Keep Your Bike from Getting Stolen

If you own a motorcycle, you are a target for motorcycle theft—and it doesn't matter how fancy or filthy it is. Obviously, big-buck cruisers like Harley-Davidsons and tricked-out $15,000 sportbikes are tasty treats for thieves, but vehicle theft is sometimes a crime of opportunity, so here's five ways to keep your bike safe, no matter what it is.

Motorcycle thieves, although usually not great at career planning, are very clever, practiced and good at what they do. That means they can work incredibly fast, defeating multiple security systems and locks in minutes or even seconds. Their strongest weapon is speed, so your best defense is to make it as complicated as possible to get your bike, so they'll look for an easier target.

1. Ignition, Steering Head and Disc Locks

Good news: Your first line of defense is attached to your motorcycle and couldn't be easier or more convenient to use. It's the fork lock, and on most motorcycles, it's easy: just turn the bars all the way to the left, turn the key to the 'lock" position (make sure it's not on the 'P' unless you like jump-starting your bike) and you're done. For many cruisers, there's a lock under your steering head, or maybe just lugs for a padlock, which you can keep under your seat. According to Allstate Insurance, "the majority of thefts happen when the ignition is turned off but not locked," so this is a no-brainer. Even if you have an electronic key that won't let the motor fire without it, thieves can (and will) roll your bike into a truck or van. Don't make it easy for them!

Of course, a miscreant with strong hands and a big flat-tip screwdriver can break that lock, so you can't depend on it, but maybe you don't want to carry a big, heavy cable lock or chain around. A disc lock is the way to go—that's a device designed to keep your motorcycle from rolling by locking the front or back wheel at the brake caliper. You can attach them to the brake disc itself (make sure it will fit the holes drilled in the discs), or around a fork leg and spoke in such a way to prevent rolling, but be warned—you will forget it's there and embarrass yourself or worse. Attach it under the caliper, so the bike won't roll one wheel revolution and stop (been there, done that, got the "I knocked 12 other bikes over" T-Shirt), or attach a little tag or other device to your throttle or ignition lock as a reminder.

2. Cables, Chains, Ewes and Anchors

Immobilizing your bike will prevent most thefts, but I've heard about thieves placing locked motorcycles on a pair of skateboards and wheeling them away to the chop shop, and watched videos where several burly dudes simply pick up a 450-pound GSX-R like it's a foot-long tuna melt from Subway and plop it into a truck.

Locking it to something big and immobile will prevent this. A utility pole is good, or a parking meter (unless the thief is Cool Hand Luke), and if you have a regular parking spot, you may be able to install an anchor into the concrete.

Heavy cable locks are good—some brands even guarantee against cutting. They come with a built-in lock, or you can use a heavy duty padlock or disc lock to secure them. The same goes for heavy-duty chains, which are impregnable (at least the manufacturers claim) to cutting wheels, liquid nitrogen (which thieves use to make the metal brittle so they can shatter it with a hammer) or bolt cutters. Keeping the chain or cable taught frustrates thieves—it's easier to cut or break if they have slack to work with.

3. Alarms and Kill Switches

There are a variety of alarm products to choose from, but please install it carefully so it doesn't go off accidentally and annoy your neighbors. You can also buy devices that lock to the bike and only go off if they are tampered with or moved. Some of these are reasonably priced and even combine an alarm with a disc lock—remember, the idea is to make stealing your bike inconvenient, not impossible, encouraging Captain Lightfingers to shop elsewhere.

You can also muddle the gone-in-60-seconds crew by installing a second kill switch in a hidden location—maybe under the seat—which will deter the casual hammer-and-screwdriver guy. You can even get fancy and buy a remote starting device, which you can use to shut the engine off after it's running. Hopefully when the scumbag is riding in the fast lane in front of a speeding semi.

4. Tracking Devices

GPS Trackers do not actually prevent a theft, but can help you recover your ride before it's converted into 200 separate Craigslist ads. In some cases, GPS location devices have led to a recovery within hours or even minutes. Some of these systems work with a subscription, and some work with a mobile-phone simcard from any carrier. They are tiny and can be hidden in a spot the thief won't find—until the cops find him.

5. Take Cover!

Another way to slow the bad guys down is to keep your bike out of sight. Park it behind other cars or dumpsters—don't make it easy for them! Keeping it covered is a good idea as well, as they may select the bike they can see from a long way away, or not want to draw attention to themselves pulling the cover off. There's a broad selection of covers out there, but be sure to get one sized for your bike, that's strong enough to stand up to the conditions where you park and for the love of God, please don't advertise your bike's brand on the cover! You may as well put a bow on it as well.