Motorcycle and scooter theft is a rising crime. Motorcycles and scooters can easily be loaded onto a truck or trailer and cost thousands of dollars. This makes them highly desirable for thieves.
To keep your bike safe, especially if you're storing it outdoors, you need solid motorcycle theft protection in place.
In this article, we're going to lay out the best way to lock your motorcycle, and what products you should be using as well as which ones to avoid.
Let's get started!
Disc Locks Are Not Enough
I got a motorcycle stolen that was protected with a disc lock. While they're great to have and can absolutely deter a lazy thief, most of them don't offer a truly secure solution.
In fact, even the best disc lock can't prevent a pair of thieves from lifting the bike onto a truck or removing the front wheel to get the bike free.
If you're only using a disc lock, you need to do more.
Use Ground Anchors
If you park your motorcycle outside and have the option of installing a ground anchor, do it. By anchoring your motorcycle to a solid surface, you eliminate the possibility of a thief simply lifting your bike onto a truck.
In order to steal a ground anchored motorcycle, the thief is forced to break the lock, or some part of the motorcycle to get it free.
Pro Tip: Big trees can work well as ground anchors too!
Chain Locks and Where to Put Them
Reinforced chain locks are a great way to secure your bike, especially if you secure them to a ground anchor.
Make sure you get a chain that can't easily be broken. Most motorcycle-specific chains are reinforced to prevent them from being broken.
If your chain is long enough, try to run it through the rear tire as well as the frame itself. By feeding the chain through the rear wheel and the frame, you make it nearly impossible to get the bike free without breaking the chain.
>> Related Content: Best Motorcycle Locks
If you have a heavy-duty chain, this little "through the frame and out the rear wheel" trick will do wonders.
If your chain isn't long enough to feed through both the rear wheel and the frame, prioritize feeding it through the frame.
Get a Bike Cover or Portable Garage
The biggest theft deterrent is by far a bike cover or portable motorcycle garage. If someone doesn't see what your bike looks like, they're less likely to be interested in trying to take it.
If you can, opt for a bike cover or portable motorcycle garage without any branding. The best motorcycle cover is a boring one. If you have a Harley and a bike cover that says "Harley," you're just advertising what's underneath it for thieves.
Pulling It All Together
The best place for motorcycle storage is in a garage, but that's not always possible for everyone. If you have to store your motorcycle outside, use these tips to minimize your risk of it being stolen.
- Use a disc lock, but don't rely on it
- Use a grounded anchor point for a chain
- Run your chain through the frame and the rear tire
- Get a motorcycle cover or portable motorcycle garage
Bonus: Make sure you have insurance!
Even with all of these precautions in place, you can never 100% prevent getting your motorcycle stolen. If you store your motorcycle outside, GET INSURANCE THAT COVERS THEFT.
Now It's Your Turn!
What's your go-to method for preventing a motorcycle from being stolen? Let us know in the comments section below.
