Parking off the street is usually an option--secure parking, backyards, hotel lobbies, more like that. Having someone watch your bike is usually an option--a paid guard, a local shopkeeper (buy something small, then ask), a local kid. Covering the bike, preferably with an old, tatty cover helps. A big old honking chain and giant lock works in most developing world countries, though not in New York or London. I've used alarms, but rarely--seems like too much of a temptation for local kids to jostle the bike then run away, just for the hell of it.

I worry most in European capitals, where the guys with the big bolt cutters, battery powered grinders, cans of freon, and panel trucks live. Same with North America, where I'm often parked overnight in an unguarded lot. Not so concerned in Africa or Latin America, where first of all security is taken seriously and second you seldom hear of those fancy tools in use.

I think if you did a full search of reported thefts of overland bikes, the overwhelming majority take place in industrialized countries, where it's common to hear of garages being broken into, shackles being clipped or cut, vans being used, etc.

On the other hand...there's no doubt you'll find yourself declining to do stuff from time to time due to the undeniable hassle of securing your bike and belongings. There'll be times your choice of places to stay is limited by the availability of secure parking. It's a balance, and sometimes I'm glad to be without my bike.

The final word on any of this is that if you can't recover from losing your bike, you probably shouldn't own it in the first place...and certainly shouldn't bring it around the world. Same with your camera, your laptop, or whatever else you carry. Worse stuff happens.

My 2 cents, and worth every penny.

Mark

A Masai tribesman or Uzbek goat herd has little use for a large capacity bike, your enemy is Western teenagers, street scum and depending on the bike organised gangs. So:

Remove or hide anything that might be useful to our rural friends like the tool kit or that nice woodcutting tool you'll see strapped to the engine bars. Do the same for anything your city druggie can trade for white powder like the GPS, phone, camera.

Use locks above the local standard. This means never the steering lock (can be opened with a screwdriver and won't work with the key afterwards) but a disc lock for petrol stations where some teenager might hop on and go for a ride and a dirty great big chain for the street (fasten the frame of the bike to something solid if you can, leave none on the ground). In the UK we have 5-minute rated locks that cost about four times what the DIY stores sell basic stuff for. You can open a Homebase (or Touratech pannier) non-rated lock in 30 seconds with a hammer while a 5-minute rated ABUS or similar is over an hour with an angle grinder.

Making the bike undesirable will vary depending what it is. A brand new GS with all the Touratech bling is exactly what your London gang with their van full of lock breaking kit wants for their next shipment to Moscow or Saudi. Marking systems like smart water or datatag mean that if they get caught in the UK the court system will work but these are unknown in most of the world. Scratching your name in the paint or taking a bread knife to the seat foam for some practical purpose is just as good, the margin on steal to order isn't enough to start buying seats.

A scruffy bike cover can be handy, even if you are seen riding into town you then disappear (the one the dealer will try to sell you with the new bike is just a big flag). Making contact with the locals is better though. A local bloke with a yard full of his tools or shop stock is going to know about the local scum.

Alarm your garage at home, you'll react to that. A bike alarm is just a means to flatten the battery or introduce a source of ignition failure, no one will give a rats **** if your bike is wailing as some big men push it into their van with fake dealers logo.

Take the dealer tags off your keys and maybe off the number plate. Dropping a key with a "Leeds Suzuki" fob is an invitation for the averagely dishonest to walk round the parking places looking for a Suzuki with number plates bearing the same logo. A BMW fob on a Suzuki key is just a lost key.

The main thing after you've taken reasonable precautions though is not to worry. If some Moscow Gangster Wannabee has a sudden urging for a WeeStrom with a post code scratched in the paint and can be bothered to have his blokes smash a hundred quid lock there is nothing I can do about it. If you let this stuff get to you, you soon realise the only 100% solution is to put the bike in the garage at home and brick up the door.

Andy