Bike security out on the road?

[Bigturbomax]

So I have 2 days of training to to take for my job.  Work is putting me up in a hotel for 2 nights 190 miles from home. Im thinking of taking my bike since ive only ever taken afternoon rides on it. Thought it might be fun to take a trip on it. Ive done a little over 100 miles in one sitting before so im not too worried about that, and 2 days clothes will easily fit in my saddlebags. But im nervous about having my bike parked outside the hotel in a different city overnight. I may just be spoiled cuz my bike is garage kept at home. Am i being paranoid? Should i buy anything to keep the bike more secure? Audible alarm? Disc lock? What do you folks think?

Edited March 18, 2019 by Bigturbomax

[robbo10]

You are not being paranoid. I would be equally concerned. I always thought that I would use a disk lock-2 even (remove before riding off!) . Might be worth asking the hotel if there are any suitable posts etc. to chain the bike to. 

[rider]

Bring it in the room.  Most, if not all, hotels are ADA compliant and the bike will fit through the door with a bit of wiggling.  Just find something to protect the floor like cardboard or a tarp.

Ask for a room on the ground floor, as hooning up and down stairs or taking it in the elevator would probably be frowned upon.

If this isn't possible, a good disk lock with a LOUD alarm, a cover with a lock and a cable or chain locked to a solid object is a good deterrent.  Thieves usually go for quick and easy.

[Beemer]

Electric shock pad … it seems to work well on rats. 

[mossrider]

Park it in front of the entrance between the potico posts if the hotel is so designed. This area is usually covered by surveillance cameras and hotels are generally very receptive and used to bikes piling up under their awnings. 

[chademinent]

@Bigturbomax Don't, waste too much time worrying about your bike.  I've spent many nights sometimes in sketchy areas on my bike.  I take a disk lock on all my trips and have used it all of 1 times.  Never have I have my bike messed with at a hotel.  Try and park as close to your room as possible to keep an eye on it but don't loose any sleep over it either.  With your ignition lock and a disk lock its not going anywhere.

[DewMan]

43 minutes ago, chademinent said:

 With your ignition lock and a disk lock its not going anywhere. 

Unless there are two guys to lift it into the back of a pickup or van.

 

[topazsparrow]

When I was travelling South America And Vietnam, it was common practice to bring the bikes into the lobby overnight. It may be worth asking if you can do that as well.

 

Otherwise, Disc Locks and a cover should suffice.

[Cruizin]

A guy on the ADV rider forum was retired after working his whole life and finally got to take his dream ride across the country and back. He got to meet up with a bunch of other riders that he had been talking to online for years. 

His name was Larry Weaver. 

He had stopped in Missouri on the way home and got a hotel room. The next morning his hotel room door was open, his pants and helmet and wallet were in his room, but he and his bike were gone. The police knew that he certainly woudln't have ridden off with no pants on, without his wallet or phone.  Foul play was suspected, the locals started looking for him. 

His body was found in a cornfield a few days later, hogtied and severely beaten, he was left to die in a cornfield. 

Security cameras captured a pickup with a trailer with a bike and Larry in the back of the trailer. Apparently, he woke up and ran out and jumped in the trailer as the thieves were driving off. They drove ou into the country and beat him and left him to die. They captured the animals who did it, may they burn in hell for all eternity. 

Robinson convicted of murder in death of Larry Weaver — Two suspects still awaiting trial

WWW.MORNINGSUN.NET

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SIKESTON, Mo. — An Arkansas man has been convicted of second degree murder in the 2016 death of Pittsburg Resident Larry Weaver. Ronnie Carl

 

A guy on ADV rider made up some stickers that say "Ride on Larry Weaver". I have one on my KTM, a bunch of us around the world have them on our bikes, and we take Larry's spirit riding with us and post pics. 

Ride on Larry Weaver! - I take Larry’s spirit on a 12 day 4691.0 mile ride | Adventure Rider

ADVRIDER.COM

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I take Larry’s spirit for a wonderful 12 day 4691.0 mile ride. In the order of: NY, PA, OH, MI, WI, MN, SD, NE, CO, KS, OK, MO, IL, IN, OH, PA, NY. I...

 

Guys, get a ground floor hotel room and wheel your bike right into the room with you, next to or in front of the bed. This is done by ADV riders all over the country. 

Disk locks dont work, there are people with trucks and trailers scoping out hotel parking lots, looking for motorcycles to steal. 

 

Ride on Larry Weaver. 

[FZ07R WaNaB]

3 hours ago, Cruizin said:

Disk locks dont work, there are people with trucks and trailers scoping out hotel parking lots, looking for motorcycles to steal. 

This article was my eye opener...

