Bike security

Stovepipes · 30 Mar 2015 at 18:12

So as some of you know after around a week of owing my first motorbike it was stolen as i stupidly made it very easy for the thieves, well never again. I have a plan for securing it at home.

I'm gonna get a huge chain (Almax Immobiliser or Pragmasis Protector) and hopefully have a ground anchor placed in my front garden. I've just bought an Oxford Boss Alarmed dick lock and I'm just wondering what else I should get?

I'll need a portable chain to take with me but is it worth investing in an expensive one or are they merely deterrents and get a cheaper one. An Abus chain can be up to say £250 but I'm wondering if that'll be any more useful than a £60 quid Thatcham approved Mammoth one given that I rarely have somewhere to chain it to and I'll also have the alarmed disc lock.

I'm also thinking about purchasing a GPS tracker, I don't know if the cheap chinese ones are worth it or if I should go for the more expensive ones and is security marking like Alpha Dot worth doing?

Plus is there anything else I'm missing?

Stovepipes · 30 Mar 2015 at 20:31

wazza300 said:
most modern bikes have built in immobilizers now,could get an alarm?

Yeah I was thinking the disc lock alarm would be enough but it's not very loud so I should probably think about getting an alarm although I'll have to try and figure out how to fit it myself as money is seriously tight right now.

Stovepipes · 31 Mar 2015 at 05:21

I just realised that simple cover will help with security a bit. I'm also thinking about setting up a cheap CCTV camera to cover the front garden too. I'm going a bit mad but I've pretty much lost a month's wages and that is incredibly painful.

SPG said:
Ground anchors are only good if you have a very good chain to a determined scumbag. Keep the chain off the ground at all times if you can.

Not sure I'll be able to keep the chain off the ground with the ground anchor I'm planning on using

but it shouldn't be too much of a problem as supposedly the chains I'm planning on using at home are uncroppable.

Stovepipes · 31 Mar 2015 at 17:16

Drunkenmassacre said:
Gotta ask- how do you attach a dick lock? Made me chuckle like a school boy when I read that.

I'm not 100% sure how other disc locks are attached but this is the one I bought

Stovepipes · 31 Mar 2015 at 18:12

What about the carry chains? Obviously the one I'll use at home with be either 16 or 19mm and secure but too big to take with me but what do I buy for short trips out?

Do I go cheap and just assume that anyone out with the equipment to take on a 12mm chain will have my bike no matter what or is that naive and it's worth spending £80+ on the big brands?

Stovepipes · 31 Mar 2015 at 18:15

wazza300 said:
I take my almax lock n chain with me

What size is that?

Stovepipes · 31 Mar 2015 at 18:28

Looking at the website it's probably 16mm, I'm not sure I'll be able to carry that much weight around with me but the thing I suppose I worry about the most is that there is so rarely anything to chain the bike to anyway.

What I may do is just buy the 16mm for home and see if I fancy lugging that about with me.

Stovepipes · 31 Mar 2015 at 18:43

In central London I can only really park in designated motorcycle parking and it's hit and miss if there is anywhere to chain it to.

Plus I'd planned on using lamp posts particularly on my road but they're right next to houses rather than right next to the road so the chain would span across the pavement which would be a trip hazard.

Even my underground parking space at work I don't have anywhere to chain the bike to but as I work nights I tend to put my scooter/motorbike where the bicycles park and chain it up there as they've all gone home.

Stovepipes · 2 Apr 2015 at 08:20

SPG said:
http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/231761

Tempted by one of these myself tbh.

Yeah I was looking at getting one of those or one of the cheap chinese mobile phone based ones.

I'm also looking at turning one of my old mobile phones into a CCTV camera.

Silly question but is there an easy way to chain a motorcycle up to a car?

Stovepipes · 7 Apr 2015 at 20:14

I've bought myself a 2m long 16mm Squire chain and padlock for home, not sure I'll be taking it anywhere with me though. I think for practicalities sake and given that I rarely take my bike anywhere where I'll leave it unattended for more than a couple of hours I'll go with a lighter carry chain and my alarmed disc lock.

I've also bought a kerb ramp so I can possibly get the bike into the front garden. Gonna be a while before I can pay to have the garden lowered and paved over but assuming i can maneuver a bike in there I should be able to chain it up to a tree.

Also gonna use an old mobile phone as CCTV when it's a parked up at night.

I've seen a few good deals on chains only and used chains which I fancied buying but does anyone how you choose the right padlock?

Fingers crossed I'll have a new bike by the weekend and I'll murder anyone that attempts to steal it.

Stovepipes · 7 Apr 2015 at 21:10

Drangueos said:
I will get an Almax 16mm or 19mm... not sure yet... but needs to be 2 or 2.5M, I need to measure the pillar I will attach to
Not sure about the padlock yet, but I need to decide it asap because I will collect my bike next Tuesday.

