from the van (white shirt) spends about 15 seconds evaluating the security measures (from 0:41 seconds standing near the curb, and at 0:56 seconds near the bike when he signals the driver that the mission is a "Go").

Before that: The video captures the light blue Chrysler van at 0:03 driving by at normal speed, and the perps (offscreen) apply the brakes and drive in reverse, reappearing onscreen at 0:09. The Chrysler is stationary in a moving lane for 25 seconds until the passenger gets out (0:16 to 0:41).

If it were me, I would have driven around the block a few times and had a discussion, but maybe there were good reasons I chose a different career path.


About the crime: I notice that the perps lift the front wheel (due either to the internal steering lock or an accessory disc lock) and roll the bike on the rear wheel. If the rear wheel had been immobilised, would this have resulted in the perps scrubbing the mission?

Originally Posted by i_needit

I have two of these, one front, one back. If they realy want it they will take it and I will get another one.

I'd be in the market for that! I need some help here - the disc locks I've seen seem to be for the front wheel exclusively. So, what should I be looking for for the rear wheel? Is the Grip Lock Brake Lock a reasonable alternative or comparable?


I'm wondering about the usefulness of a bike cover in this. That would make it more difficult for perps to determine what bike is concealed (maybe they'd drive by and target the next known quantity) . However, "looking is still free" (They know bikes better than I do - a glimpse of any part could be revealing).

But, I THINK there is some value to showing off the security measures (for those 15 seconds of security evaluation by the perps). The actual time of the theft was 6 seconds (touching the bike at 0:58 and the van moving away at 1:04).


They want to move fast. How do I let them know I've set things up to add a few more seconds to the job?

GregPaul

[steven113]

Originally Posted by Molsan

Wow, that was fast.

even an alarm would do little as it was only out in the open for a few seconds before being shut in a van. Alarms only work to get people to look, that was abusy street and doubt that an alarm would have done anything.
Also they lifted the front so the wheel mattered little.

Sucks because nothing is normally near the curb to lock your bike 2. I feel a lot less safe about my bike now, any parking lot this could happen. takes so little time even a well lit busy parking lot it could happen. Even underground, in a van who whould check the back.

Wow, just wow.

Need to hook my bike up so if someone touches it they get tazzed some how.

The same fate happened to my first bike in a walmart parking lot at noon time. I was in the store less than 10 min. buying cleaning suplies for my bike. After 15min. walking around the parking lot thinking I just forgot where I parked(denial) I contacted security and called the police(come to find out there was a substation in the same parking lot). witnesses said that 4 black men put the bike in a van in a hurried mannor. However no one thought it important enough to write down the tag # of the van(go figure). Alarms and locks are useless!!! I plan on hidden GPS tracking on my vfr for protection. Go ahead and steal it and depending on my mood I will decide if I call the police or deal with it myself!

[GregPaul]

Originally Posted by steven113

I was in the store less than 10 min.

I'm sorry for your loss. With six seconds, they could have stole it a hundred times over.


Here's a quatrain from the Great Schopenhauer for you:

The young man's anger
Like straw afire;
Like molten steel
The old man's ire


I don't want to happen to me what happened to you.

You bring up a parking lot situation. That is a different risk. There are those cart corrals - maybe I could chain my bike to the backside of one of those.

If the A-Holes can work fast, I can learn to secure my bike fast.

Thanks.

GregPaul

[derstuka]

Originally Posted by GregPaul

I'm sorry for your loss. With six seconds, they could have stole it a hundred times over.


Here's a quatrain from the Great Schopenhauer for you:

The young man's anger
Like straw afire;
Like molten steel
The old man's ire


I don't want to happen to me what happened to you.

You bring up a parking lot situation. That is a different risk. There are those cart corrals - maybe I could chain my bike to the backside of one of those.

If the A-Holes can work fast, I can learn to secure my bike fast.

Thanks.

GregPaul

Greg,

As some have mentioned, you need to secure it to a fixed object. Think like a thief...anything that is going to cost you more time is more of a turn off. Take for instance the Kryptonite New York Chainlock. They are going to need an Oxy/Acetylene torch to defeat it pretty much. That is my choice. Doesn't mean that they cannot beat it, but they have their work cut out for them, and that means they very likely might just pass my bike up for an easier target. They are most likely going to pick up your bike anyways, so a disc lock doesn't do much of anything for preventing theft....unless you use a disc ALARM lock in unison with a heavy duty NY chain lock. That way, they are having a bitch of a time breaking the chain, and an alarm is going off as well. If you use a cheesy thin cable lock, well, you might as well just not even lock it as they will cut thru that like a hot knife thru butter.

Yes, a cover might help, but then (unless you cable lock it on) you run the risk of your cover being stolen. I still think a cover would help (with a cable lock) and New York chain and lock. locked to an immovable object....preferably not wooden fence post.

Oh, and think of it this way as well...the less room you give a thief to work, the less likely he will want your bike. What I mean is, try to make it so when you lock your bike it is hard to access the chain and it doesn't have a lot of slack in easy reach. Locking thru the frame is hard to do, but even better for the most part as when you lock it thru the wheel they could just take off the wheel and be on their merry way. The more access you give them, the easier it is for them to work on defeating your security measures.

[steven113]

Locks are a great deterent if you use them but most of us dont use them every time we leave our bike unattended... I would rather have an alarm as a deterent and the ability to track my bike via GPS after the fact. Lo jack is an option if you live in a metropolitin area but otherwise it is useless, GPS tracking devices are now made small and efficient enough to be put on a cycle, trackible over the entire world on google earth in real time from any internet connection...

[GregPaul]

Jason,

That's a bunch of ideas. I'll continue to think them over after I hit the "post" button.

The VFR rear wheel does pop off pretty easy. And the bad guys know that. But, I saw one British website that showed a big pin (a really big pin) that goes through the hollow axle and swingarm. The chain end links and a padlock are supposed to attach to that. I forget the explanation why this item can't be mailed to buyers in the U.S. or Canada.

I currently have a front disc lock that has an alarm. The thing is supposed to chirp, pause, and then emit an alarm. In the above video scenario six-second heist, the alarm would have started to sound while the van door was closing and the Chrysler van was heading down the road.


I'd like to have something that immobilizes the rear wheel. Make the effers actually carry my bike rather than roll it into the death chamber.


I'm not asking for details. But you are saying there are places to wrap a chain around the frame/subframe? I'll take a better look at my VFR on Sunday.

Maybe the cover questions were mostly about my concern for luggage. Which is a different problem. I have hard luggage and will be using some MotoPak soft luggage for extended trips.


"Think like a thief".

I'm trying. But, I do need to shift gears for that.

Take care.

GregPaul

[GregPaul]

Originally Posted by steven113

Locks are a great deterent if you use them but most of us dont use them every time we leave our bike unattended... I would rather have an alarm as a deterent and the ability to track my bike via GPS after the fact. Lo jack is an option if you live in a metropolitin area but otherwise it is useless, GPS tracking devices are now made small and efficient enough to be put on a cycle, trackible over the entire world on google earth in real time from any internet connection...

Maybe I'm just a negative person. But, that LoJack transmitter isn't microscopic. The perps will see that super quick.

But, supposing they don't: You will have done a good deed and there will be many thankful to you.



GregPaul