Your motorcycle is your biggest and most treasured possession; you would never want it to be stolen by criminals. Theft of motorcycles is much more common than you think. The stolen bikes are very difficult to recover as well because most of them are dismantled and sold further in parts or rebuilt into a new legitimate vehicle. If you have a motorcycle of your own, you need to spend some time understanding how can you prevent such a thing from happening to you.
You can avoid such a big horror by being carefully alert and implementing these small but useful ideas. Keep these things in mind along with the use of some helpful motorcycle anti-theft devices explained later in this article.
1. Visibility Leads to Temptation
This happens when you leave your ride unattended for long periods in plain sight. When you leave for a job and go away on weekends leaving your motorcycle unattended, these trends or your daily schedule can be noticed by a certain thief. For someone observing your visibly unattended motorcycle will look for changes like these to fly away with your ride. So what can you do to avoid situations like this?
You can park your bike in your garage or your house when leaving for long periods, or you can choose a parking lot that is well guarded.
If neither of the above is possible then choose a place which is in plain sight or continuously under the surveillance of a camera. At such places, the chances of theft are reduced by a huge margin.
Another simple yet effective way is to cover your bike; a common, inconspicuous, simple cover should be fine. Again, do not choose something flashy or that has the name of the manufacturing brand on it, it might be more appealing to some thieves. Once your bike is covered, the chances of someone picking up the cover to look under it are negligible.
2. Parking Habits
Keep your general parking habits in check as well. Never park or store your motorcycle in a deserted or inhabited place. AS opposed to parking your bike at home, where it is better to keep it hidden, in the case of public parking, do the contrary and keep your bike in sight of as many people as possible.
If you are out shopping or eating, try to park in a place that remains in your direct sight or at least in the plain sight of many people.
At night, do not park on a dark street or alley. Look for a well-lit parking space and prefer a place that if not in your line of sight then remains in the sight of many people. Always prefer a place with constant security camera supervision, these steps will deter criminals.
3. Customization
Making personalized changes to your ride is fun and also improves the rider’s comfort level and performance. Here, do not think that a customized bike costs more so it will attract more criminals, on the contrary majority of professional criminals like to steer clear of customized bikes. Why? Because all customized motorcycles can be identified very easily and thieves would never want anything like this.
This does not guaranty that your motorcycle will never be stolen. And if a customized motorcycle is stolen its unique features would not do any good to you if you will not be able to report it effectively to the concerned authorities. Some additional safety steps can be taken.
Ensure that you take clear pictures that highlight the custom changes made on your motorcycle.
Pictures will help when you in reporting a theft to the police and additionally uploading such pictures on social media might also help. There could be a possibility of recovering your vehicle.
4. Motorcycle Keys
If you are not on your motorcycle, then the keys of that motorcycle should not be either. You would be thinking this is just common sense…who does not know this? But, leaving your bike with keys in it even for a few seconds to just hop off and be back again, can result in a robbery. Never, I repeat NEVER EVER leave the bike with keys in the ignition.
Even if your motorcycle is parked inside the garage, an effective motorcycle anti-theft tip is to keep the keys inside your house and not in the motorcycle or near it.
Also, you can create a list of all the numbers of your keys and then remove them from the original locks by filing if possible. As anyone who has that number can get a key made.
5. Increase The Number Of Locks
You already have an inbuilt lock on your bike. What you can do here is to increase security by adding one or two extra locks. These locks should be different and unless a thief has completely surveyed your bike, there is no way any other person can unlock multi locks. Also, anchor the motorcycle to something solid so that a gang will not be able to pick it up, put it in a truck and run.
6. Locking Technique
So, if you are anchoring your bike to something solid, which you should consider doing, here are some tips to keep in mind. You can use u-locks, chains, or a brake disc lock as an effective motorcycle anti-theft technique.
A floor anchor is a good option but the ground itself is a weak link and strong-headed thieves can easily break or remove it from the ground by using a strong large crowbar. But small, running-along thieves would not touch your bike.
Do not leave the lock, chain, or any other part lying flat on the ground as this would make great support if someone wants to strike like with a hammer or something. On the other hand, if the lock or chain is mid-air, it makes things a little difficult for a criminal.
If you are using a chain to secure your bike, it is better to pass it via the interior of the frame, if possible. This provides extra security because there is a very rare chance of anyone cutting through the frame. You can opt for the rim or fork but it might get damaged.
7. Paperwork
An important tip that everyone should do is to keep all the registration and legal paperwork related to your motorcycle with yourself. Never leave it with the bike because even if it does get stolen you will need the papers to be with you. This is extremely important.
In addition to this, you have to remember your license plate number, VIN, the make, model, and manufacturing year of your motorcycle. Or you can write it down somewhere, this is crucial information that you should have on you as it will come in handy in case of any mishappening.
8. Stay Alert
Most professional criminals already know what kind or make of motorcycle they are looking for. So generally whenever they spot one, they follow that vehicle for hours or days. They are constantly looking for an opportunity to grab that motorcycle then and there or after observing the whole situation they might come back with what is needed to do the deed.
Our motorcycle anti-theft tip here for you is to stay alert! So, whenever you are about to your home or destination, start checking your mirrors a couple of blocks earlier for any strange activity or someone following you.
If someone is following you, use the classic tricks, shake ‘em off, allow them to pass by slowing down (save yourself an escape route, though), take a U or an abrupt turn. If someone is still following, do not stop and head for a safe place.
