Scooter Theft Epidemic - How do you keep your scooter safe?

Afternoon all,

My name's Ross - and I'm new to ScooterShack. It's great to make your acquaintance (albeit digitally)

I'm doing a bit of research about the scooter theft epidemic currently taking place across the UK ( I say currently, because it's only just been picked up by the mainstream press, despite it being a problem for years). I'm writing a short article for a new free learner and commuter oriented newspaper called On2Wheels (it focuses on smaller capacity AM to A2 restricted machines, including scooters and moped) and I'm hoping you might be able to help me.

Basically, I'm hoping you can tell me how you managed to keep your scooter safe and unscathed (short of tucking it away in a garage)?

Cheers!

Ross

 

Hi Ross,
It's soooo difficult to keep your scooter safe when you're out and about.
The problem is they are so light that it only takes two people to pick it up and shove it in the van and it's gone, regardless of locks and chains.
Plus there is the problem of being kicked off it at the traffic lights.
If you are only a 16 year old skinny kid and there is 2 or 3 of them, you don't have much chance of winning do you.
We've had a few on here in the past.
There are tracker systems that can be bought relatively cheaply, from the likes of ebay etc, that allow you to monitor your bike from your phone, but if you're in the office all day and you only find your bike gone when you leave work, then more than likely you are not going to see it again.
Even secure car parks are not really safe these days, as most security won't get involved in stopping these people for fear of getting hurt themselves; and the car park owners try to mitigate themselves with the obligatory signs that say they are not responsible for any loss or theft or damage.
Aftermarket alarms and immobilisers with the flashing led are a good investment, at least it's some form of deterrent, but the determined scroats will always try their best to have it away.
Parking near cctv cameras is a good idea, at least then if it does go missing, you have some footage for the insurance company.

Disc locks, heavy duty padlocks and chains, alarms, immobilisers, bike covers even (so they can't see what bike it is without lifting the cover)
are all a good idea, but in the end it comes down to available spare cash to buy whatever extra security you can afford.
If you were to add all this to the bike budget, then you are looking at at least another £200 for quality gear.

 

i sunk an oxford terra force ground loop , into a very large lump of concrete and attach my scooters rear wheel via a double wrap of heavy duty oxford bike chain and a heavy duty padlock.

problem is, if they want the bike/scooter they will do anything in their means to get at it, be it a portable gas torch , portable mini cutter, freezing the lock system and then hammer bashing to fracture the pin sets, even down to picking the lock with a cheap set of picks from amazon -ebay .

this day and age we have to be very intune with our surroundings at lights and junctions always checking mirrors and likes for those wrong doers . problem is everyone is a target be it a 50cc scooter or a 1000cc leader bike

 

Hidden kill switch....
Or move country, thats sure helped me
Greetings from norway...
But a hidden killswitch did save an old 125 I had a few times, as did an alarm...

 

You need an alarm (preferably with an immobiliser), a disc lock for the front wheel and large hacksaw-proof chain with a drill-proof padlock to lock the bike to something. If they want your bike badly enough, they will literally pick it up and put it into a van, so you have to rob the thief of the one thing he doesn't have - time. Park the bike in a public area where there are always people present and lock the bike to something solid, such as a rack, railing, steel fence etc. These thieves use battery operated angle grinders to cut chains these days and in a public place this will attract attention, especially if a bike alarm is going off as well. Bike alarms with immoblisers are cheap these days and could lower your insurance premium too.

 

Its got to the point in london that they do it in broad daylight without a care, if anyone tries to stop them they attack them.
Oh I have only bad things to say about them.
Quite frankly I wouldnt be scared of a grinder, ive nabbed my clothes in mine enough times to know it doesnt kill me....

 

Hi,

Personally I'm surprised big brand names in the business of motorbike security & even bike manufacturers haven't come up with a range of products/innovative designs to counteract this new threat

I don't have a bike at the moment but when I get one I will be looking into electronic and physical deterrents.

Stolen from a bike bay with angle grinders;
Use multiple locks & chains to increase how much has to be cut and an incredibly loud alarm to draw attention & deafen/hurt the thieves. Use a long monster chain looped through the rear wheel/chassis with a lock on either side AND disc locks. So when the thieves are scouting the bike bay and see your bike will need 3/4/5 cuts, it may be a good deterrent.

