Best security/ alarm

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by Keith wilmott, Feb 27, 2019.

  1. Keith wilmott

    Keith wilmott New Member

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    I just picked up my first vfr800
    It's a 2009 year and have to say I love it , the bike has practically everything I want on one besides security, I would like to hear recommendations on alarm systems etc, much appreciated and thanks in advance guys
     
  2. Camp

    Camp New Member

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    I use a LOUD disc lock rather than loading more wiring into an already electrically querky bike.
     
  3. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    That is a complex question with no short answer.

    It is probably impossible to completely prevent a motorbike being stolen, but you can take steps to make it a lot more difficult and far less likely that it will be your bike that gets nicked - so its all about what level of hassle/expense you are prepared to incur.

    Whilst these bikes are relatively heavy - four determined lads with a couple of scaffold poles can easily relocate it into a van in seconds. in some places a decent alarm - disc-lock or integrated with the bike electrics might deter unwelcome attention, but increasingly in cities people largely ignore car alarms as they go off so frequently, and in London one gang of bike thieves was eventually caught with a van full of stolen bikes whilst driving around in a van plastered in "vehicle recovery" stickers.

    I am ambivalent about things like trackers. Yes they have allowed the police to occasionally discover the base of bike theft gangs sometimes finding dozens of stolen bikes being dismantled with a developed network ensuring the parts only appeared on local auction websites at the other end of the country a few months later. The big question is do you really want to prevent your VFR being stolen in the first place, or are content for it to be stolen because you think you will be able to find your stolen bike which may have incurred some damage in the interim? Again in London determined thieves probably know a lot more about aftermarket trackers than most bike owners. Sadly the same tracking signals can be used to scan, and as appropriate locate and swiftly disable the signal with a deft hammer blow well before the bike disappears into a container bound for Russia, Nairobi...

    If your VFR has HISS, then Honda has already done a good job to make it not very attractive to thieves as without the key they can never sell it as a running bike (without immense expense), and the thieves are pretty much left with a source of parts. If the major bike parts are also engraved with the registration number then the parts are traceable and the stolen bike is of virtually no value at all to the thieves, who may well dump it as soon as they see the parts are indeed security marked or has smart water(traceable) applied. Indeed a well placed 10p sticker may be a valuable investment even if you never get around to applying smart water or marking the bike...

    However if you believe your VFR is at risk then I suggest you consider...

    Buy a top quality chain and lock (ALMAX) and use it to attach the bike to something immovable like a lamp-post whenever and wherever you park the bike - even when parked up inside a garage - as doors on some garages do not really offer much by way of security unlike chaining the bike to a ground anchor. If you need to regularly park in the same location - then buy a second lock and chain so you can leave it permanently attached to railings at work and not have the hassle of shifting it back and forth.

    If you are out riding with friends then just take one decent chain and lock as two bikes chained together makes a pretty impossible target to move.

    Sadly bolt croppers or even a portable angle grinder will make mincemeat of typical cheapo chains sold by value supermarket chains - you know what I mean! Do not be fooled by the weight of their crap offers, what you need is top quality high strength steel which cannot be cut or cropped - which means they are never cheap!

    Obviously what if anything you choose to do is really up to you. But especially if you have to park often in risky areas I would invest in a top quality "Squire" lock and Almax IV chain, which is probably the best all round option, as thieves are not going to be willing to risk spending 20 minutes making a hell of a racket and showers of sparks trying to angle grind through an Almax case hardened steel chain, they will just look for an easier target.

    Finally keep it out of sight/out of mind. Not everyone has a garage, and if you have to routinely store your VFR outdoors, then at least keep it under a decent cover (Oxford Stormex) then thread your Almax chain through the openings in the cover through the wheel/frame and attach to a lamp post or ground anchor. Wrestling with a cover will significantly add time to any potential theft and may well mean your bike will be ignored.

    Hope that helps


    SkiMad
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2019
  4. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    Aggh Getting trigger happy ..

    PS welcome Keith to the MadHouse - please swing by the introductions forum and tell us a bit about you and your VFR - a photo or two of the bike goes down well.

    Take care ATGATT


    SkiMad
     
  5. Keith wilmott

    Keith wilmott New Member

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    Cheers for the replies guys much appreciated, I'll swing over now and introduce myself
     
  6. rich stone

    rich stone New Member

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