5 Ways to Secure Your Parked Bike

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

Often these days when we read news about vehicle thefts, it's usually in regards to the theft of cars. While that might lead some to believe that motorcycles rarely or never get stolen, the reality is actually very different. If you think about it, motorcycles are much easier to steal compared to cars: their size, weight, and design makes them easier to move and take apart; not to mention they’re much easier to hide than cars or trucks.

Responsible motorcycle owners understand that there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of their bike being stolen, but what they can do is reduce that risk by taking a few cautionary measures. Keeping your bike secure only requires a little bit of thinking, a little bit of effort, and contrary to what some people may think it doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive to do.

Parking

The first way to keep your bike secure is to follow a few basic rules when it comes to where and how you park your bike. Unlike cars, bikes have much more flexibility when it comes to parking options. Ideally, it would be best to keep your bike parked in well-lit areas with heavy traffic and visibility. This is because thieves target vehicles in places where chances of them getting spotted and caught is much lower, like in dark alleys or in dark corners of parking areas.

Another benefit of motorcycle parking areas is that they are quite dense, in that there are many motorcycles parked in one area which increases the likelihood that there will always be people walking around.

Cover

Another low-cost measure would be to get and use a motorcycle cover. Typically, these covers made of plastic materials are used by motorcycle owners who wish to keep their bikes protected from the elements, especially Malaysia’s hot direct sunlight and heavy rains. Unknown to many, these covers also contribute to the overall security of the motorcycle as well.

A motorcycle that is covered in this way is also ‘anonymous’ in that no one can tell what make or model it is without actually looking under the cover. This is great for when potential thieves are looking at all the bikes from afar trying to decide which one they’ll target for later. With no way to remotely identify the model of the motorcycle, there’s a chance they’ll focus on another bike instead.

Chain and Lock

The combination of chains and locks are a classic way to secure a motorcycle. It’s a tried and tested solution that has been used by many for a very long time. As a rudimentary way of immobilizing the motorcycle, it is cheap and easy to use, and most importantly, it is effective. It works to discourage theft by making the motorcycle impossible to ride away from where it’s parked.

Disc Lock

Another slightly more sophisticated option for immobilizing a bike and keeping it secure is the use of a disc lock. These locks are portable and much easier to carry and store. They’re specifically designed with a mechanism that attaches to the holes in a motorcycle’s brake disc and keeps it locked. In doing so, it makes it impossible for an unwanted rider to move the bike forward or backward.

While disc locks may cost a little bit more than just your standard chain and padlock, there are plenty of brands on the market to suit your needs and your budget. Some of them even include built-in alarms!

Alarms

While all of the options mentioned above are great at increasing the safety of your bike while its parked, some thieves are braver than others and might actually take the risk of trying to bypass those locks. One way to reduce that risk further is to implement the use of alarms. Some disc locks come with built-in alarms which will go off in the event that someone tampers with it, but you can also purchase alarms separately and use them on your bike. These contribute to the security of your bike firstly by discouraging thieves from targeting yours (since it’ll take extra work for them), and they attract attention to your bike if someone is trying to steal it.