Just how secure is a your bike when chained up?

[Boffin]

According to these tests - not very secure.

 

 

Andy

[Flyer5]

I was even more suprised at this one .

[smiller]

Think you're going to keep your bike..? Fahgettaboudit...

 

Serioulsy, I'm not surprised that the chains can be cut... any chain can be cut by a big enough set of bolt cutters.

 

But how do they defeat one of the massive EV Disc Locks (given that there's no way to get a good grip on them once they're installed)? Seems like they would be relatively secure, and lifting and tossing an RT/GT/LT into the back of a truck isn't that easy. The weaknesses of tubular key locks have been well documented, but now corrected in most models. I had all my older models replaced by Kryptonite for free.

 

Wouldn't a meaty disk lock be at least somewhat effective?

[Tony_K]

The absolute best motorcycle theft deterrent is......

 

 

Owning a BMW!!!

 

 

I very rarely see a gang of 50 to 70 year old men trolling Leasure World

for their next 500 mile touring joy ride!

[creekstone]

I had all my older models replaced by Kryptonite for free.

How was that accomplished?

[smiller]

I had all my older models replaced by Kryptonite for free.

How was that accomplished?

I guess they were pretty embarrassed by the whole Bic pen fiasco and for a while had listed a form on their web site to provide free replacements for any Kryptonite product with a tubular key lock, regardless of purchase date. I don't see the offer listed any more but I would bet that if you called them they would still be willing to do it.

 

The new products have a weird key with slanted tumbler cutouts. My guess (or hope) is that it is pretty secure as I doubt that they ever want to experience the 'easy to pick' fiasco again.

[Lineareagle]

Wouldn't a meaty disk lock be at least somewhat effective?

 

Liquid nitrogen, a chisel and a good hammer.

or

a sling, hi speed winch and a jib boom.

or

a dolly, winch and a ramp. Push the bike over onto the dolly. Zip up the ramp and into the back of a van.

30 seconds max.

 

If'n they want it they'll get it.

 

+1 for BMW

 

A friend just bought a new HD, he is going to worry himself sick over that bike, hasn't even picked it up yet and is thinking about security!

 

Always park near HD's

[smiller]

Always park near HD's

Probably the best tip of all. And not hard to do in Texas.

[creekstone]

I guess they were pretty embarrassed by the whole Bic pen fiasco and for a while had listed a form on their web site to provide free replacements for any Kryptonite product with a tubular key lock, regardless of purchase date. I don't see the offer listed any more but I would bet that if you called them they would still be willing to do it.

I sent Kryptonite an email. Here is their response:

 

Clint,

 

Thank you for contacting Kryptonite regarding our Lock Exchange Program. For over a year, Kryptonite replaced hundreds of thousands of locks for our distributors, dealers and consumers worldwide. However, as stated on our website, the Lock Exchange Program concluded at the end of September 2005 and we are not taking any new registrations.

 

If you are in the United States or Canada, you can visit www.kryptonitesettlement.com to view a limited exchange program still going on as was required in a recent court settlement.

 

Again, thank you for contacting Kryptonite.

 

Kryptonite Customer Service

437 Turnpike St.

Canton, MA 02021

Tel: 781-232-1901

Toll Free (USA & Canada Only) 800-729-5625

 

I didn't spend much time at the legal site, but it looks like the "limited exchange program" is a $10 coupon toward the purchase of another Kryptonite lock.

 

So, it looks like I'm stuck with my old disk lock. Oh well, I didn't put much stock in it anyway. And, if someone wants my old BMW that badly, they can have it! Then I'd have the perfect excuse to get another bike.

[E30TECH]

Are those disk locks a waste of money? I was looking at the one with the alarm built in it.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

If a pro wants your bike, it is gone, even from your garage with you sleeping in the bedroom right over it.

 

A casual thief can be deterred by a chain or even a disc lock.

 

The liquid nitrogen thing is BS. I work with this stuff every day. Takes about a 30 minute complete immersion for something as massive as one of those locks to get down to the temperature where it will shatter. A transport Dewar flask holding 30 liters of the stuff costs about $2800 bucks. Not something the average theif is likely to have handy.

 

I park my bikes under strong lighting in as busy a place as I can find. Usually for overnights at hotels, right under the port cochere and in view of the front desk. No problems so far.

[E30TECH]

If a pro wants your bike, it is gone, even from your garage with you sleeping in the bedroom right over it.

 

A casual thief can be deterred by a chain or even a disc lock.

