​Top Tips to Keeping Your Motorcycle Safe

Keeping your motorcycle safe should be a top priority for all riders. With motorcycle theft on the rise, we’ve put together a few practical tips to keep your bike safe throughout the year.

Remove the keys

Sounds obvious. This is the most sensible step to keeping your motorcycle safe even if you are close by or away for just a few minutes. Leaving the ignition keys in will make it quick and easy for a thief to steal your motorcycle. Remove the keys and make sure you use the steering lock at all times.

Parking Options

Another sensible method to protect your machine is to take caution where you park it. If street parking is an option you are considering, look for a well-lit area that is fairly busy. Additionally, an area with extra security and CCTV cameras will make your motorcycle a less attractive prospect. If you are parking in your garage, make sure to secure it properly. Make sure the doors to your garage are locked properly and if there are windows, to ensure they are secured to a good level. If you’re unsure about street parking best find another place, multi-story car parks are better but never completely secure.

Locks

There are three types of locks, disc locks, chain locks and Wheel Locks

Disc locks - Physically prevents your motorcycle from being wheeled away. This secures your front brake disc and although this acts as a deterrent, it does not prevent a professional thief from simply lifting it into a truck and driving it away. That is why it always recommended complementing a disc lock with a chain lock and an alarm.

Chain locks - Secures your bike to an immovable object, such as a railing, a lamppost, or another bike. Thread the chain or cable through the back wheel or your bike frame. Do not chain your motorcycle through the front wheel or other easily removable or breakable parts of your bike, as these can be stolen and sold for parts or simply broken through with hammers or other tools. Locking your bike to an immovable object is one of the best things you can do to limit the chance of having your bike taken.

Wheel Locks - The truth about bike locks is that they are only an effective deterrent if you use them. For the majority of riders and especially couriers, it can be a time-consuming and annoying process to secure their bike when time is money, but in the event of a theft, the consequences can be costly.

If you are looking for a safe and convenient security solution that addresses these issues, we suggest you check out EasyBlock. EasyBlock is dedicating its efforts on preventing motorbike thefts in urban areas. Already the top choice for courier riders in London, we see more and more riders choosing the EasyBlock Wheel Lock to secure their scooters, and therefore livelihoods.

Alarms

Consider a professionally fitted and insurance approved alarm system for your motorcycle. This will not put off the most determined thieves but could also reduce your insurance premiums. Having it fitted by professionally trained technicians is worth the money as it will most likely come with tracking, immobilisation, anti-grab and movement sensors. These can help protect and trace your vehicle and makes it an overall good system to consider.

Cover It

It makes a big difference keeping the bike under a cover. Thieves always look out for a particular type of bike and using a bike cover conceals the model and hence instantly makes it less attractive to them. A cover also provides another time consuming obstacle for the thief.

Choose your bike

It's a sad truth but in cities like London certain bikes are far more likely to be stolen than others. Owning a more desirable motorcycle will not only increase the chance of losing your bike but also massively increase the cost of insurance. Popular bikes for thieves included premium scooters such as Vespas and Yamaha XMAX range as well as top-end sportbikes. If you want to keep your insurance premium low and reduce the chance of theft than something like a more modest Honda CBF 125 is the way to go; small manual motorcycles aren't great for nicking handbags on! However, you want to have a bike you want to ride!

Insurance

While it won't prevent your bike from being stolen or damaged in the first place, having valid insurance will at least cover you should anything ever happen. There are many things to think about when buying motorbike insurance so check our our handy insurance guide before you do.

Compare insurance and get a quote today!