I agree with Jamie. I have mine in a locked garage and that's it. Both of my parents were in insurance and I was told on numerous occasions that someone with security that would make the architect of Fork Knox weep, had just had their XYZ stolen. If someone can afford an XYZ and all the associated bells and whistles to keep it safe and it still gets pinched, then what's the point? I'll get home today and the blade will be gone won't it...
I paid £600 for a full closure alarm system on a golf GTI when I was younger, CAT 1 all the toys, was told it could never be stolen ! Bastards broke into the house took my keys without a sound then drove it off never to be seen again ! So maybe that's made me the way I am
Mine's in a locked garage and almaxed and ground anchored to the floor. The car's in there too so they'd have to break into the garage on a reasonably busy street, break into the car and move that out of the way, get the chain off the bike and break the steering lock. There's also not really any access around the back of my house without creeping through 8 other gardens or finding your way around a barbed wire-topped fence and then through a tangle of thorny branches. Even then there's still no way of getting the bike out the back of the house. If they can get the thing despite all that lot then........meh
I have been fortunate enough just to have had a low value old trail bike stolen in the past, while it was being stored at somebody else's house, but I think you have to make it at least a bit of a challenge to the scruffy toerags who are just chancing their arm. If the pro's come after it, I think it's gone. The problem with making an insurance claim - which is the reason it's there after all - is all the associated hassle and increased premiums and I'd rather stick a few precautions on it even though I know it won't be foolproof. I have a couple of bikes chained to each other and a big ground anchor with multiple chains, U-locks, disc locks and cable locks (takes me f**king ages to unlock it all!). Next year I'm going for the roller shutter door which I'll be able to lock from the inside as it's an integral garage. I agree with what's been said about alarms too, waste of time and nobody bats an eyelid these days when they hear an alarm going off. All alarms do is give optimate more business. The experts say to make things light, that is have intruder lights so they can't skulk about in the shadows. Really sorry to hear about the couple who had their bikes stolen recently, what a way to spoil this time of the year.
The key to bike security is to make the thieves look elsewhere for an easier target - for instance, people who don't bother with extra security You need to make the act of theft noisy and time consuming, and therefore, too risky for the thief.
^^^^ this As someone's said already, if it's professionals stealing to order then you've got your work cut out stopping them. Out of sight, out of mind and make it difficult / very visible for people to nick it and you're really doing all you can.
All the time you've got a police force who are convinced your 12mm undersized number plate is a more important crime and the judges are rich twats who live on another planet you won't stop bike theft.
I think it's a balance between 1. making it difficult enough so that thieves look elsewhere, but without spending too much on deterrance 2. not making it too difficult that they try to get into my house. They can take my bike but I don't want them anywhere near my family.
Don't start me on this topic mate! The police (and their whole system) were no help whatsoever with my last (or any other) bike theft. Far longer story than that, but the above sentence is a fair summary.
garage door has ground anchor preventing opening, bike is chained to another ground anchor inside, steering locked, garage is connected to house alarm. I,m probably OTT on the security.