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/255770/ask-a-motorcycle-thief/

I use two disc locks which takes 30 seconds to attach. The brand I use is Urban which is way better than that Xena crap. It's not finicky going off over a fart, plus the alarm is serious loud. You put one in the front and one in the rear, you can't move the bike forward or rearward without both alarms going off. With the steering locked (read article), and the disc locks obvious, your thief must really want your bike. Of course, park it in a well lit area with ideally, obvious cameras. These days, that's not hard to find at motels. You could carry a chain which if you are willing to carry the weight of the lock and chain, is a damn good deterrent.

Getting your bike into your room is a good, albeit a pain-in-the-neck idea, but you can't do that with a lot of rooms for many different reasons, then what are you going to do???

Here's some links for a really good chain, lock, and disc locks:

https://www.amazon.com/Urban-UR9Z-motorcycle-Bike-Alarm/dp/B0728GTHY1

https://www.westechrigging.com/pewag-security-chain-012-galv.html

https://securitysnobs.com/Abloy-Protec2-PL-340-Hardened-Steel-Padlock.html

 

[cyow5]

Here's a completely different approach - drop your deductible to as low as it'll go before the trip then bring it back up when you are back home. If no one messes with the bike, you'll pay just a few bucks. If they do, just file the claim. 

[tavisb]

22 hours ago, Cruizin said:

A guy on the ADV rider forum was retired after working his whole life and finally got to take his dream ride across the country and back. He got to meet up with a bunch of other riders that he had been talking to online for years. 

His name was Larry Weaver. 

He had stopped in Missouri on the way home and got a hotel room. The next morning his hotel room door was open, his pants and helmet and wallet were in his room, but he and his bike were gone. The police knew that he certainly woudln't have ridden off with no pants on, without his wallet or phone.  Foul play was suspected, the locals started looking for him. 

His body was found in a cornfield a few days later, hogtied and severely beaten, he was left to die in a cornfield. 

 

I remember following a thread there when he went missing. The whole thing was so terrible and needless.  If only he had slept through the theft :(. 

I always try to park where the front desk staff can see my bike and I use a disc lock, a cable lock with a motion alarm, and sometimes if travelling with others we throw a thick cable through all the bikes and lock them together. I've never had my bike messed with but you never know when it's going to be your turn to be unlucky.

[shinyribs]

On 3/18/2019 at 10:27 AM, mossrider said:

Park it in front of the entrance between the potico posts if the hotel is so designed. This area is usually covered by surveillance cameras and hotels are generally very receptive and used to bikes piling up under their awnings. 

This is what we do. I've never asked to roll a bike in to my room, but I don't mind asking to cable it to the patio at the front entrance.  We usually find hotels in better areas and pay a bit more for our rooms. No seedy joints on the outskirts.

Edited March 19, 2019 by shinyribs

[Beemer]

On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 1:02 PM, DewMan said:

Unless there are two guys to lift it into the back of a pickup or van.

 

Thank you! Two guys almost got away with a bike of mine once (XT350) but they dropped it and sped off in their (theirs is questionable) truck when my neighbor caught them trying to steal it.

[Beemer]

I bet those convicts claimed "they dindu nuffin!"

[Bigturbomax]

Thanks for all the advice everybody. I now want disc locks and an alarm at least. Also a good reminder not to give chase if i see someone taking it. Insurance will replace the bike and its not worth my life lol

[Grant31781]

Quote

On 3/18/2019 at 8:54 AM, Beemer said:

Electric shock pad … it seems to work well on rats. 

 

Ha HA Works on Cats too not lethal though.

[Bigturbomax]

Well, i ended up taking my car for that last trip. But since then i have picked up a LOUD alarmed disc lock . Ive got another trip coming up soon i might could take the bike on. Im looking at alarms now. Any reasonably priced suggestions guys???

Edited July 13, 2019 by Bigturbomax

[Bigturbomax]

Nobody using a motion sensitive alarm?

[3crows]

Not to be non-PC God forbid but my (personal) security on the road comes in the form of .45 caliber. I have a U Lock and one of those sonic piercing, screeching, disc locks. I have insurance, if they want it that bad, let them have it. Not worth all the fuss. 

Edited July 14, 2019 by 3crows

[Zeus]

On ‎3‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 10:19 AM, cyow5 said:

Here's a completely different approach - drop your deductible to as low as it'll go before the trip then bring it back up when you are back home. If no one messes with the bike, you'll pay just a few bucks. If they do, just file the claim. 

I will second this.  Follow normal security measures, but regardless keep a $0 comprehensive deductible on your policy.  It will not make your insurance rates increase by much at all unless you lower your collision deductible as well.  While still an inconvenience you'll have zero out of pocket cost if the bike is stolen, vandalized, etc.

 

Edit:  Comp claims do not negatively affect your policy either

Edited July 15, 2019 by Zeus