[63320]

I am a bike noob. One thing I have always wondered when I see a tonne of bikes and scooters lined up in parking spots is "why doesn't some wise guy come along and lift a few into the back of his pickup truck and ride away?"

Is bike theft a common problem?

Also, if you own a motorcycle is it easy to get free parking or do you have to pay? I live in Canada.

 

[mscuddy]

...that only happens in the Maritimes...or on Younge Street...

 

[seruzawa]

Bke theft's not much of a problem is you stay away from race replicas and Harleys. Especially if you only own bikes at least 5 years old like I do.

 

[pplassm]

It can be. Stay away from popular bikes. Buy a KLR or a Multistrada.

 

[52944]

no no.... buy a EX500 no one will steal 15 year old bike that doesn't look like it should run.

Or buy a aprilia RS250 no one will steal a bike if they don't know what it is.. and is rare enough it'd be impossible to re-sell or part in secret.

 

[The_AirHawk]

no no.... buy a EX500 no one will steal 15 year old bike that doesn't look like it should run.

Or buy a aprilia RS250 no one will steal a bike if they don't know what it is.. and is rare enough it'd be impossible to re-sell or part in secret.

Just as a note: there's been a half-dozen or more EX500's reported stolen on the EX List since I joined it, some 3-4 years ago. Some recovered, most not.

 

[52944]

Just as a note: there's been a half-dozen or more EX500's reported stolen on the EX List since I joined it, some 3-4 years ago. Some recovered, most not.

I guess I was thinking more of mine.. which may as well be primer black the way it looks. I guess that look probably works for most bikes though

too bad for the owners.

 

[ejis]

It can be a problem anywhere, but mostly focused on bikes that are easy to strip/sell and common enough that they don't stand out. That means sportbikes and generic cruisers here in the states. A friend of mine had a CBR600F4 locked/covered in his parking lot (suburban CT) and some guys came by one night, clipped the lock and lifted the bike into a truck - right outside his window.

Around me, bikejacking had been a big problem for a while, though seems to have slowed down recently.

Making your bike more difficult and less desirable to take than the one next to it is the best defense. Keep it covered, use multiple locks, with one preferably attached to something solid, and leave it somewhere lit and passed regularly.

Also, a mass of bikes usually means a mass of bikers, and for some reason we still have a reputation of being mean SOBs. Thieves, therefor a less likely to go after bikes in a group.

Of course, there's no stopping someone who is motivated enough. Best you can do is make it harder.

 

[acecycleins]

In metro cities around America it's usually pretty bad. Here in Atlanta we had a theft ring knocking off 10-20 a day, before they finally got busted.

Safety wise- it's always good to have an audible alarm. At the very least, buy a disc lock- many even have audible alarms built in.

Don't buy a target if you don't have your own garage. No sportbikes less than 3 yrs old. No Harley's, either.

If you have a garage and live in the city make sure your garage has a alarm system.

That's as cut and dry as it gets from the motorcycle insurance guy.
Kirk