Theft of Motorcycles..... SA has nothing on the UK...!!

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Goose

Grey Hound
Joined
Aug 10, 2007
Messages
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Bike
BMW R1200GS Adventure
Bliksem mense.............  I had no idea that this was such a moerse issue here.

Bikes are stolen ten-to-the-dozen and sommer very quickly. Teams of okes arrive with a van... jump out and merely lift the target bike into the van.... and off they go, no problem! (any bike... no matter whether a 250cc or a moerse GSA)

So my GSA has an immobiliser... I've just spent 300 pounds to have a BMW Alarm fitted and was notified by Insurers that I should also get a chain & lock. Preferably "Thatcham Approved" and that I should always lock the steering, put the alarm on and lock the bike through the frame to an immovable object.....  :patch: ???

Looking for advice... THIS is the sort of discussions around:

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Hi all,

Just had my 2nd bike nicked in 4 months from Heathrow.

First was my 30th GSA in Jan this year, from T5. Then, last week my S1000RR from T1.
T5 was probably opportunist - I was only there for a couple of hours so bike was just on steering lock (yeah, bit nieve I know) and got pushed away by scooter riding scum.

S1000RR was a different matter - chained by with an Almax Series 3, about 15m away from the car park security hut. What was undoubtedly professional scum used an angle grinder to get through the chain then rode off on the bike - yep, rode off.

Without giving too much away in an open forum (PMs gratefully accepted), is anyone able to give me any insight into how this might have been done? Bike was left at 7:30am and spirited away at 9:30pm, and plenty of witnesses to confirm it was definitely ridden off, at speed. No chance it could just have been pushed.

I did have a tracker on the bike so at least police have a little more info to go on - although it was disabled 15 mins after bike was stolen so can't be used to recover it.

Be careful at Heathrow - security is not what you'd expect...

Keith

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I had 3 top blokes visit my garage few years ago trying to lift my harley - it was wedged in the far corner it had a gsxr behind it, with a granite lock and chain front wheel to back the harley was alarmed so was the suzuki, they disarmed both alarms undid the lock and got the harley out of the side entrance door without putting a scratch on it they lifted the fence panel round the back and put chocks in place to stop the panel falling down i was so lucky they had to open the side gates i heard a noise looked out the window and there was this bloke with a mini maglite in his mouth forcing the main gate you can guess what happened next the harley was on the back lawn on its sidestand whew!!
police were here inside 2mins but they were gone, went in the front of the garage had to unlock it thinking the suzuki would be gone but it was sitting there however my britool tool cabinet 4ft tall along with the top cabinet gone, the police traced the route over the rear of the house over a 6ft wall when i showed the copper the picture of the cabinet they lifted he was shocked and it was full!


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??? ??? ???  FFS I'm stunned.....................

Some advice offered by the one chap............




Car manufacturers/ Insurers got together in the late 90's and from 97 ALL cars sold in the UK /EU were fitted with manufacturers immobilisers keyed to the ecu.

Car thefts of newer vehicles plummetted , the only way to get newer cars is with the keys unless it is uplifted on a low loader/ spec lift.

That is why so called two in one burglaries have gone through the roof , they break into the house to steal the keys and then nick the car off the driveway/street. DO NOT LEAVE VEHICLE KEYS IN HALLWAYS ETC next to letter boxes/open windows and FF sake lock your doors at night.

Unfortunately bike manufacturers did not get onboard with this scheme and very few have standard security features keyed to the ECU and ignition.

If they want it they will go to extraordinary lengths to steal it.

I've seen them in one case .......disable a commercial premises alarm system, knock a hole in a double brick wall then enter the place and using oxy acetylene cut into a secure security container to steal a mates new suzuki 450 MX bike.

Use the old advice.
1. Use the bloody ignition lock, it will at least stop some 15 year old scrote wheeling away the bike.
2. If you have a decent lock use it, and if possible lock the bike to something substantial.
3. Consider and alarm/immobiliser , it may give you that extra couple of minutes which prevent the theft.
4. If you leave the bike on the street/ in a works car park use a cover, it might be a pain BUT it draws attention if people remove the cover .
5. Keep car park attendant/ work security sweet, chat to them and if they know you they are much more likely to keep an eye on your bike.
6. Consider a pager type alarm, it may give you the chance to catch them !!!.
7. Similarly consider where CCTV is located and park in an area that is covered, again it may be a deterrent.
8. DO NOT for one minute think that an up and over garage door is a deterrent, especially if you do not lock it ? Alarm garages and sheds and in the case of sheds and detached garages fit an internal siren inside where it cannot be tampered with.
9. Be aware of scrotes following you home to find out where your bike is kept, they stand out like a sore thumb and if you use a bit of observational sense you will spot them, if you think you are being followed don't turn into your street go past it and then park up and see where they go.
10. When at home put your bike away out of public site. it is amazing how many people leave garage doors open for hours on end so that everyone walking/driving past can see what's inside , same as people leave the bike parked on the drive for hours after washing it. Next time you're going about your daily business as decent law abiding citizens see how many bikes you can spot in similar circumstances.

The above IS NOT a comprehensive list but just some working experience gained over the past twenty odd years.





Sooo now I'm sitting sifting through the minefield of trying to determine which lock & chain would be the best to use.... seems most good insurance approved ones are the ones that's gonna rip my wallet... again!
 
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