Motorbike locks/trackers - what setup do you have and why?

[GMTMaster]

Looking to stop scrotes stealing my bike - both at home and when out and about - unfortunately they are too easy to steal

I know there is a few experienced bikers on here so was hoping to see what experiences you have with various products before I buy a fakely "5 star" reviewed lock off Amazon/similar site!

Anybody found any locks that make a decent impact on insurance premium?

Anybody had a lock that was so cr*p that there bike was taken?

Thanks all :D

[justin44]

For an alarm while at home I saw a clever one the other day, buy a wireless house alarm and fit one of the pir sensors under your seat, when the home alarm is on the pir is armed, if a Scrooge takes your bike the alarm will sound as soon as the pir is more than 100 yards from your house. A friend sticks one in his van at night, has the added bonus of telling him if a scooter breaks in to his van as well.

Obviously this only works while the van is at home net the main alarm box.

When I had my triumph I had a dirty great abus lock, and ground anchor concreted in, they are all rated on sold secure rating if I remember correctly. Don’t bother with anything that has a barrel lock.

Motorcycle news did an article once where they parked a bike in Cambridge next to a cafe, alarmed and locked, then they drove up in a van and two guys lifted it and put it in the van, alarm screaming but not one person from the cafe moved or called the police.

[seadog1408]

I have a half decent disc lock on it, locked in garage at night, or if I am touring I usually use hotels with parking, if scrotes are going to nick it an alarm won't put them off. Oh, it has data tag as well but at the end of the day it's insured.

[Thewatchbloke]

At home I have a hefty ground anchor concreted into a slab (when the slab was poured) and a 19mm Almax chain and Squire lock combo. When out and about I just use a Roadlock disk lock which is compact, neat and as effective a disk lock as you can get.

[wileeeeeey]

One good disc lock per disc and biketrac. On top this I have an almax chain with an anchor. If you have a tracker you might also want to get an optimate to keep the battery full.

[smalleyboy1]

I have a Pragmasis double doofer ground anchor and a 16mm chain at home. When parking in town I use a Pragmasis 13mm chain and a disc lock. I ride a GS 1200.

https://securityforbikes.com/index.php

Almax and Pragmasis are both generally well regarded.

[bwest76]

This at home with a concreted in ground anchor don’t get to long a chain.

Out and about I have a lighter chain and lock and Oxford alarm disc lock.

If having these doesn't considerably reduce your premium don’t declare them otherwise if they aren’t used they may not pay.

http://www.almax-security-chains.co....&product_id=57

[GMTMaster]

Thanks chaps.

The locks dont affect the premium by much.

Infact some insurers prices go down!

Who do you all use for insurance?


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[Zolawinston]

Thanks chaps.

The locks dont affect the premium by much.

Infact some insurers prices go down!

Who do you all use for insurance?


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Hi mate, good boots are the most important thing! I use Bennets for my bikes, they offer really good service at reasonable rates

[awright101]

No additional locks at all for me. Kept in a locked garage with the steering lock on and just the steering lock when I'm out.

[oldoakknives]

Almax chain on the Harley, to a ground anchor in the (alarmed) garage. When I'm out, same chain to whatever I can find.


http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/shop

[Saint-Just]

Thanks chaps.

The locks dont affect the premium by much.

Infact some insurers prices go down!

Who do you all use for insurance?


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I think you misunderstood. Yes, sometimes the price go down. But if you need to claim, not having the locks could invalidate your cover. And thee will be situations where you do not fit the lock.

[Skyman]

Just live in rural France, and leave it in an unlocked barn with the key in.

[j0hnbarker]

I have mine in an alarmed garage.

It’s tied to a ground anchor with an Oxford Hardcore XL chain and Oxford Hardcore padlock.

There’s also an Oxford Boss disc lock.

Then there’s a car parked in front of it, so thieves would need to take that out first.

Sometimes I use the Boss disc lock when I’m out and about. Depends where I’m going.

[Skyman]

I have mine in an alarmed garage.

It’s tied to a ground anchor with an Oxford Hardcore XL chain and Oxford Hardcore padlock.

There’s also an Oxford Boss disc lock.

Then there’s a car parked in front of it, so thieves would need to take that out first.

Sometimes I use the Boss disc lock when I’m out and about. Depends where I’m going.

What a faff.

[j0hnbarker]

What a faff.

Doesn’t bother me. I often work nights and with my wife at home I’d rather over do it than make it look like easy pickings.

It’s Datatagged too.

[Skyman]

Doesn’t bother me. I often work nights and with my wife at home I’d rather over do it than make it look like easy pickings.

It’s Datatagged too.

Fair enough.

[higham5]

I have a Pragmasis double doofer ground anchor and a 16mm chain at home. When parking in town I use a Pragmasis 13mm chain and a disc lock. I ride a GS 1200.

https://securityforbikes.com/index.php

Almax and Pragmasis are both generally well regarded.

Plus 1 for Pragmasis, other suggestion is to link your bike to something eg fence post AT HIGH level why because bolt croppers get purchase by being on the floor.

Pragmasis also do a anti pinch pin for BMW and Ducati hollow rear axles.

As you progress to more than 16 mm and the thieves cant use bolt cropping, this means the weapon of choice will be the battery powered angle grinder. This will generate sparks and noise, again if its raised off the ground, its more likely to attract attention.

Lastly a Xena alarmed disklock, very solid 22 mm bolt, yes they will grind away the disk, but hell by now unless you have a Panigale V4R they are getting bored and looking for a simpler steal.