 

The liquid nitrogen thing is BS. I work with this stuff every day. Takes about a 30 minute complete immersion for something as massive as one of those locks to get down to the temperature where it will shatter. A transport Dewar flask holding 30 liters of the stuff costs about $2800 bucks. Not something the average theif is likely to have handy.

 

I park my bikes under strong lighting in as busy a place as I can find. Usually for overnights at hotels, right under the port cochere and in view of the front desk. No problems so far.

 

That is what I would buy the lock for - hotel stays. I thought about parking there as well. I suppose most hotels would be OK with that?

 

I work with LN2 also. Fun stuff

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Never really had a problem. I often put it up on the walkway alongside the front door as it is a little safer from someone trying to squeeze by an inconsiderate SOB who just has to abandon his car in front of the doors while bringing his bags all the way to the room. I always ask at the desk first. On one memorable occasion in Hattisburg, MS, the manager of the hotel noticed my riding gear and had the front desk give me a room in the back and both a plastic hall runner and a cookie sheet and told me, "all the doors are extra wide in that building, just ride on into the room". One or two places were unable to accommodate due to fire department regulations but always gave me a ground floor room with access to the bike through a sliding door.

[E30TECH]

On one memorable occasion in Hattisburg, MS, the manager of the hotel noticed my riding gear and had the front desk give me a room in the back and both a plastic hall runner and a cookie sheet and told me, "all the doors are extra wide in that building, just ride on into the room".

 

Now I call that service

[Lineareagle]

The liquid nitrogen thing is BS.

 

I stand corrected, as he bows in humble pose.

It verges on the impossible to shatter a non-tiny (and not rubbish) lock with liquid nitrogen. We put decent amounts of effort into trying (as chemistry students it was more exciting than what we should have been doing in inorganic labs) and no matter how cold we got the locks or how big the hammers we hit them with were, they didn't shatter. The closest any of the locks came to breaking was a slight split in one of the steel & brass padlocks, presumably caused by different rates of contraction of the brass & steel components as they cooled.

 

Given that it takes a *lot* of liquid nitorgen (several litres) to cool a decent weight lock to near the boilding point of nitrogen and we couldn't get decent steel to shatter or get appreciably brittle I'm not too worried about it as a common method to nick bikes

 

Trust the British to actually try it?

[Carnadero]

I have an Abus Steel-O-Flex Granit 1000. I wonder how that would fare....

[SteveNY]

I bought one of those Xena disk locks with the alarm. It jammed the first time I tried to use it (in my garage). In just 2 minutes I had the batteries out and then, once I got the wheel off, it took just 5 minutes to drill it out. With some practice the entire operation should take 2-3 minutes.

 

Steve

 

 

--

Steve

'03 F650CS "Ginger"

'07 RT

[g_nuse]

I have it on good authority, that one of the very best, most effective theft deterrents is actually quite inexpensive.

 

...... an empty gun holster in plain sight on the bike.

 

YMMV, but I LIKE it.

[E30TECH]

I bought one of those Xena disk locks with the alarm. It jammed the first time I tried to use it (in my garage). In just 2 minutes I had the batteries out and then, once I got the wheel off, it took just 5 minutes to drill it out. With some practice the entire operation should take 2-3 minutes.

 

Steve

 

 

--

Steve

'03 F650CS "Ginger"

'07 RT

 

Thanks for saving me some money

[blitzkreig]

My strategy is to ride really Old Airhead BMW motorcycles.

 

I can park in San Fransisco by the wharf and leave the keys in the thing.

 

Never had a problem.

 

[WURTY]

I would always park next to the biggest harley in the lot.

[decorbin]

I picked up a new bike a couple months back and met some old friends at a greasy spoon in the middle of no where for breakfast. I was so concerned about ensuring my helmet and jacket were not taken that I left the keys in the bike while we had breakfast. I don't think they will ever let me live that one down.

[UberXY]

I absolutely, positively cannot imagine purposely going someplace where I felt a need to chain my bike to something. I've been in some spots where breaking down would have been dodgy, but I've never broken down on the road since I stopped riding British bikes.

[Mike]

As already discussed, this seems to be the most significant theft deterrent:

 

 

I harbor no illusions that anything I can do will stop a determined thief, so the assumption I proceed under is that I can do things to discourage a casual thief and maybe . . . only maybe . . . prod a professional to go after a slightly easier target. To that end, I use an Abus disk lock and carry a not-too-huge cable lock to secure my bike to a fixed object. Also, I carry a cover to toss over it when it's parked overnight.

 

I used to use a humungo cable that was very cumbersome to carry. I ultimately figured out that any cable could be circumvented by a professional, so I opted for a smaller one. I figure that it will provide pretty much the same level of deterrence to a casual or nonprofessional thief.