Theft protection

We obviously talk about bikes a lot, however not to much talk about how we chain/lock our beloved bikes!

I've just received this Suolide (索利特) chain today (for my X2 that still has to arrive).

http://img03.taobaocdn.com/imgextra/...1015246767.jpg

http://img01.taobaocdn.com/imgextra/...1015246767.jpg

First thought was, damn this thing is huge! The quality seems good to me, and just the size and weight of this chain might already make a potential thief lose interest.

Only issue I found is that quite some of the welds on the links are bit rough, and will likely cause damage to the cover.


Feel free to share what chains, locks, alarms, electrocution devices, etc you use(d), and have good/bad experience with.

Cheers,
Barry

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Originally Posted by Barry

Feel free to share what chains, locks, alarms, electrocution devices, etc you use(d), and have good/bad experience with.

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Great find Barry, thanks.

I use a disc lock, alarm, GPS tracker and a cover that is chained onto the bike. I also chain my bikes together, but with a rather skimpy chain & locks (just to deter). There are also parking lot attendants, who get bottles of wine from me a few times each year ... although I am not sure if I have thought that one through ... the guys might be drunk & pass out when the thieves show up.

But I am "lucky" (maybe) because where I park my bikes is where other residents park their bikes - and they use nothing, and laugh at me each time I need to unlock/lock, uncover/cover, unchain/chain. Nevertheless, I am hoping the crooks will attack the easiest target. Fortunately, in 8 years, no one has ever lost a bike downstairs - but it will probably happen at some point - always does.

I'd like to get a floor anchor and a decent chain/lock.

Best protection is a big mean dog - but impossible where I live.

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Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou

Best protection is....

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...parking the bike in the living room in my opinion and keeps the bike clean as well....

Got a Abus Chain (hand-carried by a mate from Germany as I don't trust the one key fits all China locks) and Luma (Spidi Shop Shanghai / Pubei Road) wall anchor installed at one of my regular parking spots.

Two Shanghai based shops are well known for high end bike security: http://www.qiyi.cc and http://www.adrenaline-asia.net
Beijing has Motorways http://www.527motor.com with the full Abus (Germany) range, pricy but well proven track record.

-somehow its not a good idea to show the thief's your full bike security protection-

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

-somehow its not a good idea to show the thief's your full bike security protection-

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I agree on that!

I'm aware BJ Motorway sells the full range of Abus locks, but it's just too pricey in my opinion. Same goes for their Rev'it range, I only bought a pair of winter gloves from them because I saw no other chance of getting any. My Rev'it Tornado pants which I bought for about 1400 RMB in Germany, are being sold for 2600 RMB here.

To get back to locks and such, I've got a Luma disc lock which was only about 400 RMB. I think it's decent, but doubt I'd buy another one. Looking into Xena locks now, which are just like Luma a bit more affordable than Abus (in China). I don't have any possibility for a floor/wall anchor nor living room parking. I park in a Office/Hotel building across the street from where I actually live, just pretend to work in one of the offices there ;). Since there's only a shoebox size bicycle basement where I live, and it takes you 5 minutes to turn the bike around for driving out of the place again.

Cheers,
Barry

Recently I've started seeing OnGuard U-locks in Shanghai. I've been using these with my bicycles for years, as they allow me to quite easily lock the frame and rear wheel to many different types of fixed objects. (I did lose one bicycle when the bike wasn't locked to something; thief probably just threw it onto a flatbed tricycle.) Some beefy OnGuard models are hanging in Yang Jie's Honda/Peugeot shop at 508 Yuyao Lu, corner of Taizhou Lu, Jing'an District, 余姚路泰州路.

http://www.todson.com/locks/product_image/8001.jpg


More and more shops here in Shanghai are stocking good locks, for obvious reasons -- demand is rising!

cheers
Euphonius

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Originally Posted by euphonius

More and more shops here in Shanghai are stocking good locks, for obvious reasons -- demand is rising!

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no wonder as decent theft insurance is unobtainable, miss the old days when fully comprehensive insurance incl. theft and damage was available for import bikes (big bore HD's like Fatboy, Roadking, Dyna Superglide full comprehensive insurance cost was around 1800RMB for 12 month).

