Right here we go this is to every LBer out there please dont just read this and post up after agreeing or being all negative and picking in holes in what i have to say here, We are all fully aware of the state of play regarding bike thefts and i think there is a pretty unanomous verdict that nothing is being done by the police but maybe if it keeps happening it will but is it worth your machine for that to happen and i read a post by Jay in 1doohans topic about the theft of his K5 that everyone expects LB to do summin about it but its just a forum for bikers what can they really do and as Jays says its about educating bike owners about security, there is always four or five that come out with the “something needs to be done” and “what can we do to stop this” well its time to stop it look at 1doohans K5 there was probably more to stealing that than there was that £50 million and they still got it so we need to do more he even said he thought he had a secure garage. So ask yourself now if yours was stolen tonight how would you feel pretty pissed off for days and weeks you know that, then ask would your insurance cover it would it be enough to settle the HP, could you afford another, how long before they would pay out if they pay out ??? its all stuff i dont want to experiance because how ever pissed off you think you would be times that by a 100 then you may get close. Now ask yourself security??
I bet you all have alarms why?? because your insurance company say so and once your bike is in the back of a van its being ripped out to throw out the window same with trackers so they are pretty much next to useless most bikes are stolen from homes where the theif knows its there, just closing your garage door and sliding the bolts accross and locking it isnt enough put disclocks on the bolts put a garage defender in front of the door chain the frame or swing arm or both to a ground anchor and both wheels to seperate anchors with quality locks no cheap shit cutting one lock or chain requires effort cutting for or five takes alot more keep all the bike keys and lock keys in a safe not in the draw behind the front door , alarm the garage grow a big prickly bush up the side so you cant climb on top or get round the back grab your neighbour and show him what your alarm sounds like, put an alarm on your car and park it right up to the garage door. most important when you go out for a ride with your mates Fridays or when ever before you decide to go home all of you go to a petrol station for a drink or some where you can park up for ten minutes make sure no one is around following you no mysterius bikes parked up the way when go home be vigalent look around your estate on your way in or ring the other half to open the door so you can ride straight in to prevent being jumped and look in the mirrors do this every time even if you go the shop any vans or cars follow you loose them they will be back three months down the line when you have forgotten about it.
How many of you are going to splash out on a new bash hat or jacket this year about £300 to £400 maybe you should spend it on security i know some of my future purchases and its all about keeping my bike, it may all seem a bit extreme but the situation is getting extreme and the police or goverment are not addressing the problem so its up to you to make your bike as hard to steal as possible, speak to members that have had there bikes taken and do more than they did, dont leave the bike sitting ouside your house while your having your dinner, clean it in the back garden not the front, and if your like me and your machine is strictly for pleasue dont leave it where you cant see it, I only know one person that uses this forum so i could easily not put this up and think fuck ya ill lock mine up and do what i can but its all about educating each other helping each other out WE are LB its OUR community so lets do what we can to slow it down stepping up the way we secure our bikes is our only way to move forward. just think what i have said before you start ripping me to bits with “Yeah thats all well and good” and “my mate did this and my mate did that” “and he had this and still got taken” im just sayin try and stay one step ahead instead of hopping its not gonna happen to you and spend where you need to its no good getting new bits for a bike which gets nicked buy your security then buy your shiny bits thats me done Lets keep what we go to work for to buy…
Our bikes are our responsability. Not the Coppers, not the insurers.
Thieving is just one of those things that happen no matter what precautions you take and no matter whos watching your back.
Thieves will be thieves, coppers will be coppers. You really think they care?
I bet 99 percent of police count down the minutes to clock out and go home to family firends just like the rest of us from our job.
I really doubt theyll be worried about “ahh the so and so’s bike was stolen the other day, He was a top bloke. Let me grab my pepper spray and chase some bike thieves”…
To be honest, If my bike was stolen Id blame my self for it no matter how pissed off i would be. Ill probably even leave the key in the ignition, unprotected and hide behind a bush with a golf club in my hand waiting for one of the fools to dare come over and try nick it and keep repeating untill I extinct every stupid thieve in my area.
If our bikes are stolen, then we obviously arent supply enough protection.
