Definitely getting a cover - Oxford Stormex any good? Can it be tightened around the bottom of the bike so the wind does not blow it off?
I had the rainex and it was really good… I think the stormex also has them, but the rainex had holes in the bottom front and back to pass chain through.
I chained it to a pole, passsed the chain through the rear, then disclock through the front loops so that they could not lift the cover… Not that that matters if they see you park up but every little helps
I have a stormex and it has loops to put a lock through front and back plus a strap that goes underneath to stop it flapping about in the wind. I usually just put a chain through the front but if I’m going away for a while I also put a disk lock through the rear loop and round the chain - combined with an alarm (or an alarmed disk lock) it means that nobody can even get a look at your bike without attracting attention.
It’s quite a heavy, bulky cover so you wouldn’t want to be lugging it around with you (I leave mine in the porch) and it has a lining that’s a bit absorbant and can get a bit wet & dirty if you put it on a wet, dirty bike. Also, although the cover can go straight on a hot bike, you have to wait for the exhaust to cool down before you do up the strap (I didn’t).
The Police and our own Government are not concerned about Motorcycle thefts at all - There main concern according to thew news today is the increase in theft of pedal cycles, with some 26000 being stolen!! Not forgetting that bicycles are not a registered vehicle, most riders do not have 3rd party insurance, most riders have not taken any kind of proficiency test and many dont care where or how they leave their bikes in London.
If their priority is stopping bicycle theft and 26,000 bikes a year are being nicked (and I imagine lots of people don’t report it if it’s not insured) then they’re doing a pretty crap job.
I don’t see how registering a vehicle or taking a proficiency test should affect police focus on reducing theft - I haven’t registered my telly and never took a test on using it but I’d still be pretty pissed off if some scrotey scaghead stole it.
For what it’s worth, pretty much 100% of bicycles that I see parked in london have at least one lock on them, certainly can’t say the same for motorbikes & scooters.
Re covers, the R&G one is also superb. It’s been in use outside in all weathers non stop for about five years and is still going strong, it also has holes in for a chain.
I had a stormex on my bike when it used to be kept out in the street. Had it locked to the front and back wheels. Someone (could have been a tramp or a traffic warden trying to read the tax disc) had a really good go at it and it tore a bit at the locking loop but didn’t give way. It’s a pretty decent product.
I would note that if you lock it down securely to the front and back wheels then the bike is a real ball ache to do anything with. Can’t inspect it, wheel it or sit on it. Cutting the cover off would be difficult and it also makes lifting the bike more of a ball ache too. Definitely a good piece of passive security.
have you considered moving house?
definitely not - I had just moved into this house that I spent 10 months renovating. It’s in a great part of town, but, sadly, it attracts thieving scrotes from Tottenham…
Bring the bike into the house?
I’d go with the option of using an Almax Series IV and Squires padlock around a lamp post. Make sure it is a lamp post and not a parking post as desperate enough thieving cúnts have been known to pull those out of the ground (like when they stole my R1 hoisting the post out of the pavement).
Wrap the chain through your swing arm not your rear wheel as this is very easily removed.
Also take the chain away with you when you’re not using it, otherwise the cúnts will tamper with the chain or lock or both when you are not around, but make it look like everything is still fine with them, making the bike easy prey when you think everything is secure.
Try not to let the chain touch the ground as this gives purchase for them to try to cut / smash it.
You want to make the job of stealing your bike so inconvenient that the thief looks for an easier option. I knew of one R1 owner that had to keep his bike outside so he had something like 7 thick chains around it and a cover.
Extreme example, but that’s not worth the hassle to a thief.
And that’s the mindset you have to have…Most bikes being stolen in London aren’t properly secured. Sometimes this isn’t possible, but I reckon in most cases it’s just the owners complacency or ‘if they want it they’ll take it’ resignation.
Best option I found was to leave the shíthole city 