Friend's bike stolen, again (LoJack and disk lock--one works the other doesn't)

[James Burleigh]

May be some useful info here for riders securing their bikes, and the means they take to keep them from being stolen (disk lock) and recover them when stolen (LoJack).

Email this morning from my buddy, who commutes in the Bay Area on an R1 that he parks on the sidewalk in front of his apartment in San Francisco.

"Can't believe I'm saying this... again... moto was stolen and recovered. LoJack worked as advertised. Even got an arrest. Have no idea how he circumvented the disk lock. Kind of blows my previous theory that a disk lock will deter a thief."

Then....

"Bike is with auto return. can't get a damage report. Need to go 2 auto return to inspect. Thief was riding so I suspect the only major damage is the ignition he punched out."

Asked how many bike-stealing episodes this is during his years of living in the city, he responded:

"4 total losses [4 different bikes] and 4 unsuccessfully attempts on this bike, the R1 [2 recoveries due to LoJack and 2 other attempts]"

 

[scubatech]

Good to know on Lo Jack. Thieving *******s!!

 

[dcarver]

Gott love living in 'Frisco... NOT!

 

[majicmaker]

I have LoJack for that very reason. As far as the disc lock, professionals will find a way to take that thing off or just pick it up and put it in the back of a pick up in seconds. *******s!

 

[Pterodactyl]

I suspect they pull along side of the bike with a truck and enough guys to lift the bike. Cities suck. The only bikes that get stolen out here in the sticks seem to be Harleys.

 

[Geezer]

With the new battery powered power tools I don't think any lock or chain is going to stop a thief. Glad your buddy got his bike back. I'm also glad I live in a area where things like that simply don't happen.

 

[Bustanut joker]

With the new battery powered power tools I don't think any lock or chain is going to stop a thief.

true story..

I had a repair job 2 years ago on a house in a very remote, rural area. The house had a fancy schmancy alarm system installed on doors and windows.

I thieves used what was probably a battery powered sawzall or circular saw and simply cut a hole through the side of the house.

I didn't believe the owner till I seen the place. Un freaking believable.

 

[ionbeam]

Attach one of these to the bike. Initially the bull-mastiff will be self feeding as the Darwin class attempts to steal the bike. If not the dog, attach the girl and see which they choose to ride.

 

[Bounce]

Had a former coworker get his bike stolen. LoJack doesn't work until the cops activate it. His call(s) to 911 went unanswered for 48 hours and they couldn't be bothered to activate LoJack for something like 72 or more hours (and only then after he kept pestering them).

It was found, stripped, in a chop-shop next to bikes "being enhanced with 'new parts'". Curiously enough, those other bikes were registered to employees of the HD shop where he (used to) had his routine services done.

Took several months for insurance to pay up and him to get his bike back to ride-able.

 

[Fred W]

Thank Dog we ride undesireably obese, sport TOURING bikes. Who would want to steal one of these porkers? Not too many 60 something bike jackers out there.

Our best protection may be to just park near an R1 or Gixxer, especially one with gauche graphics.

But as for JB's friend... sometimes you just have to consider sucking it up and moving to a lower crime area.

Or learn to love ratty bikes.

 

[airboss]

Thieves. if they want it they'll find a way.

Always pay my insurance premiums on time.

 

[Geezer]

Thieves. if they want it they'll find a way.

Always pay my insurance premiums on time.

Nice backhoe. I would love to have one like that.

 

[HotRodZilla]

These days, if these ******** could get your pants off, they'd steal your underwear. Getting your pants off first is optional. This is where the ******** sense of entitlement and "it's not my fault" has gotten us.

 

[scubatech]

These days, if these ******** could get your pants off, they'd steal your underwear. Getting your pants off first is optional. This is where the ******** sense of entitlement and "it's not my fault" has gotten us.

That's exactly right! Getting worse too.

 

[Krell]

I had a smallish OnGuard disk lock. I was on an overnight ride and as I was leaving the hotel in the morning I discovered that the key would turn in the disk lock but the pin was not retracting. Dang!! Now whut! I went back to the front desk and told the nice lady about my particular pickle, figuring she might know the number of a locksmith or nearby towing company. She went into the office and came back dragging the biggest set of bolt cutters I think I've seen! "Will this work?" She asked. I grinned and said I'd give it a try. Yup in about 3 minutes I cut right thru the body of the lock and it was off my disk. Cheap azz pot metal!

So much for the security of a disk lock!! Not only did the lock fail and attempt to leave me stranded, it really offered up little resistence to being removed. I could have just as easily dipatched it with a hacksaw blade or pryed it apart with a big enough screwdriver.

 

[ionbeam]

Install a racing ignition kill lanyard on the red Run/Stop switch. Pull the pin which disables the ignition and take it with you. Ice the deal, leave the bike in gear and take the shift lever with you too. The bike will be almost impossible to start and can't be rolled away. Make 'em work for it; it's a b!tch carrying away a 650 lb bike

Edit to add: Every time I rent a motorcycle at Motorcycle Adventures in CA they make me take a provided snake lock. That bustard takes up a huge amount of trunk space and weighs several pounds. A couple of times I actually felt I needed to use it but doubted it would do any good.

 

[LagerHead]

I've had the same bike stolen twice, the second time after I spent $900 of my 16 year old money getting it just back to street legal. After that I gave the bike to my brother and he wrecked it while riding illegally on the road (he was 14 or 15 at the time). After that my mom had enough and got rid of it. Some bikes are just cursed I guess.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Bike is with auto return . . . Need to go 2 auto return to inspect.

I'm pretty confused here, Hans. What's this auto return? Is auto return an option? If it's with auto return, why does he have to go somewhere to see it? Won't it just come back by itself?

 

[Bill Lumberg]

^same question I had.