I guess it depends on how much you love your bike and how bad theft is in your area.


Two men/women and a van;
Ultra strong physical security required which is anchored to something equally strong and stationary, as above. At the same time your bike alarm should be making an incredible noise to attract attention and deafen/hurt the thieves.

Hijack at the lights;
Pay attention to your surroundings (you should be anyway on a motorcycle) and lookout for anyone (or group of bikes) riding two-up following you. An immediate alarm bell would be seeing a bike with no reg plates, riders in balaclavas or holding something which could be used as a weapon e.g. hammer.
First thing I would do to rule out being followed is to double back on myself or make a nonsensical manoeuvre to see their reaction.
If at the lights or stationary elsewhere and you get charged, then depending on the situation consider taking off at speed to lose them or get to a safer place OR just drop the bike, take the key and run. In the case of a geared bike, if you can leave it in gear & apply the steering lock then it might confuse them/waste their time sufficiently and save your bike.
Second possibility is to get one of those mini powder fire extinguishers and if you get charged then set if off at them which will spook them and they give up and give you an opportunity for a getaway.


I'm surprised motorcycle manufacturers aren't coming up with internal security features which prevent the gearbox/driven wheel turning or engine cranking. This could be activated by the alarm fob or wireless dongle - when the owner isn't within 2 metres of the bike it activates.

Something like this would help in all 3 scenarios above;
If your bike is stuck in a van and nicked for parts then the engine/gearbox won't work due to the internal physical security being activated and it can't be used. They'll have to strip it and try to disable it as it can't be used straight away and not worth anything. This could be a good deterrent.
If you get hijacked at the lights and you run off, they won't be able to wheel the bike off and then also start it as above. Again a good deterrent or at least you won't lose your bike.


With physical security surely someone with a big brain can invent a material which 'jams/clogs up' an angle grinder when someone tries to cut through it, sending the angle grinder spinning in their hand with great force and possibility of broken bones

As for electronic security - don't most high end alarm systems have the functionality when activated to phone you/the Police - to report themselves as moving/stolen with a GPS position?
Don't Police patrol cars automatically pick up the 'Tracker' system when activated?

Yes it's expensive and you have to subscribe but the recovery rate is excellent and would help if your bike is stuck in the back of a van, nicked from a parking bay or you get hijacked at the lights. But you do get some insurance discount if you have it fitted.

Edit: I forgot to mention a hidden smoke canister. When activated it could also help in all scenarios. It could be set off with a panic button or by the alarm and thieves wouldn't be able to see what they are doing, a thief in a van wouldn't be able to see where to drive and it would also draw lots of attention.

 

Personally I think live ammunition wired to a coil and an alarm....
Vigilantism is picking up in the uk now because of the theft problem and lack of action from the police/general public

 

apart from calling the Police, would you challenge a gang of thieves trying to steal a motorbike?

 

Yes, I have done many many times back when I lived in the uk. I chased them over my garden fence (which had 3 inch nails across the top) with a 2 foot machete...
Another time me and my mate chased some chavs over a dual carriageway...

 

Oh no sorry, I meant in a public place and a strangers motorcycle.

So there you are leisurely wandering around Oslo doing some window shopping.
As you are approaching a motorcycle parking bay a large scooter with no registration plates stops and two people jump off.
One with an angle grinder starts cutting the chain on a lovely red Ducati Panigale 899 parked in the bay.
The other stands lookout holding a large hammer.

You don't have your mates with you and your large machete is at home.

Would you challenge them?

 

Yes, I would, as would any other Norwegian, and the police would turn up and stop them.
Quite frankly a grinder doesnt threaten me, ive nabbed myself enough times on mine!

 

Very commendable and I take my hat off to you

 

I like the smoke canister idea, mobility sensors can be used to trigger or disconnect quite a lot of things, and can be attatched to the scooter where trying to access it would set it off.

 

Hahaha

 

Yeah right ! Lol

 

Only thing fracturing is sculls...
On this subject I saw on FB that there was a gang on scooters who stole a sportsbike from the ace this evening.
If I find out anyone here us using scoots to steal other bikes im personally going to come to the uk and show you what real pain and suffering is.
Fuck this people are pure disgusting scum inbred fuckwits.