BIKES ARE BEING STOLEN!!!!

Off-topic
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This is just a short reminder to all,that the scumbags are doing the rounds again…

i have taken extra precautions to ensure that my bikes are hard to obtain,and i urge you too do the same.;).

I know we all look after our bikes as best we can,but please be extra vigilant,my bike has been stolen twice and attempted on numerous occasions so i know quite abit about this subject…

here are some things i have learn’t…

1)they normally steal your bike at around 04:00 to 05:30 am…these are the key times these ppl are likely to strike…im guessing its the best time to have your bike away as everyone is probably still in a deep sleep…

2)white vans…this is London and there are countless amounts of white vans around…i treat all vans in my area as suspicious as passable…sometimes even taking a pic on my phone…don’t take but a second and if ur bike gets nabbed…you can give the police something…i had one hanging around for a couple of days when my bike first got nicked…luckley…my neighbor took down the reg on her phone…;).

3)…what ever noise you hear…if you haven’t heard it before…check it out…please don’t ignore it even if your drifting off to sleep…they check your bike for alarms…and also to feel the weight of it…i found this out when my rear wheel was moved about 2 inches to the right once…and always have a torch near the window ,closest to your bike…its amazing how these thieves panic when you shine a light in there face…

also,another one i noticed,was finger marks on my rims…were they’ve tested picking up the bike…good old dirty rims…;).just check em frequently as they might do a dry run one night and come back another night…

4)I typed up a sign on my pc saying '‘i know your after my bike,and have a webcam recording 24/7.’'its too the point and enough to make them worry just that little bit more…i stuck it to a window so that everyone would see it…it also lets everyone in the surrounding houses know that your a target…and it does stick in there minds…:cool:

5)Trackers are expensive…but bloody worth there weight in gold…when my bike was first stolen…i thought it was gone forever…i get a phone call from the police 24hrs later saying they had found my bike next to an R6 that was fitted with a tracker…i couldn’t believe my luck,and could of kissed the owner of that R6…i hope you ponder on that thought…as if your paying for a 6 grand bike…you’ll be gutted when there’s an empty space were your bike should be…get the overtime at work and GET THAT TRACKER!!!

well that all i can think of at the moment so please…be bloody aware…its that time of year and its rife with bikes being nicked to order…so please…dont give them what they want…;).

hope this is of some use to some of you guys…:).

smiled:D.

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Nice one <A class=SmlBoldLinks id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__ctl4_smAuthorName onmouseover=“window.status = window.location;return true;” onmouseout=“window.status=’’;return true;” href=“void(’’);”>smiled off to check on my baby now.

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Likewise, nice one Smiled.

My Blade got taken in Chiswick, cheeky to$$ers weren’t even subtle, angle ground the lock off and rode away at four in the afternoon. I got it back and no real damage to worry about but still a pain.

I try to live by the rule of ‘Don’t loose it for not using it’ reffering to security devices, a good cheap way to keep a close ear on your bike is to sstick a baby monitor under the seat or anywhere really when it’s parked up. This way if the light fingered gits come you can hear them and have the upper hand if you know what I mean…:wink:

Keep it close, keep it covered and stay vigilant.

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At the Ace yesterday i took the Mana out for a ride came back and spoke to a few people for a while and when i got back to my bike i left the keys in the ignition, in full view of anyone walking past on the street for about 1h 30mins.
Prooves now not even a chav walking by wants my bike.

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Had my Africa Twin stolen from outside my house a few years ago, unfortunatley is wasnt insured at the time :frowning:
The first time they attempted it, a neighbour called the police, so they was interupted, they cheeky scroats had two wheel barrows to cart the bike off with :0 ingenious :slight_smile:

Id thought id get an extra lock, and chained it to the house, along with the disc lock, i felt a lot safer.

How foolish was i ? A fewweeks later, my neighbour knocks, noticing my chain in half outside, and asking if my bike should have been there ?

