I am just wondering how people usually protect/ keep their bikes from being stolen or messed with. other than keep it in a garage. I would do that but the apartments I just moved into dont offer garages. So I bought a cover but its a universal one and its real baggy around the tank area and holds water on it when it rains do they make custom tight fit ones with loop holes for chains/locks?? Are there alarm systems out there for bikes that i havent found yet?!?! please let me know how you protect your bike and give me some ideas how I can keep mine!! thanks for any/all the help or ideas!!

 

there are alot of alarms, i cant recommend any certain one since i dont have one. i would say get some disk locks(the ones that go on your rotors) and a chain or two with a really good hard to cut lock. the main thing you want to do is try and deter someone from jacking it, if someone really wants it they WILL STEAL IT. try to put as much protection as you can, if you have alot of stuff to deal with then they will just steal the one from the apt complex next door since the guy just parks it on the sidewalk.

 

Walmart sells a very good Wolf brand bike cover..I bought 2 of them one for here at work and one for when its in the carport at home..The covers fit my F4I great and water don't build up on them in a heavy rain..Get the medium if you buy one because the large is just to big..Oh and the best thing is they only cost $20.00...

 

When I goto work, I use a cable lock.
At home I lock it in a garage. I have a pump action 12 guage for backup!

 

Don't know how bad the theft rate is where you live, but I imagine that bikes get taken from everywhere cause they are so easy to steal. Down here in Phoenix, AZ bikes are stolen alot! I had an F2 that was stolen from my apartment complex. I had the bike parked under covered parking and sandwhiched in between a car and a column the supports the covering with another car on the other side of the column. The handle bars were locked and I had a disc lock on the front. They just picked the front end up off the ground and rolled it out without putting a scratch on either of my cars and probably put it in a van. The cops found it a few weeks later in an alley. Nothing left but a frame and a chain! Yeah, yeah, I had insurance but it really sucked! Ended up using the money for other things that were essential at the time. I finally have a new bike 11 years later and I think I might have some ideas for you.

1. COVER it everytime at work and at home
2. Put an anchor in the ground at your apt. complex and chain it up! Don't ask, just do it! (It's always easier to ask for forgivness than to have your bike missing one morning) Make sure you have all the stuff/tools and do it nice and neat. Shouldn't take that long. Home Depot will be able to help you out.
3. Goto www.internatrix.com and buy their motorcycle pager alarm. This alarm is only $140 all the way to your door and has everything you need and is very easy to install. You will love it, and why not for only $140!

After all this a theif will just go on to the next bike that they don't have to hassel with.

 

Wow, thanks man. I appreciate it. I will look into that anchor thing. only problem is I park the bike in front of my car at the top of the parking space which changes everyother day about, we dont have assigned parking spaces. I am about to get one of those Xena XR1 alarm disc locks and was looking at the Scorpio alarms, the stage 1 and 2 seem awsome but are little much about $250-$350 depending on the accessories u get. I will look at the alarms u mentioned.

I dont know much about the crime rate where I live either. But i do know there are a few guys within about a 50 mi radius of me that steal bikes and swap everything to another frame and ditch the stock frame. Some of my friends know about him but dont know who exactly he is or where he lives. he does it all in his garage apparently. Which is why i wanna protect mine as much as possible. that and I still owe the stealership like $9k. and i dont think my insurance covers theft. Well thanks again for the help I will look into it and let ya know how it goes!!

 

well i went out tonight and got an eye bolt. its about 10 inches long with a 1" wide eye. It's not as think as i wanted it to be buts its the biggest i could find at home depot. i think its a #10 bolt. Anyway. I think i am going to have to drill the hole in the concrete then put the eye bolt in and pour new concrete around it and let it set. I guess thats how its done. Now all I have to do is pick which parking space I want to be mine for the next year!! LOL. I also picked up a brinks home security cable lock its about 1/2" or so think. you think that would be enough?? They sell a cable lock at the dealerships accessory shop thats literally about an inch or 2 thick. but its like $90-$100!! Whats too thick for cable/bolt/lock cutters?? Again any ideas are welcome!! I will keep yall posted on how my little security project goes!!

 

I'm curious about real time 24 hour tracking from a computer. any ideas? if it's stolen, i want to know where it is.

 

You do have to drill your holes but you need to use concrete anchors that your bolts will screw into. You should be able to rent a hammer drill from Home Depot, buy the right size bit for your anchor and be good to go. Make sure that the anchors that you buy match up with you bolt. Additional concrete is not needed.

When you put this all together try to park right over the anchor this way when the bike is locked, chained, covered, and alarmed. They be able to cut a chain. A thief will have to do too much to get ahold of your bike. The only thing a thief will be counting on now is when will you let down your guard?
If you don't give in your will always be able to keep that smile on your face that only comes from riding.

Alarms! Just because it is more money, doesn't mean that it is better. The functions that I think are a must have when it comes to a motorcycle alarm are:

1. Adjustable motion/perimeter detector (somebody gets to close you will know about it)
2. Paging system (always alerts you when the warning goes off or when alarm is triggered)
3. Ignition kill (WILL NOT START!)
4. Voice reminder (reminds you to alarm the bike and tells everyone else that the bike protected)

With this alarm you get all of this stuff as standard. Other alarms offer these things as options so by the time you get everything in your alarm that you'd need your paying twice as much money. I don't know about you, but I loved the fact that I spent the money that I saved buying this alarm and upgrading my bike in other areas. For example, www.calsportbike.com has spedo healer with remote button for $100, or a aftermarket windshield for $70, or a brake and brake line kit for about $120, just to name a few.

I hope this helps.

 

Ok i get what your saying about the anchor thing. but if the bolt just screws into the anchor thats in the concrete wont they just be able to unscrew the bolt?!?! A hammer drill. yikes. I am needing to do this as quietly as possible. I live in the same court as the rental office and I dont want them seeing or hearing me drilling a hole in the concrete!! Also, I looked on every isle at home depot and I didnt see any anchors. Only the eye bolts with nuts.

And I completely agree with you about the alarm thing !! I am going to get the one you mentioned within the next few weeks. first I want to finish this little anchor project. them im buying the xena rotor lock/alarm. I am gonna go back to Home depot today and see if i can find some idiot that actually knows what they are doing there to help me out. Thanks again!!