Great post, yes it is down to us to secure our bikes. After My last one was stolen I dug out my front garden which was 4 foot above the road level and now have the bike chained front and rear in the garden with gates to get through as well. But round my way its all terranced houses with no access to back gardens. and if like my house the font is above ground level the only place to leave your bike is in the street. Saying that it was chained to a telegraph pole and they still got it.
By all means, leave it inside your home if possible.
In America, an intruder in your home can be shot. Legally.
I REALLY think the answer to the epidemic of bike thefts in London is a better “offense” anyway…everyone is talking about “defense against theft” or “hopes for recovery” after the theft takes place. This makes no sense to me at all. Why not talk about taking the fight to the thieves instead? Set up sting operations…catch them in the act and NAIL THEM. HARD. A few of these rubbish heaps of humanity show up at the local thieves den with the sh$t kicked out of them, or better yet - never show up at the local thieves den again as they are “serving time at her majesties leisure”, and perhaps the word will get out that bikes are no longer “easy prey?”
Bike Jacking is a serious threat, our bikes are most vulnerable just as we start them to ride off, sat at lights and the like. As bikes get harder to steal this will increase, what is needed is a real deterrent to theiving, I am still infavour of stcoks for bike theives at the ACE.
Bike jacking and car jacking is definitely on the increase. The main reason for this is the use of sophisticated transponder immobilisers that work through the vehicles ECU, rendering them un-usable without the ignition key. I am even hearing of an increase of cases where thieves will break into homes to obtain vehicle keys. I am actually involved in the motorcycle security industry and I would say that at least 40% of my customers are people that are replacing a stolen vehicle and the majority of them live and work in the London area. Here are some figures for you!
There are about 100 bikes stolen in the UK every day.
£3m worth of motorcycles are stolen in the UK every month.
80% of motorcycles are stolen from the owner’s home.
There are more motorcycles stolen than new ones bought.
You are twice as likely to have your bike stolen if you don’t have
any additional security.
There are some people trying to address the problem. Certain London borough councils are starting to fit locking rails at bike parking bays and other groups like Lock 2 Lock are trying to encourage people to chain their bikes together. but it’s not enough the goverment and the police need to provide more resources to combat this growing problem.
Hopefully this year there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Tracker now have a new and sensibly priced product for motorcycles. And there is an exciting new system being developed which will really give the scumbags something to think about! I’ve had a play with the prototype and I will tell you more as it progresses.
I’ve got a datatool alarm and padlock it when it’s at home during the day, but if a thief wants your bike badly enough, he or she will get it regardless of the amount of security measures. The safest thing I’ve found when going away on hols is leaving it at my office’s underground car park where it’s on 24 cctv and a scary security guard is there too!
some of you guy’s may already do this…but i chain my forks to either the railings when im at work or to the post holding up the roof above my front door instead of putting it threw my wheel…
my way of thinking is that its easy to take off a weel…but the whole front end?
nice post mate…
also…
i thought of a neibourhood watch programme fo LB’ers…if a member lives close to you,or lives near the route you take home from work…why not take 15 mins out of your time to ride past each others homes to check everythings ok…
i tell you what…
i work at heathrow airport…4 days on 2 off…i end up at the elephant and castle and down the old kent road on route to catford…
if anybody lives along my route i will gladley ride past your home and eyeball your bike to see if its ok as i leave work between 10:30…and 11:30 pm thus getting home around twelvish…
just a thought ,but one im willing to do as this comunity is a posative part of my life…
if you do live along my route…i will gladley welcome your pm’s if its not compleatley outta my way as i still have to go to work and face a whole day of 747’s and airbusses the next afternoon/eve…lol
but yea…its a genuine offer and one i will stick too as although i havent met most of you,i still consider you my mates.
Great ideas all and the best advice of all, keep your eyes open. We tend to know and recognise a lot of the people, bikes, cars etc in our home and work environment and know when instinct says that something is not “right”. Trust it!
yes we need to step up our defences…but surely tracking systems aren’t useless? if every bike had a Tracker, then the police would be able to activate it and track it down within a few minutes…unless you mean that they’re easy to get rid of from the bike???
ok granted, easier access to pretty much all places - how big are the units though? I’ve never seen one but have been toying with the idea of getting one now the prices are starting to come down - i figure it’s a better option than most chains/locks that just get busted anyway.