9. Consider All Options
Always opt for multiple levels of security, do not settle for one security detail, be creative, and add layers. You can also add simple protection details such as a steering lock; motorcycles have been equipped with this feature for a long time. This is certainly not a complex addition but it can still be very effective in some cases. This is a good self-defense step and might save your bike in the case of an inexperienced burglar. You can also use high-tech devices such as a motorcycle anti-theft alarm or GPS tracking.
10. Use a Kill Switch
When I mention layers of security, I mean it. In addition to everything else, a kill switch will certainly save the day. Even if you lost a set of your keys and someone tries to start your bike with them a kill switch will not let it happen. It will also ensure that your motorcycle will not be hot-wired by anyone.
Of course, most criminals will know how to flip a kill switch and then the kill switch idea does not sound so good. But, it is a good idea as you can hide the switch making it impossible to locate. This is a great motorcycle anti-theft measure. Another great rider-to-rider tip is, just remove the motorcycle’s main fuse whenever you park it somewhere.
11. Never Compromise
When you think security for your precious bike, think about effective techniques. Never take this issue lightly and be miser while spending money. Pay attention to the quality of the security items or gadgets you spend money on.
If you buy a thin chain or low-quality metal for protection, it can easily be ripped off with a chain and bolt cutter.
But, if you opt for a thick chain such as Kryptonite, On Guard, Abus, etc., it ensures quality. Meaning that the effort that will be required to cut it, pry it open, or break it with the help of some freezing agent spray will increase up to ten times, in short, it will take lots of time and will not be considered worthy by the majority of thieves.
Invest in good high-tech devices, get possibly the best motorcycle alarm, wheel lock, or GPS tracker that is within your budget. Get high rated hardened steel U-locks, alarm disk locks, and asymmetrical chain that is equal to more than 5/8 inches.
12. Transporting Your Motorcycle
In case you have dirt or a show bike you will be spending time transporting it from one place to another. If you are constantly accompanying your bike when it is strapped for transportation, then fine otherwise you better ensure that the bike is completely safe and secure. Various options are available to help you; everything from reinforced cable to locking chocks can be bought easily.
13. Motorcycle Wheel Lock
Wheel locks have been mentioned above a few times, but they are among the safest and best for people on a strict budget. They provide security and that too at a comparatively low price when compared to other motorcycle anti-theft devices and gadgets.
A motorcycle wheel lock prevents the motorcycle from being stolen away. If you plan to park your bike for an extended period, then you should consider the combined use of a motorcycle wheel lock and a bike security chain for complete safety.
Use a disk lock, they ensure the protection of your bike from the rollout thievery. A disc lock is compact, light in weight and it is extremely portable. Always buy the best one, conduct online research, and survey all high-performance enhanced disc locks. Before concluding, check all pros, cons, and added features of each product. Certain top-rated disc locks are accompanied by an alarm which serves as a good restraint to curb motorcycle thieves.
One noteworthy point is that there is a drawback to all disc locks and wheel locks. They are best suited for really heavy motorcycles because if they are used with any motorbike that is light in weight, there is a huge possibility of that bike being hauled up and taken away.
14. Anti-theft Alarm
Probably, this is your favorite and most loved gear – Alarm. Some units have a sound-producing capability of up to 110 dB, most metal concerts have been recorded to reach about 123-126 dB, so you can imagine the volume of these alarms. A motorcycle anti-theft alarm will draw attention to itself easily if someone messes with your motorcycle. Drawing attention to them is precisely what all thieves try to evade, and this is one of the numerous techniques to put such criminals in a tough spot.
In the present time, alarms are being manufactured in numerous designs, and a majority of these anti-theft alarms have an inbuilt accelerometer that makes the alarms go off when the motorcycle is flipped, lifted, or moved. Alarms with accelerometers are now also incorporated in disc locks, so these are great for the safety of your vehicle and demand your consideration.
It is always good to buy the high-quality, best motorcycle alarm. Sometimes, people might flip or move your bike without any bad intentions and this will set off the alarm. To avoid such a scenario, you can put up a sticker, in this way the bike sticker will inform people about the alarm system. Also, this trick can be used by people who do not have an alarm on their bike, after looking at the sticker there will be extremely few people who would dare to touch your bike.
15. GPS Tracking
This is not a real motorcycle anti-theft prevention device; it is more concerned with locating a motorcycle after it has been stolen. On the other hand, certain GPS devices are capable of sending alert messages in case there is a movement of your motorcycle. For instance, if you are having dinner at some restaurant and the motorcycle is completely out of your sight, the GPS will send you a text immediately in case your bike moves.
For this to work, foremost, you will have to hide the GPS securely anywhere on the motorcycle. It will then transmit its location to an online service that can be tracked by you. If your motorcycle is missing then using this service you will be able to determine its present location quickly. Such information will be extremely valuable for the police. Generally, all GPS tracking gadgets which prove helpful in motorcycle recovery after it goes missing come with an initial investment and additional monthly or annual fees for the services, although this might differ.
Conclusion
It is imperative to pay attention to your motorcycle. Never be careless about storing or parking it. The tips explained above will keep your machine away from thieves. You do not have to follow each one of these, just pick a few and stick with them. If you think this article was informative or helpful in any way, we encourage you to share it with your friends; you are welcome to leave more ideas and comments.
