Motorcycle anti theft

No motorcycle lock is impossible to beat: its job is to demand time, noise and tools, and thieves tend to pick the bike that asks least of them. That is why the right anti-theft device depends on where you park and for how long. Here you will find disc locks, U-locks, chains, armoured cable locks, scooter handlebar locks and ground anchors from Artago, Urban, SHAD and Luma.

Which lock for which situation

• A quick stop in town: a disc lock, small enough for a pocket or the space under the seat.
• So nobody touches it without the whole street knowing: alarmed locks with a built-in siren.
• An everyday scooter: a handlebar lock that stays fitted to the scooter and locks in a moment.
• A night on the street: a chain lock or a U-lock that ties the frame to a lamp post, bollard or bike stand.
• A garage: an anchor bolted to the floor or wall, such as the Artago 60 and 61 or the Bunker Park, to run the chain through.
• Your helmet or a second tie point: an armoured cable lock, flexible and light.

How to compare their strength

Start with the thickness of the steel a thief would have to cut: the pin on a disc lock, the shackle on a U-lock and the link on a chain. The more millimetres, the more time and the bigger the tool needed. The type of steel matters too, usually hardened to resist a saw, and so does the lock mechanism, which has to stand up to picking and drilling. Some brands have their locks tested by independent bodies such as SRA in France, ART in the Netherlands or Sold Secure in the UK; if a model carries that rating, you will see it on its product page.

Two locks are better than one

Combining two different types means a thief needs two tools and twice the time. The classic pairing is a disc lock on the front wheel and a chain running from the rear wheel, through the frame or swingarm, to a fixed point: the first stops the bike being rolled away and the second stops it being lifted into a van. In a garage, the floor anchor plays the part of that fixed point.

Small things that save trouble

• Reminder: a reminder cable between the disc lock and the lever, such as the Artago R1, stops you riding off with it still fitted.
• Carrying it: Urban brackets fix to a tube, a footpeg or a bolt so you can carry the lock on the bike itself, and Artago makes one specifically for its model 32.
• Maintenance: a little dry lubricant in the lock now and then stops rain and dust from stiffening it.