The harsh fact about motorcycle theft prevention is that your bike is far easier for thieves to steal than a car or truck.
Your motorcycle probably doesn’t even have an electronic chip in the key. What’s to prevent a thief from jamming a short screwdriver into the ignition, starting it up and riding away? Nothing!
The small brass pin that serves as a handle bar lock? Front yoke locks on motorcycles can normally be popped with just a little bit of force on the bars and the bike can be rolled away – virtually the same as having no motorcycle theft prevention device installed whatsoever.
And those are just examples of thefts of opportunity – a lazy thief who prefers to ride home that night instead of walk, and knows they can flip your bike for a few hundred bucks to the metal recyclers the following week.
The Ugly Truth about Motorcycle Theft Prevention
It’s ridiculously easy to steal most motorcycles just by using a screwdriver as mentioned above. Most motorcycle thefts are crimes of opportunity, so reducing the ‘ease’ of stealing YOUR bike is the best form of motorcycle theft prevention. A motorcycle wheel lock prevents someone from just pushing your bike down the street after using muscle power to defeat your handlebar lock, or from pushing your bike up a ramp into the back of a van or pickup truck.
Here’s how most high end motorcycles – like Harley Davidson, Triumph and BMW – are stolen. Four guys throw a mattress in the back of a (probably stolen) pickup truck. They head out once it’s dark prowling side streets for valuable motorcycles. When they find one they stop, pick up the motorcycle and toss it in the back of the pickup truck on top of the mattress, close the tailgate and drive off. There’s only one way to prevent that sort of theft – a physical lock that secures your bike to the ground or a solid object.
Motorcycle thieves know that they don’t even need to find a buyer for the motorcycle they have just stolen. Motorcycle engines are in big demand by go-cart makers and other home built hobbyists and can be quickly and easily sold on Craigslist. The frame is then chopped up and sold for metal scrap, and the other parts are flipped on eBay or sold to buyers on online motorcycle parts forums. To top it all off, most motorcycle insurance doesn’t cover the the cost of non-standard parts like aftermarket audio systems, fairings, luggage racks and the like, which can be substantial.
Thinking about getting an alarm? They are even easier to disable on a motorcycle than they are on a car. It only takes a few seconds if someone knows what they are doing.
When it’s that easy for a thief to rake in some cash by stealing your bike maybe you should give motorcycle theft prevention some serious thought and invest in a anti-theft device that works!
So what DO you do about motorcycle theft prevention?
You get a physical motorcycle immobilizing device like California Immobilizer motorcycle wheel locks!
While motorcycle thieves are typically most active in the summer months for obvious reasons, don’t think that keeping your bike in the garage over the winter is a guarantee against motorcycle theft. The latest 2011 statistics show that thousands of motorcycles are stolen over the winter months from ‘secure’ facilities. Our motorcycle wheel locks have an optional ground anchor that can be used to secure your motorcycle lock to the floor. When it comes to motorcycle theft prevention there is nothing that beats a physical wheel immobilizer that can also be attached to the ground or other solid surface.
Our California Immobilizer motorcycle wheel locks can be used on any motorcycle – you’ll definitely hang on to it when you sell or trade in your bike. They are made of high tensile steel and are easily carried in a saddlebag or storage compartment. Buy one of our California Immobilizer locks today – world class motorcycle theft prevention that’s both powerful and affordable.
Live in California? Check out our article on the Most Stolen Motorcycles In California.