Security chains & padlocks

[Scim77]

If you have not already seen this YouTube video, please check it out. It shows how different brands of security chain withstand attacks by big bolt croppers. I fancied a chain and ground anchor for inside my garage (belt and braces, or what?!! ). Based on a few hours internet trawling, finally confirmed by the following YouTube link, I went for an ALMAX chain and a Yanchor ground anchor, locked with a Squire SS65C padlock. Take a look at this :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck

 

[sdrio]

Meh. Let's get a really massive bolt cropper and chops some locks up. These all fall under the 'if they're determined enough, they'll have it away whatever you use' rule.

I don't believe anybody is likely to stand in a busy street for 17 seconds with a 4 foot bolt cropper to do that to my chain. Having said that, since some tried unsuccessfully to nick mine, I use a chain to attach it to railings at the back, plus a disk lock at the front. Those croppers aren't going to get near the disk lock, so I'm reasonably confident they'd have to be dicking about for way longer than any thief is prepared to do in public to get away with it.

I think the key is to make sure it's not parked somewhere easily accessible, but out of sight. Mine goes in a bike bay on a busy street during the day, and a locked garage at night. If they nick it, nobody can say I didn't try . . . that's why I've got insurance.

(we've been discussing all this recently in this thread: http://www.motorcycle-talk.net/forum/mt-07-fz-07-general-discussion/1302-carrying-security-chain-pillion.html )

 

[nobull]

For the inside of your garage though its a bit different. I must admit i'm amazed they chopped the other brands so "easily". Having said that if anyone were to get in my garage they would have to take the roof off (and its asbestos!) or bring an angle grinder for the garage defenders, and no chain will withstand an angle grinder with a 1mm blade for more than a few seconds, the almax included. It just depends whether thieves want to risk making the noise. I turn the power to the garage off when I'm away, and don't leave my grinders in there, just in case (although I suspect an 18V portable one would make powder of a chain pretty quickly).
One interesting point - don't trust bolt in ground anchors. I once was moving out of a house & had a 4 rawl bolt ground anchor set very tightly into concrete, with bearing balls jammed in the allen key heads. As I was leaving I decided to attempt removal. To my amazement it took me all of 60 seconds using a claw hammer (the claw in the loop of anchor) to rock it free. Ever since then I use massive concrete in ground anchors that I weld up myself, although I am always scared of drilling into drains or cables under garage floors!
A big dog ought to do it though...

 

[Noggie]

I think the bottom line here is "if they really want your bike, they will get it"

A few years ago someone tried to steal my car wheels, fortunately I had an alarm with a jack sensor and they took off when the alarm went off, I got a free jack, 17mm socket out of it.

I then wanted to get some safety bolts, I went to 3 different wheels'n tire places and that all told me to forget it.
Basically the same as I said before, if they want your wheels they will get them, safety bolts will only cause them to damage the car more.
They had seen some pretty ugly damage in the past, they would undo the 4 regular bolts and rip the other one off, usually damaging your rotors, bearing and possibly suspension and carriers.

So just get any chain/lock, use the steering lock and you will deter 95% of thieves, the remaining 5% will get your bike anyway.

 

[Gee]

At home I use a Pragmasis 16mm chain (same as Almax), Anti-Pinch pin through the swingarm hole and a Squire lock all shackled to a Torc ground anchor. Also alarmed with a disc lock fitted.

They ain't nicking it from home unless they bring serious power tools and the whole estate happens to be on holidays at the same time.

When your out and about it aint worth shit tho. Its all about making your bike more hassle than another so that they move on.

Any deterrent is better than none. But if they want it bad enough they will have it away.

 

[Scim77]

When I am out and about and need to leave the bike parked up somewhere, I just use an Oxford disc lock and activate the Meta Alarm. When its in the garage, I still have the alarm and disc lock plus the Almax chain threaded through a Yanchor.

http://www.yanchor.com

I had to Kango a 12" cube out of the concrete garage floor, set the Yanchor into the ground and then re-concrete around it. That's the difficult part with the Yanchor but advantages are that it sits perfectly flush with the garage floor and would definitely require hours of arduous Kangoing to heave it out, and even then it would be a massive concrete block chained to the bike!
The Almax chain is obscenely heavy and I could not possibly cart it around with me whilst riding but it is perfect for in the garage. It chinks like tool steel, it is so well case-hardened.

 

[Noggie]

I guess we live in different "worlds"
I only lock my front door at night, if I remember to do so.
I have left my car outside my house with the key in it a whole day, I have on a few occasions forgot my front door key in the door a whole weekend. I once left my car with the key in the door overnight.
I sometimes forget to lock my garage, and I regularly have my cars and bike in there with the key in the ignition.
I once found out that my second front door, that goes to the laundry room, was unlocked for two weeks while I was away for work.

I guess living in the country side has its perks. Never saw the need for an extra bike lock.

 

[Eddieh93]

FRONT DOOR UNLOCKED ALL NIGHT!!!!

I would wake up with no furniture, no tv, no cars, no xbox.

The bastards stole my outside brass tap one night!!!! Only realized when I woke up and could hear gushing water.