Motorbike Security - London
Discussion
I originally posted this in a less targeted forum but was advised to repost it in a more so suitable place.
I imagine there are several forums and discussions about security however I thought I would share my knowledge.
After reviewing some of the forums I wanted to give some advice on motorbike security.
Motorbike thefts/attempted thefts is at an all time high in London and it seems to be getting worse. Even now in winter, a riders pride and joy is being taken at every opportunity.
I've noticed from the amount of bikes that have been stolen in the group I ride with that thieves are more so attracted to sports bikes, mainly Ducati/Yamaha/Suzuki but also target larger mopeds.
Location and security will not deter them and there is usually 4 of them at any given time. From following various Instagram feeds and YouTube videos they usually scan areas whilst riding either YAMAHA TMAX 500 or VESPA GTS 300 with false plates or in some cases no plate at all.
The reason for this is because they are able to look more legit whilst riding them and they are able to store larger tools under the seat.
Thieves no longer carry bolt cutters, they now act with hammers and battery powered angle grinders, most disk locks can be smashed of with hammer and anything can be grinded so it makes life a lot easier for them.
You would think the noise an angle grinder makes would deter them but this isn't the case.
They ride with two people per moped and only one will actually try and remove any element of security so the other 3 can be 'look outs/protection' in case any passer by tries to stop them.
Thieves are less scared as they are under the impression that police cannot chase them whilst they are on a bike. This is supposedly half true as I have been informed the police fear they could knock a thief of a bike, potentially harm them and face consequences.
I believe the police are now receiving training on motorbike/moped chases and think I read somewhere that it has been implemented already but only officers that have had such training are able to chase suspected thieves.
For the best security I have read through a lot of forums for advice on what is suggested and listed them below:
Visible deterrents are very important:
You will need an extremely strong stainless-steel disk lock. Two of the best on sale that I have found are:
https://www.xenasecurity.com/xx15-disc-lock-alarm/
https://www.motoden.com/security/abus-granit-detec...
An extremely thick chain, the thicker the chain the longer it will take for a grinder to get through:
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/Coming-Soon...
http://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=P2...
An extremely strong lock for your chain:
http://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=SS...
Vocal deterrents are just as important so a loud alarm is essential:
https://www.datatool.co.uk/motorcycle-datatool-s4-...
You should always chain your bike up to some form of anchor, whether it be a ground anchor/lampost/chain rack.
There are still thieves that will simply pick your bike up and stick it in the back of a van so ensure your bike is locked to something.
It only takes two men and can take a few second to pick up a bike.
For additional security you may wish to use a front brake lock such as:
https://www.datatool.co.uk/motorcycle-brake-thrott...
I would also suggest fitting a tracker.
It will be the only hope you have in actually getting your bike back however most thieves now check for basic things such as a tracker as its so easy to remove a rear seat and that's usually where they are positioned.
I would still recommend having one but position it in a discreet place:
https://biketrac.co.uk/
https://trakking.net/
I understand all these items can be extremely expensive however if you really want to avoid your pride and joy being stolen it is essential.
Many people I know have used cheap locks and chains which thieves have cut through in less than 20 seconds.
I hope the above is helpful but if you have any questions or additional advice please comment.
Thanks.
I imagine there are several forums and discussions about security however I thought I would share my knowledge.
After reviewing some of the forums I wanted to give some advice on motorbike security.
Motorbike thefts/attempted thefts is at an all time high in London and it seems to be getting worse. Even now in winter, a riders pride and joy is being taken at every opportunity.
I've noticed from the amount of bikes that have been stolen in the group I ride with that thieves are more so attracted to sports bikes, mainly Ducati/Yamaha/Suzuki but also target larger mopeds.
Location and security will not deter them and there is usually 4 of them at any given time. From following various Instagram feeds and YouTube videos they usually scan areas whilst riding either YAMAHA TMAX 500 or VESPA GTS 300 with false plates or in some cases no plate at all.
The reason for this is because they are able to look more legit whilst riding them and they are able to store larger tools under the seat.
Thieves no longer carry bolt cutters, they now act with hammers and battery powered angle grinders, most disk locks can be smashed of with hammer and anything can be grinded so it makes life a lot easier for them.
You would think the noise an angle grinder makes would deter them but this isn't the case.
They ride with two people per moped and only one will actually try and remove any element of security so the other 3 can be 'look outs/protection' in case any passer by tries to stop them.
Thieves are less scared as they are under the impression that police cannot chase them whilst they are on a bike. This is supposedly half true as I have been informed the police fear they could knock a thief of a bike, potentially harm them and face consequences.
I believe the police are now receiving training on motorbike/moped chases and think I read somewhere that it has been implemented already but only officers that have had such training are able to chase suspected thieves.
