The Problem with motorcycle security

- Appallingly, 34,000 motorcycles and scooters are stolen in the UK every year, of which 80% are from the owner's home and 85% are never recovered.

- 50% of owners do not lock their bikes.

- Scooters are usually taken by opportunist thieves, while motorcycles are usually taken by professionals who break them down for their spares.

Minimizing the Problem

- If you only take away one piece of motorcycle security advice from this page, let it be this: USE whatever security devices you have. If you're finding it all too much hassle (which we quite understand - life is for living), consider zero input devices like sophisticated self-alarming alarm/immobilisers.

- Don't advertise your bike to the world. Don't leave your bike outside your house all day for every passerby to see. When you get home, put it straight into the garage and lock it. Don't become complacent just because you're at home; look again at the statistics above. If you park in public a lot, use a cover that covers the whole bike (including wheels); professional thieves, stealing to order, are likely to move on to something they can easily identify. Then park in good light where it can be seen.

- Don't leave your keys with the bike, even for a short time. Always keep your keys with you. Don't leave them at home either. Thieves are increasingly breaking into houses just to get the keys to your bike/garage/locks and registration documents.

- Don't buy used spares, period. The problem is so bad, the chances of them not originating from a stolen bike is small. It's demand that creates the problem in the first place.

Motorcycle Security Devices

Breadth and diversity of security devices is the enemy of the thief. If it all looks like too much hassle for him, he will nearly always move on to easier prey. We recommend a combination of marking, electronic and mechanical devices.

Motorcycle Security Devices will nearly always pay for themselves in the long term, partially through insurance discounts (for devices approved by your insurance company - ask them BEFORE you buy anything as they all differ), but mainly by maintaining your No Claims Bonus and avoiding the true cost of having to make a claim (the excess, increased future premiums, potential withdrawal of cover, etc.). Put your insurance, security and training budgets all together (see our insurance section and motorcycle accident advice).

- Marking. Use one of the proprietary part marking systems. These are a real deterrent to the professional thief, improve the chance of getting your bike back if it's stolen and will help the police bring prosecutions.

- Electronic Motorcycle Security. A combined alarm and immobiliser professionally fitted really puts off would-be thieves. Consider those that have an option for a pager (usually only short distance) or for sending text messages. DIY systems are much cheaper, but far less effective, don't attract insurance discounts and we don't generally recommend them.

Insurance companies may insist on their alarm fitted by their installers. Be very wary on two counts. First is over the price (it's a bit like the white goods extended warranty trickery). Get the specification from the written quotation, and if you've got someone you deal with regularly, work them over for a better price, or just ring round in the regular way. Second is that these generic installers are unlikely to have had training on your particular bike. Aprilia, for example, do an alarm fitting course because of the increasingly complicated electronics; a "regular" fitting of an alarm can cause fuel injection problems. Don't give into the hard sell, the insurance companies can not legally insist you buy through them, go to a factory trained technician.

- Mechanical Motorcycle Security. Good quality chains and padlocks are the most versatile. Get a good one and it should last you for life. They can be difficult to carry around, but the better ones come with carriers that can be clipped to the pillion seat or a tank bag base. Never wear it over your shoulder. A good disc lock will deter a casual thief but only delay a professional for a couple of seconds; we don't recommend using them on their own. U locks are better, but they need to be long enough to secure the bike to something immovable. The most common method of stealing motorcycles and scooters is by lifting them into the back of a van, so it's important to lock your bike to something solid (like security rails). Keep the lock off the ground as it will then be more difficult to break, and, if you can, put the chain through the frame rather than a wheel (remember that the theives are probably interested in the parts). In the absence of something solid in a bike park, loop your chain through the chain of the bike next to yours (then write to the local authority and get them to fit security loops to their bike parks). At home fit a ground anchor. Look for "Thatcham" or "Sold Secure" logos.

- At Home. (Remember the 80% statistic!) Make sure the garage itself is very secure, as once inside and out of sight, thieves feel they have much more time to defeat the rest of your security. Standard garage door locks are of little deterrence; add a couple more quality locks to the weak points. If practical, extend the house alarm to the garage. Some bike alarms can also be extended to the garage itself. A cheap aid is a wireless baby alarm. All this will, of course, make the rest of your garage's contents more secure too. Position the ground anchor under the bike or next to the wall; somewhere that a thief can't get to it with a sledge hammer or similar tools. On the subject of tools, don't leave yours in the garage as thieves often rely on the owners tools to ply their abhorrent trade.

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Page last updated: 31/07/07