If they want it, they gonna try everything to get it.

I have learnt my lesson now, with 2 ground anchors, 4 chains, alarm and tracker, i intend to make it as hard as possible this time.

And a good quality cover :slight_smile:

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perhaps its a scooter

thats why no one wants its lol

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Nice thread Smiled, I had 3 bikes stolen last year in one hit and since have taken security seriously.If you use a chain at home, consider a Almax series 4.

Most sold secure chain can be cut with bolt croppers in under 20 seconds. This is the bikes thieves favourite attack as it doesn’t involve a noisey power tool.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpf35C7wu6Q

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Nice one smiled:D But they do say you learn the hard way and i have lots of locks n chains alarms and cameras so if they do try to get any of our bikes i know their gonna have a hard time trying:D and if i catch em(which is a strong probability)they are gonna get some pain ha ha ha…:cool:

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summer is here people so make sure you have good locks on you bikes,and covers also help.also look and what bikes are arond you area as the stunt boys will be out smashing there bikes up and looking for spares.

anyone that asks to many questions in a group that you have not seen before stay away.

i have never really trusted big groups of bikers stunters and loony riders as they tend to smash there bikes up to often for me and always have them back together with in a week.to me places like the ace you see to many people talking openly and asking what area your from for my liking.someone does not have to look like a scumbag to be a scumbag.

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That’s a bit hard on stunters IMO.

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i think you know i dont mean all of them as i know a few and im not talking about just guys at the ace im talking about all over london the groups of the guys that call themselfs stunters.

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Nice point about scumbags not looking like scumbags

Good thread Smiled

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Top Tips Shane

white vans, or any van cruising round your area, get the index, no harm in popping into the local cop shop and letting them know, might be innocent but could be wrong’uns

Be aware of REFRIGERATED VANS…they are being used as they block out alarm noise and dull tracker signals.

if you use a bike cover, get a screech alarm, clip it under the sheet, when they pull it off it scares the crap out of them!!! cheap but can be effective.

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At the minute, I’m fortunate that I’m able to park my bike in my office car park, underground and secure (people leave their lids down there and everything) because I live 10 mins from my office, but I’m concious that I’m not going to be able to do it for ever, especially when I move…I’ve got a Chain and a lock… and I’m thinking of getting an alarm fitted, but in terms of trackers… what out there do people recommend?

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KML, thieves also read these types of threads to see what potential security they have to deal with, so if I were you might be worth editing your post and just simply say “I’ve got a chain and disc lock and I’m thinking about an alarm and possible tracker”, non specific info makes it harder for thieves to judge whether you’re a worthy target or not, just a thought. :slight_smile:

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point taken tim… I’d not thought about that!

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thanks for the tips guys
the personal alarm idea is a goodun as well

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Another to tip (from the MET vehicle crime unit) if you can chain your bike to a point off the ground, the reason being they can’t use the floor to push against with bolt crops (as per Ducati Pete’s vid) or smash the lock afainst the floor with hammer.

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Think a visit there (to the Vehicle Crime Unit) is the best option. You really don’t know how far these crooks will go til it happens. Alex (he’s just back of a course in anti-biketheft security meassures) in Almax told me some frightning stuff & how to deal with it the police recommended way. He also can tell you the best security devices and chain routes for any bike & year. RIDE done a feature to about what’s legally & illegal in last jan 08 issue-if you can get a copy/loan of it.

Also at the Ace there has been bikes interfered with lately(bad lighting in some parts of the carpark) and over the years and one stolen that I know of, along with numerous lids and gloves, so keep your stuff in sight, and as already said carefull who you talk to about your bike & your area.

Alternate arrival/departure from, and routes home and be aware of riders joining you or following close behind.

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Came out of my front door this morning to find my bike cover half off.

Impossible for the wind to that.

Hopefully they looked and saw it was a big ugly V-Strom and decided it’s not worth nicking.

Will need to look at addititional security measures.