[aa388]

Mines not got a disk lock or chain or alarm and on my policy it’s left on the drive. Never had a bike pinched just a car and to insure a GS Adventure and a 525 on the same policy it’s only £418 fully comp so I never see the point of buying a chain and locking it up.


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[JonRA]

Mines not got a disk lock or chain or alarm and on my policy it’s left on the drive. Never had a bike pinched just a car and to insure a GS Adventure and a 525 on the same policy it’s only £418 fully comp so I never see the point of buying a chain and locking it up.


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I've had bike for around 25 years, spread between the 70s, the 90s and the last 10 years. I was based in Shropshire and Hertfordshire, with the bike parked in central London during the day for 6 years. I've never had one nicked either. I used a disc lock for about a month but got fed up with it. If one had gone missing, l would have relied on the insurance.

Whatever approach you take, I hope you are not parted from your bike!

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[learningtofly]

I often park up in London, so theft is a real issue for me (at least in my own mind, anyway). Aside from the steering lock, I use an Abus Granit 68 Victory-X Plus disc lock on the front wheel (see below - almost impossible to cut through, as all three elements of the lock rotate independently from the others), and an Oxford Monster padlock on my rear sprocket (much harder to get to than if it was on the wheel). Given that both locks would prevent genuine problems to an opportunist thief I'm hoping they're enough to make it too awkward a target to bother with.



Both locks fit easily under my seat, so it's a lot easier than trying to travel with a heavy chain.

[smalleyboy1]

I’ve heard that desirable bikes with disc locks are simply lifted into a van. A few blokes, short length of scaffold bar through front and rear wheels, lift and go.

Chaining your bike to something solid where possible will help make your bike less appealing to steal compared to those around it.

[learningtofly]

I’ve heard that desirable bikes with disc locks are simply lifted into a van. A few blokes, short length of scaffold bar through front and rear wheels, lift and go.

Chaining your bike to something solid where possible will help make your bike less appealing to steal compared to those around it.

True to an extent, but the reality is that if the scrotes attend with a van then attacking a chain with a dremel is neither here nor there to them. Van's are also, apparently, one of the least preferred methods of taking a bike away away, as if its captured on CCTV the van itself becomes a risk to them.

[bwest76]

I’ve heard that desirable bikes with disc locks are simply lifted into a van. A few blokes, short length of scaffold bar through front and rear wheels, lift and go.

Chaining your bike to something solid where possible will help make your bike less appealing to steal compared to those around it.

Spot on and when you watch the videos they do it very,very quick.

[bwest76]

This is how quick it can be done.



https://youtu.be/umrYwN3uqbQ

[steptoe]

Van's are also, apparently, one of the least preferred methods of taking a bike away away, as if its captured on CCTV the van itself becomes a risk to them.

Now lets think this through... someone is willing to steal a bike but would never use a cloned number plate because it's against the law. LOL.

[higham5]

This is how quick it can be done.



https://youtu.be/umrYwN3uqbQ

Now that’s depressing, no matter how many chains you had, it would have to have been connected to something, and me thinks even if it was the video would have been 10 seconds longer as the angle grinder came out!

[smalleyboy1]

The reality is new motorbikes are expensive. A new BMW GS 1200 typically costs £17k when you add a few extras. Most bikes can be easily lifted into the back of a van and those chained can be cut free with battery powered angle grinders. I can’t imagine too many members of the public are going to challenge these scrotes.

Stolen bikes appear to be either shipped abroad or broken for parts and sold on places like Ebay. Given the level of bike thefts, particularly in London, it appears that it is a crime that pays, has low conviction rates and is easy to pull off. Rather depressing.

[learningtofly]

Now lets think this through... someone is willing to steal a bike but would never use a cloned number plate because it's against the law. LOL.

I'm just relaying something I've heard said a couple of times when the scum have allowed themselves to be videoed. Don't shoot the messenger.

[Kidsteruk]

I have a Pragmasis double doofer ground anchor and a 16mm chain at home. When parking in town I use a Pragmasis 13mm chain and a disc lock. I ride a GS 1200.

https://securityforbikes.com/index.php

Almax and Pragmasis are both generally well regarded.

+ 1

I have their shed shakle, boron chain and locks.

Will cost a bit, but excellent, secure, kit

[andy tims]

I’ve just bought a Roadlok. Not cheap but a neat solution.

[casbar]

Signed up for one of these, not ready yet, but released in Sept. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...bikes-and-moto

I use a disc lock when away, and ground anchor in the garage and a huge chain.

[casbar]

I’ve just bought a Roadlok. Not cheap but a neat solution.

Quite a few on the UK GSER forum have had some issues with Roadlock getting clogged up with cud and not being able to release the barrel on the lock

[GavinD]

I’ve just bought a Roadlok. Not cheap but a neat solution.

I’ve been using a Roadlok for a week or so now. Very convenient and neat on the bike and easy to use.

[GMTMaster]

My concern is that my bike is quite light, I was looking for something to chain it to when parked up to make it less 'liftable'

[bwest76]

Almax 19mm chain with lock as I indicated earlier,22mm is even better but not easy to move around.
19mm 1.5m I can get under my seat.
Then a proper concreted in ground anchor.

Security equals weight and cost.

http://www.almax-security-chains.co....&product_id=57

As soon as my shed base was laid we fitted a approved ground anchor,best security I’ve ever had.

Lock should be off the floor.