For the best security I have read through a lot of forums for advice on what is suggested and listed them below:
Visible deterrents are very important:
You will need an extremely strong stainless-steel disk lock. Two of the best on sale that I have found are:
https://www.xenasecurity.com/xx15-disc-lock-alarm/
https://www.motoden.com/security/abus-granit-detec...
An extremely thick chain, the thicker the chain the longer it will take for a grinder to get through:
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/Coming-Soon...
http://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=P2...
An extremely strong lock for your chain:
http://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=SS...
Vocal deterrents are just as important so a loud alarm is essential:
https://www.datatool.co.uk/motorcycle-datatool-s4-...
You should always chain your bike up to some form of anchor, whether it be a ground anchor/lampost/chain rack.
There are still thieves that will simply pick your bike up and stick it in the back of a van so ensure your bike is locked to something.
It only takes two men and can take a few second to pick up a bike.
For additional security you may wish to use a front brake lock such as:
https://www.datatool.co.uk/motorcycle-brake-thrott...
I would also suggest fitting a tracker.
It will be the only hope you have in actually getting your bike back however most thieves now check for basic things such as a tracker as its so easy to remove a rear seat and that's usually where they are positioned.
I would still recommend having one but position it in a discreet place:
https://biketrac.co.uk/
https://trakking.net/
I understand all these items can be extremely expensive however if you really want to avoid your pride and joy being stolen it is essential.
Many people I know have used cheap locks and chains which thieves have cut through in less than 20 seconds.
I hope the above is helpful but if you have any questions or additional advice please comment.
Thanks.
steeviegeebies said:
How safe are NCP car parks and suchlike?
I've used NCP a few times in Leciester Square and never had any problems however I have been told about bikes being stolen from there. If you are to use somewhere like NCP I would still advise chaining your bike to something if possible.Nice write-up, thanks for taking the time.
Kinda puts me off commuting to London on the bike occasionally, then I remember how bad the traffic can get.
Something like the location below would be good in London, maybe there are already some bays like it London. The image is from Leicester.
Kinda puts me off commuting to London on the bike occasionally, then I remember how bad the traffic can get.
Something like the location below would be good in London, maybe there are already some bays like it London. The image is from Leicester.
redback911 said:
Nice write-up, thanks for taking the time.
Kinda puts me off commuting to London on the bike occasionally, then I remember how bad the traffic can get.
Something like the location below would be good in London, maybe there are already some bays like it London. The image is from Leicester.
Pushed for (hard) by the sadly now defunct Leicester and district MAG. Have the council given access to bus lanes yet? We didn't manage to push that one through before it all fell apart.Kinda puts me off commuting to London on the bike occasionally, then I remember how bad the traffic can get.
Something like the location below would be good in London, maybe there are already some bays like it London. The image is from Leicester.
If you cannot lock your bike up to a lampost etc in a bike bay it is
good to thread your chain through the bike next doors chain,locking the
two bikes together. It will not stop your neighbour unthreading his/her chain
and riding away but will leave both of you more protected until either of you leave.
good to thread your chain through the bike next doors chain,locking the
two bikes together. It will not stop your neighbour unthreading his/her chain
and riding away but will leave both of you more protected until either of you leave.
Carlson W6 said:
If you cannot lock your bike up to a lampost etc in a bike bay it is
good to thread your chain through the bike next doors chain,locking the
two bikes together. It will not stop your neighbour unthreading his/her chain
and riding away but will leave both of you more protected until either of you leave.
Isn't this an old well known Gypsie trick? good to thread your chain through the bike next doors chain,locking the
two bikes together. It will not stop your neighbour unthreading his/her chain
and riding away but will leave both of you more protected until either of you leave.
Probably the best thing to do if you have to commute into London by bike and park it on the street would be to leave your nice sportsbike at home and buy an old CB500 for commuting, would probably work out cheaper than the insurance claim when one of these little f
kers steals your bike.
kers steals your bike.
1down5up said:
You will need an extremely strong stainless-steel disk lock. Two of the best on sale that I have found are:
https://www.xenasecurity.com/xx15-disc-lock-alarm/
https://www.motoden.com/security/abus-granit-detec...
https://www.xenasecurity.com/xx15-disc-lock-alarm/
https://www.motoden.com/security/abus-granit-detec...
Carlson W6 said:
If you cannot lock your bike up to a lampost
Walter Sobchak said:
Probably the best thing to do if you have to commute into London by bike and park it on the street would be to leave your nice sportsbike at home and buy an old CB500 for commuting, would probably work out cheaper than the insurance claim when one of these little fkers steals your bike.
Probably the best and most cost effective solutionkers steals your bike.It is so bad in London now that after 35 plus years of riding, I gave up.
It wasn't just the constant damage and cost to my bike from attempted thefts but the loss of the whole biking freedom thing.
Having to manhandle my last bike out of a tight spot after removing both chains and having to carry both chains and then search for somewhere to park that might be a bit safe ruined it for me.
