Motorcycle Security
Your motorcycle is one of your most beloved and treasured possessions. Whether you’re a touring fiend or a daily commuter, your bike gets you where you need to go in comfort and style. But it’s important to make sure that your bike remains yours, which is why you need to do whatever you can to keep it safe from theft and damage. It’s not hard to see why people might want to take a bike: they’re relatively portable, they’re expensive and they definitely draw the eye, even more than a car or truck would. Your bike is also vulnerable to the elements, which can do some real damage if you don’t take precautions.
Not sure how to protect your bike? This guide to motorcycle security comes to you courtesy of your friends here at Road Track & Trail in Big Bend, Wisconsin. Read on to learn the steps you can take to safeguard your bike from prying eyes, sticky fingers, careless drivers and inclement weather.
Assess Your Living Situation
Where you live plays a big role in how secure your bike is when you park it. Those in residential neighborhoods may be a little safer than those in apartment complexes, if only because you can park your bike behind a fence or in a garage or shed, out of sight of the road. And you definitely want to park it off the street because leaving your bike out in the open just gives thieves an easy target. Make sure you don’t let your guard down too much if you live in the suburbs, because complacency will allow them the chance to strike when you’re not there.
If you’re in a complex, you may not have much choice about where you park your motorcycle. The amount of foot traffic and activity can make it easy for a thief to slip in without being noticed, but by the same turn, it can make it harder for them to steal your bike with so many people around. Parking under a security camera and under bright lights closer to the building is a smart move, since it keeps your bike under watch.
Invest In Physical Security
Locks and chains and other forms of physical security make it much harder for thieves to lift your bike. You’ll want to make sure that you’re anchoring your motorcycle to something secure and permanent, like a post driven into concrete or a sturdy fence. Loop your chains around a part of the motorcycle that isn’t easy to remove.
As for locks, you can opt for simple keyed locks or combination locks around the chain, or you can invest in disc locks that clamp to your brakes or steering locks that make it impossible to move the steering column. Make sure that your saddlebags and other storage containers are also securely locked.
Keep Your Bike Covered
This may seem like a paltry deterrent, but a cover serves a few good purposes. First off, it will shield your bike from weather damage if you have to park it outside, keeping it dry and safe. Secondly, a cover keeps potential purloiners from seeing what type of bike you have and how easy it may be to take. Thirdly, if a thief does decide to take your bike, they have to wrangle with removing the cover and this can draw too much attention and take up a lot of time, which gives other people a chance to interfere. Investing in a sturdy cover is a wise move if you want to keep your bike safe!
We hope these tips prove useful to you in your quest to secure your motorcycle. Interested in buying a bike? Come see us at our Big Bend dealership location to check out our stock of new and used motorcycles for sale. Road Track & Trail proudly serves Milwaukee and Waukesha, Wisconsin, as well as those in greater Chicago.