14 Ways To Stop Motorcycle Thieves Now

Stop Motorcycle Thieves With These 14 Tips

There are 14 ways provided in this article to help you stop thieves from stealing your motorcycle. We obsess over keeping our motorcycles safe. That might be because we have had one stolen before and that goes to show that it does happen and it’s pretty easy for them to do unless you take some steps to protect that bike. Whether you are mobbing a Ducati, Harley, Suzuki or an old Moto Guzzi – thieves are opportunistic and will usually take whatever it is that you have and the easier you make it the faster they will be off with your motorcycle.

During the hot months of the year where everyone is riding, theft raises significantly. In fact, in riding months the percentage of stolen bikes is about two fold what it is in the Fall or Summer. This is true even in places that are warm all the time like Los Angeles and Hawaii. One major reason that this is the case is due to the fact that there are more bikes on the road, more bikes left in vulnerable spots and more demand for thieves to sell them on the black market. Of course the more metropolitan the area, the more likely it is to be stolen. Motorcycles are light and can easily be picked up by two strong dudes and put into the back of a truck in no time.

Tip 1 – Hide The Dang Thing

This is the easiest way to prevent your motorcycle from the stolen by thieves. Yes, we know this sounds simple. However, if no one sees your bike then they probably won’t know where to steal it. This includes storing it in a garage or covering it up with a standard cover.

Tip 2 – Keep Away From The Ground

The ground is not your friend when it comes to locking up your motorcycle. The closer you put the lock to the ground, the easier it will be for them to put pressure on it and break that thing off. This of course is the easiest way to bypass the lock opposed to picking. In an optimal situation, you want the lock to go through the frame of the motorcycle.

Tip 3 – Locking It

Another useful motor vehicle protection tool that you can use in conjunction with, or even in place of the fork lock is the disc brake lock. A disc brake lock is added protection just like the fork lock. But instead of preventing the front wheel from being turned, this lock actually keeps your bike from moving at all. Of course, having these locks is a little inconvenient and takes up saddlebag space, but they are major deterrents to bike thieves.

When you are going to be away from your bike for an extended period of time, make sure that you lock it to a stationary object that is immovable. In addition, you need to use a thick chain that it will not be easy to break with a bolt cutter. Add a padlock that is also resistant to bolt cutters. This might be too inconvenient for a trip to the grocery store, but you definitely want to do it at home.

Tip 4 – Steering Lock

This should be obvious. This is a part of your bike already, and takes one second to do. Make it a habit to lock your steering every time you get off the bike.

Fork lock is fairly inexpensive to invest in, but can make a huge difference in security. If you are able to lock the fork of your wheels, no one is going to be able to roll your motorcycle away, especially if you turn your wheel inward before you put the fork lock on.

In addition, if bike thieves were able to get the bike started somehow, they will not be able to drive the motorcycle away unless they can get the fork lock off. This is an added layer of protection that will come in very handy.

Tip 5 – More systems are better

Two is always better than one. If you want some peace of mind, locking your bike with two security systems is quite a good idea. A chain AND a disc lock, a U-lock and an alarm, pretty much anything goes: thieves may be prepared to tackle one safety device, but nobody is ready for every scenario. Rideaway thieves will definitely not be happy as they see a powerful rotor lock on your brakes, and they will most likely be looking for another bike.

Tip 6 – Great Quality Tools

Another way is to go for the good stuff when buying for security: Alarmed disc locks, U-locks of hardened steel and asymmetrical chains (5/8 inches or greater) all rate highly.

Tip 7 – Be evil, creatively evil

One more way to cause thieves to leave the bike in place and get away cursing you is installing additional gimmicks to prevent them from starting the engine: hidden kill switches!

Even if the thief managed to cut your bike free, having installed a supplemental kill switch in a hidden place makes it impossible to fire the engine. Installing an additional kill switch is easy, poses no threat to the safety of the machine and takes 20 minutes. It also makes it impossible to hotwire your motorcycle.

If you are sneaky and evil, you can add more switches, reverse the main kill switch, add an inconspicuous spring-loaded button which needs to be pressed along with the ignition one.

8 – Remove the Keys

Motorcycle thieves are often opportunists and so they will look for bikes that are quick and easy to steal first.

Always use the steering lock and remove the ignition keys, even if you are close by or away for a few minutes.
Never rely on just using your steering lock to secure your bike.

9 – Bright Light

Another way to protect your motorcycle is to make your garage or parking area brighter. While this strategy can not exactly prevent criminals from stealing your possession, a well-lit area will at least give them second thoughts.

10 – Make It Ring Loud

Most common crooks don’t have the electrical skill or tools to find and disarm an alarm, so this is a good deterrent for most thieves. Professionals can, but it adds a lot of time to the process, especially if they have to defeat locks as well. Better yet, many alarms come with paging systems that can alert you that someone is messing with your bike. Even with GPS tracking, you can see exactly where it is with a navigation app if it does get nabbed.

11 – Get Smart

Moving to a more advanced approach, a GPS tracker is an easy upgrade for peace of mind. Wire it up, hide it away, and you can access your bike’s location as long as the unit can get signal. Motor vehicle anti-theft GPS tracking devices are getting more inexpensive all the time. Your insurance company may even give you a discount for having one installed which make them even more affordable.

Fancier units can emit alarms, detect motion around the bike, and even cut the ignition. Joyride over. Post-theft tools are the best investments for the worst-case scenario.

12 – Use Security Cameras

CCTV systems are becoming more popular and can keep you informed as to what is happening around your home.

Consider setting up security cameras in your home. Make sure that your home security camera incorporates crystal clear images day and night, smart motion alarms, and enables mobile accessing. Reolink Super HD DIY security IP camera is highly recommended. You can check you cycle from your smartphone anywhere.

A security camera not only serves as an effective motorbike theft deterrent, it also acts as a useful protection tool. If the worst happens and someone steals your motorcycle, the video captured by your security camera will be pretty helpful for police investigation.

13 – Be Vigilant

As already mentioned, motorcycle thieves often have a “shopping list” quota they need to fulfill. Keep your eyes peeled for any unusual activity or people you don’t recognize near your home. Bike thieves are likely to scope out a potential target before they strike. This means they have to do their homework and visit the location several times beforehand. Local neighborhood watch groups are great for monitoring suspicious activity. Trust your instincts and don’t park there. And never confront anyone yourself. If you’re concerned, report your suspicions to an attendant or the police.

14 – Remove It or Break It

Lastly, do not forget to lift and remove everything before riding away. You won’t be using the tips above without your motorcycle.

Conclusion:

Nobody likes to think about the unpleasant idea of having their motorcycle stolen. It’s much better to plan ahead with effective anti-theft measures rather than hope things work out after it’s too late.