**reminder to myself, need to check into the deal HD was working on in terms of theft insurance, anyone heard anything lately?**

everyone knows the famous lock brands anyway and not starting a best brand discussion but Kryptonite is around China as well for some time: http://www.kryptonitelock.com

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Originally Posted by Barry

however not to much talk about how we chain/lock our beloved!

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Barry Barry :rolleyes1:

Attachment 11024

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Originally Posted by 998S

Barry Barry :rolleyes1:

Attachment 11024

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Go ahead, you can lock me up with her any time ;)

I bought a ABUS chain lock.
I think for a 200k HD being mean for a lock is stupid.
The thing is f... expensive (230Euro in Germany) but only breakable with torch burner.... and its f.... heavy (4kg).

protection class 25 of 25 as I read
Attachment 11025

I use XENA xx14 disc lock because it has build in alarm. Id rather replace the expensive cr2 battery then have the normal alarm drain my bikes battery. Seems pretty solid apart from the pin, which is not made out steel... its been coated to make it look like steel. I dunno if Ive bought a fake one. Hope not.
Attachment 11031

I also have the Chinese TopDog lock (RMB350) and this thing is bloody heavy (4.95kg). I use it to chain the back weel to high pressure water pipe.....I think this work better than any anchor hahah
Attachment 11032

I also have a cover which btw today was taken off and place on again...someone had a look at my bike. I hope it was just some nosy person not a thief

@LJH What GPS tracker do you use? Are the Chinese ones from taobao any good?

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Originally Posted by modron

I also have a cover which btw today was taken off and place on again...someone had a look at my bike. I hope it was just some nosy person not a thief

@LJH What GPS tracker do you use? Are the Chinese ones from taobao any good?

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I forgot - I've had two covers stolen. First was a filthy dirty, ripped plastic POS I was using on my farmer-honda 125. Second was a cheap (20 rmb, IIRC) taobao thing on my scooter. Really p'd me off for some reason, so in a hissy-fit I took a fluorescent orange marker pen and wrote all over my remaining covers, and now also thread my chain through the covers. Damn, people will steal anything not tied down!

I use a few different GPS trackers, all from taobao (around 300 rmb) - none are perfect (they seem to drain my battery within about a week or two). But they are surprisingly accurate, in real time, and also keep a mapped history of routes. One has a back-up battery (in case a thief cuts the battery cable) ... but I am not sure that is necessary, since my non-battery-backup units are also wired directly to the battery - unless the thief gets access to the battery, and disconnects the wires at the terminals, a cut battery cable will not cut power to the GPS tracker. One available GPS tracker feature I do like, is the one that has a motion sensor and sends you an SMS if the bike is moved (e.g,. off its side stand, or center stand) ... despite being a FOF (fat old fart), I can still make it down many flights of stairs in under a minute. There is a GPS tracker thread somewhere on MCM.

Again, I want to make my bike the path-of-MOST-resistance for thieves. Having neighbors who use NO security gives me warm fuzzies.

And also re dogs - seriously, this happened to me last night. I went down to my bikes to get something and as I approached, a feral cat jumped out at me, hissing away - totally scared the shit outta me. I guess the parking lots guys have "adopted" it - they have put food & water dishes down, next to where I park my bikes. The cat is a gigantic mudder-f'er, completely filthy, and looks crazy. I gotta say ... I didn't have the courage to approach my bike. I tried scaring it away, but it stood its ground. Damn - I had to wait a few minutes for it to leave. Next time, I will bring some tasty Whiskas treats. Gotta pay the toll to the troll.

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Originally Posted by modron

I use XENA xx14 disc lock because it has build in alarm. Id rather replace the expensive cr2 battery then have the normal alarm drain my bikes battery. Seems pretty solid apart from the pin, which is not made out steel... its been coated to make it look like steel. I dunno if Ive bought a fake one. Hope not.
Attachment 11031

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That's the disc lock I'm planning to buy, there's also an adapter for it so you can attach a chain/cable to the disc lock!

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Originally Posted by Barry

That's the disc lock I'm planning to buy, there's also an adapter for it so you can attach a chain/cable to the disc lock!

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http://www.adrenaline-asia.net nuff' said...