Securing your motorbike

There are approximately twice as many more motorbikes stolen than cars and it is probably understandable given their portability. It is not only opportunistic thieves who target motorbikes, they can also be stolen to order by professional gangs which makes security more important than ever. But what can be done? Location Where a bike is parked influences its attractiveness to a thief. It might be thought that a secluded spot away from sight is the best option but it isn’t as it makes it easier for someone up to no good to carry out their work. Far better to park a bike in a well-lit area, preferably with plenty of passing traffic and within the range of a cctv camera. It has been suggested that simply covering the bike with a protective cover will deter an opportunistic thief. A garage is an ideal place of course, but it is only as good as the security it provides. If it is easy to break into then it is little better than parking a machine in a secluded alleyway as the garage can provide cover for a criminal. Nothing is ever completely secure, so even if the garage is as secure as it can be, the bike should also be secured inside. Locking There are various method to secure a motorbike and keep it locked up. The machine will have various inbuilt systems provided by the manufacturer such as locking the front forks when the ignition key is removed. There are also disc locks which prevent the wheel rotating and therefore prevents the machine from being driven away. Be sure if this type of lock is fitted that there is something to indicate to the rider that he has employed it. Trying to drive off after forgetting that you have fitted a disc lock could mean some expensive repair bills! There are many types of propriety chains in the market of various specifications and locking systems. As a rule of thumb it is probably advisable to get the best you can afford, as cheapness is a false economy in this situation. The chain should, where possible, be threaded through the frame of the bike and not the wheels as they can be removed, rendering the chain useless. The chain should always be attached to an immovable object like a lamppost if outside or to something like a parking anchor if inside. A parking anchor is fitted to the floor or the garage for instance and has to be securely fastened. The parking anchor should be secured using something like a shear bolt which ensures the bolts cannot be removed and the anchor remains in place. What else? As the motorbike has become more sophisticated so the methods of security have improved. The bike can be marked with Smartwater to identify ownership and individual parts of the bike can be marked with the unique vehicle identification number to prevent them being sold. It is a sad fact that, although a complete bike is of most interest to thieves, parts are also enormously valuable. As few as one in five of stolen bikes are restored to their rightful owner. It is a shame that the most liberating of motor vehicles should be the most problematic to keep secure. The things that make it so attractive, the speed, the manoeuvrability and the freedom of the open road are also its weakness.