What about lojack as a backup? Reliable? Doesn't prevent it from getting stolen, but if they make it through all the locks think that will get it back?

 

Having been a victim of motorcycle theft as well, I can tell you that the chain/lock idea won't stop a thief. There needs to be more deterrent than that. Still, I understand you have what you have, & have to make choices. Since you live in a house... My recommendations are; get an inexpensive metal storage bldg from Sears or the like. They aren't that expensive. You can assemble it yourself. At some point, you're going to want one for your yard anyway...to keep your lawn mower & yard tools. Make payments on it if you absolutely have to. It will be worth your peace of mind knowing your bike is safely locked inside. Too, your motorcycle will be covered under your home insurance policy. It really makes more sense to do this instead of renting a storage unit, since you're in a house.

If the shed idea is still not a possibility at the moment, get yourself one of the motorcycle shipping crates from a local motorcycle shops. These things are well constructed & strong. Just add a sheet metal top too it to keep the rain off/out, & add a locking clasp to it. A motorcycle shop near me simpy trashes their crates out back...ie., free to whomever wants to tote them off. I'm sure if you just asked for one, they'd give it to you. However you choose to secure the crate to the ground/house is up to you.

Of course, putting it inside your house is a good temporary option. When I take motorcycle trips, I pull my bike inside the motel room. ;-)

Good luck to you.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

A shed is needed for the mower and such, but hate to say not in the budget right now.

But i like the idea of a shipping crate. might look slightly hillbilly-ish but what the hell, no homeowners association to worry about here! I'm going to have to keep an eye out.

The "in house" storage is only for the winter months. I'm going to be making a trip to Home Depot soon to scope out some prices on thick chains.

 

Was at these guy's outlet store and saw this: OnGuard Beast 5017 / 5018 Chain With Padlock

All the guys at the store said they had one. Most of them live in South Philly too, where almost every motorcycle is chained to something immobile. If I were force to park my bike in the open, I'd use this. There's a nice streetlight directly in front of my apartment I could easily leave my bike attached to through winter. Can the chain be cut? Prolly, but not without a lot of noise for a long time.

Which is the point. The biggest deterrent against any type of theft is attention. My fear with a shed or even garage is that once they got into that, it would allow them time to work on any other security unseen. Like the steering lock and the ignition.