Motorcycle Security while on the Road

Large Disk Brake Lock

There is a lot of concern, both real and imagined, about security of your bike while on the road. If you want to sleep at night, and not worry about the bike take some precautions. In fact once organized you can do this all in 5-7 minutes. Time well spent considering waking up or walking out to find your bike or valuables gone!

Steering Head Lock to left

Helmet Lock attached to mirror

The most obvious security rules are to use the locks provided with your motorcycle, in particular the steering head lock. If yours locks in 2 different positions, use the position that locks it hard left. The bike can only be moved in a left circle that way and is more difficult to walk. Use the helmet lock if one is provided. 

Helmet Locks

The V Strom has a keyed alike helmet lock  on the frame with a stainless cable so 2 helmets can be locked together, but I am not fond of the location, so we use two combination padlocks that lock the helmet D rings to the mirrors. While the mirrors could be unthreaded, with the steering head lock in place they can’t be. The helmets can be locked in place and even turned so rain couldn’t get at them.

Disk Brake Lock

Immobilizing the bike further we also use a disk brake lock. This type of lock comes in a number of different configurations, none of which are bullet-proof completely. Some lock the disk brake tightly however the lock itself is more vulnerable to drilling or popping. The small diameter hoop lock we use is thick in the hoop so that an attack with the grinder will take some time, and the hoop is so small when placed through the disk that a hydraulic spreader can not be inserted to deform the hoop bales. The key is the rotating pin variety, which is the most difficult to pick, drill or slide hammer. Larger hoop locks should be avoided since they can easily be deformed with a small hand held hydraulic ram. Use a bright cable bungee on the end of the lock that will run to your handlebar and remind you that you have your disk brake lock on or you could try and ride away to some very unfortunate result.

Clothing lock - A 6' long bicycle lock

Clothing lock

When you’re riding and stop to visit an attraction a lot of times you are wearing your riding jacket. A simple 6’ long bicycle cable lock works well to thread through the sleeve (s) of the jackets, one inside the other and through a frame or hand hold on the bike. I noticed in Toledo Spain a Swedish fellow on a BMW GS use a laptop cable lock that he ran through the sleeve and to a grab rail. This cable is very thin and could be more easily cut with vice grips but it does offer some deterrence.

Bike Cover

But the best security device we have had recommended to us by Pat and Belinda Peck is the bike cover. You can have the shiniest bike on the planet but covered it looks like a $300 scooter, and it prevents rain and sun from getting at the bike, and riding gear you may have left on it temporarily or birds from crapping on it. Two times that I did not put the cover on I came back to find a bird had sat on the bar looking into the left mirror and crapped on the gas tank. This device is compact enough that it fits in a small bag and is bungeed to the rack and deployed all the time now. The bike becomes invisible.

Bike Covered in Gibraltor - It almost disappears

The latest extra security comes in the form of grommets in the cover that allow you to secure the cover to the wheel or under the bike as ours is.

Lock to the front wheel or under the bike as ours is.

We keep all of our electronics including the netbook, the smartphone, camera, video helmet cam, Ipod, GPS in our tank bag, which converts to a backpack or shoulder bag. If you don’t want to lug it, lock it into the top case before you cover the bike and it is generally safe.

Motorcycle Parking

Another fact of life when travelling in Europe and Morocco is parking. In Europe they(Hotel Owners) do everything possible to help you secure your bike. In Morocco there is an industry that preys on the fact everything is up for grabs here and it is the career of 'parking guardian'. This person sets up shop with a chair, generally a blue smock, an official badge of some sort, possibly issued by local authorities to guard your car or bike in an area for a fee. It’s a reality, and the coaching we have received is to pay about 10 dirhams a day for the ‘service’. But make sure you use all your own security devices because these people won’t be held liable if something happens.

Scooter Rider we saw today in Venice

Theft Insurance

And that brings us to theft insurance, something you can buy with your liability insurance in Europe at a very costly rate, and that has absolute exclusions for places like Morocco. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

And now here is the latest youtube update on security. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH8kD3Dp9to