Bike Security?

[Wez]

I'm wondering about keeping the bike safe. I figure a Kuwait to UK trip will take 2 weeks. Since it will be a solo ride, I'm wondering how I can keep my eye on the bike for the whole time. Surely there will be times when you have to go into a building/supermarket etc and the bike will be vulnerable for a while. This is probably the main point I'm thinking about for the trip.. Carrying a heavy duty chain must be out of the question?

[Matt Cartney]

You can get motion alarms for about £40. Whilst they are extremely easy to bypass (you just unhook them from the battery) you can also mount them completely out of sight and it would take a minute or two to get into the battery compartment of most bikes. Assuming an opportunist theif has just tried to wheel your bike off or whatever, he's going to get a very off-putting blast which will attract a lot of attention not to mention you coming running out of the supermarket!
They are not great, in that a determined theif who knows his stuff will probably carefully dismantle your bike to check for alarms anyway, but this is unlikely to happen outside a supermarket etc. on a busy street. They can be set for sensetivity, which means that you can set it so someone just playing with your switches etc. (as happens a lot)or passing lorries won't set it off or you can set it real sensetive so even someone trying to steal a tank bag etc. will set it off. For about £40 I think they are not bad value. Oh, the brand is 'Acumen'.
Matt

[Stephano]

A heavy-duty chain is not out of the question. I always carry a short Abus City chain to secure my bike to something.
The thick links are covered with a black cloth material which is easy to keep clean and it doesn’t have a padlock. When I ride, it's wrapped around the pillion strap behind my bum and in front of the passenger. We never notice it’s there.
Something like this one:


[This message has been edited by Stephano (edited 23 November 2005).]

[Wez]

Thanks, I'll have to get an Abus chain.

[brettsyoung]

I have fitted a gorilla alarm to mine ($70) which works great. It also has a single, very loud "chirp" which warns off tinkerers before the full alarms starts. Lost count of the number of kids this has scared away. It was very easy to fit. I bought it from Kevin's Racing or Dennis Kirk or one of those other big online dealers.

I also carry a disc lock ($20), and a bike cover in the top box. It might sound like overkill but at least I sleep easy when stopped at some cheap hotel in a strange town.

cheers
Brett