I just got the chain/padlock package cause I genuinely have no idea how you choose the right padlock. I mean how do you know it'll fit the chain and how do you know the padlock isn't crap, cause I assume on a 16mm+ chain the padlock will be the weakest link.

Stovepipes · 8 Apr 2015 at 11:03

I just wish I understood what I'm looking for. I've seen several cheap chains with links between 10mm and 14mm but not sure which padlock fits and which are any good I think I'll just buy several supposedly decent ones and keep the one that fits lol.

I just received my 16mm Squire chain and padlock, I knew it'd be heavy but bloody hell! There's no way in hell I can envisage transporting this with me, anyone who manages to has my respect.

Stovepipes · 8 Apr 2015 at 20:02

ttaskmaster said:
Avoid anything where the key looks like your normal front door one.
Try for a disc detainer lock or a Mul-T-Lock type.
You will want a shroud covering the bolt where possible.

Most decent chains come with a lock anyway.

Unfortunately funds are very limited, the home chain wiped me out and the insurance on the new bike is gonna be higher, so I'm going for a cheap option but hopefully the best I can afford. I'm sorta of the opinion that these are more a visual deterrent and won't stop anyone tooled up.
Still I'd want them to have to work for the bike, don't want them to pick the lock in seconds, if they have to cut the chain then I won't feel too bad.
Still what confuses me is how do I figure out whether the shackle will fit the chain? The Squire lock is a wonderful fit to the 16mm chain, there is no space to easily cut the lock which is probably the weakest part and I'd kinda like to replicate that.

wazza300 said:
I carry my almax in my rucksack,not all the time but when I know I'll be leaving my bike for a long time

The squire lock fits those chains

I draped my Squire chain over my shoulders and felt like I was being dragged to the ground lol

Maybe I'm a weakling but it's far too heavy for me to take anywhere and to think there's 19mm one too, I doubt I could move it.

Stovepipes · 9 Apr 2015 at 15:29

ttaskmaster said:
If the chain is so cheap it does not come with a lock, it's probably not that good anyway.
There are plenty of easily portable chains out there, with disc detainer locks included, for under £30. Even a couple of the Oxford ones would suffice.

I don't know about that. A lot of used Chains don't come with padlocks and there are new Abus and Oxford chains for sale too. Plus the high end chains can be bought without padlocks, even if I had the money I'd probably buy another squire chain but a smaller 14mm one & that doesn't come with a padlock.

Stovepipes · 10 Apr 2015 at 04:28

ttaskmaster said:
Ah right. I hadn't even considered buying used...!

Yeah at one point I was hoping to get a deal on an Almax chain but it looks like there isn't much of a discount on ebay and my Squire one will do me but quite a few security chains on ebay are collection only which obviosuly lowers interest & can often mean that you'll get them at a decent price.

ttaskmaster said:
If you're set on a particular chain, then simply measure the internal link diameter when you get it and buy accordingly.

Yeah I'll try that but my other issue is knowing which podlock to buy. I want closed shackle but I also want one that isn't stupidly easy to pick. I'm still not sure what to buy so I might just use the credit card again and buy a Thatcham approved package.

Stovepipes · 11 Apr 2015 at 21:12

I've been looking at Padlocks for days and just couldn't figure out which one was good value and not crap. it's very confusing even with advice about locking mechanism. I wasn't sure how big the shackle should be, what brand to buy, what size etc.
So in the end I thought might as well go with a Thatcham approved chain/padlock combo, not because they're any good but at least the insurance company will be happy to know I have it.
Honestly though I don't have much faith in my carry chain, like I said there's so rarely anywhere to chain it to and if there was it probably wouldn't withstand an well tooled assault so I went with a second hand but new Oxford XL Chain that I'll collecting in a week.

Stovepipes · 1 May 2015 at 06:20

benji182 said:
Did you get the Y-Max 90 ground anchor in the end?

I am currently looking at putting on in my garage. Main reason for thinking of choosing this anchor is that it doesn't leave anything above ground (to trip on).

Funnily enough, as I'm clumsy, I wanted it for the same reason but no I couldn't get my bike into my front garden as it's as long as the pavement is wide (if that makes sense) so if there's a car parked in front of my house I can't use my kerb ramp to get the bike in or if I manage to get it in when the space is clear I couldn't get it out if someone parks there later.

Tefal said:
Anyone got any experience of using a kriega us 10 as a tail pack for a lock carrier?

Reckon they'd be sturdy enough? Thinking that way I can always strap it to my kriega backpack for times I need more storage and not the lock.

Looks ok.