Bike thieves are fking y s and wkers and what's wrong with the police chasing them down until they are horribly injured and having to defecate in a bag and eat through a straw.
S!!!!!!!
It wasn't just the constant damage and cost to my bike from attempted thefts but the loss of the whole biking freedom thing.
Having to manhandle my last bike out of a tight spot after removing both chains and having to carry both chains and then search for somewhere to park that might be a bit safe ruined it for me.
Bike thieves are f
king y s and wkers and what's wrong with the police chasing them down until they are horribly injured and having to defecate in a bag and eat through a straw. S!!!!!!!Some good advice OP. I got through commuting in London by bike for about 5-6 years without any of my bikes being nicked or tampered with as far as I ever knew. None of them CB500 bangers but not shiny new Ducatis either (which must be like catnip to the scrotes). I think a lot of it comes down to where you park - for years I parked in Baynard House Car Park off Queen Victoria Street which is underground and always has hundreds of bikes down there and lots more desirable exotica than the Thundercat or VFR that I had over that period. There are also lots of railings to chain to plus attendants/security guards strolling about, so it's about as good as you're going to get in central London, plus it's free, bikes are allowed to scoot around the barrier. I always thought it was worth a short walk to my place of work from there rather than sticking it on the street and hoping for the best. Less collateral damage of people wedging scooters in next to your bike too as there was no shortage of space.
When I worked further east I started using Tower Hill Car Park which had a similar setup but had less space, again lots of car park staff about so you'd hope it would be a bit safer plus underground and dry. After that I was lucky enough that my employer moved to an office with secure, dry, warm underground parking with a fob activated car lift which was a great setup when it worked. In fact I was apparently so excited I took photos of it, weirdly nobody seemed to use it apart from me and somebody with a collection of stunning Ducatis:
My VFR looking lonely but unstolen
One of many Ducatis owned by somebody who evidently earned more than me. Also used to have a truly beautiful Paul Smart replica and a Multistrada. Used to leave them there for weeks, not even a disc lock required.
When the lift didn't work there was an area round the back I could use. Always worth asking security where you work if there's somewhere they cover with their cameras where you can stick a bike, bung them a box of biscuits every now and then to say thanks and they'll all know whose bike it is As much as anything, you want it to be somewhere with throughput of people - yes most people won't intervene but usually somebody will if a scumbag is going at a lock with a grinder, at the back of my old place it was a dead end, covered by CCTV and there were near constant couriers turning up so no scrote is going to want to hang around hacking at your lock.
When I worked further east I started using Tower Hill Car Park which had a similar setup but had less space, again lots of car park staff about so you'd hope it would be a bit safer plus underground and dry. After that I was lucky enough that my employer moved to an office with secure, dry, warm underground parking with a fob activated car lift which was a great setup when it worked. In fact I was apparently so excited I took photos of it, weirdly nobody seemed to use it apart from me and somebody with a collection of stunning Ducatis:
My VFR looking lonely but unstolen
One of many Ducatis owned by somebody who evidently earned more than me. Also used to have a truly beautiful Paul Smart replica and a Multistrada. Used to leave them there for weeks, not even a disc lock required.
When the lift didn't work there was an area round the back I could use. Always worth asking security where you work if there's somewhere they cover with their cameras where you can stick a bike, bung them a box of biscuits every now and then to say thanks and they'll all know whose bike it is
As much as anything, you want it to be somewhere with throughput of people - yes most people won't intervene but usually somebody will if a scumbag is going at a lock with a grinder, at the back of my old place it was a dead end, covered by CCTV and there were near constant couriers turning up so no scrote is going to want to hang around hacking at your lock.I leave mine on the road near Moorgate and haven't had an issue in the 2.5 years I've done it - I did have the old bike nicked from home before the almax upgrade though.
The bay is full most days and has a constant stream of people walking by, plus a building site and access right behind, if not it's always right outside the Bloomberg building with their doormen.
Bikes are:
2013 Honda CBR125R
2003 Honda CBR600F
Only the 600f has any security on it when parked - a disc lock - nowhere to chain it to an no way of carrying an almax with me
The bay is full most days and has a constant stream of people walking by, plus a building site and access right behind, if not it's always right outside the Bloomberg building with their doormen.
Bikes are:
2013 Honda CBR125R
2003 Honda CBR600F
Only the 600f has any security on it when parked - a disc lock - nowhere to chain it to an no way of carrying an almax with me
croyde said:
I did a job at Buckingham Palace once. Had to be there for 3am so asked the police on the side entrance if they knew anywhere close I could park my Street Triple.
They told me to bring it in and not to worry as it would be under the watchful eye of an armed officer all day
Ultimate security. I'd love to see the faces of some bike thieving scumbags when they realise there's an MP5 being pointed at them...They told me to bring it in and not to worry as it would be under the watchful eye of an armed officer all day
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