Best method of securing bike at motels?

[bryanchurch06]

I will be riding from Yankton SD to Las Cruces NM on May 28th, I plan on 4 nights in motels before starting the CDT. I am a little concerned about parking such a small bike that for all purposes could be lifted into a truck by 2 people without much problem, any suggestions short of an armed guard? Thanks Bryan

 

[dmonkey]

Here's a hypothetical idea that is not a recommendation, to be considered at your own risk:
Ask for a room on the ground floor, back of the building if possible. Wait until night and roll the bike into the room. It might take some angling of the handlebars to get through the door. Be sure to put something like a tarp down so you don't dirty up the floor. Do motels allow this? Absolutely not, their insurance would frown on a motor vehicle being brought into the room with gasoline in it, among other reasons. Do people regularly do it anyway? You bet. In this hypothetical situation you'd want to be respectful and safe, take precautions to avoid damaging the premises and avoid blocking a walkway in your room.

Other ideas are to ask the motel staff for suggestions on where to park safely, try to lock the motorcycle to something that can't be easily moved, and cover the motorcycle to reduce the attention it attracts. You could also add a GPS tracker to your bike that serves double duty of being able to alert you (by SMS or phone push notification) if the bike tilts. Sizzapp, Invoxia, and others do this.

 

[oldskool]

I would get a heavy duty Kryptonite chain lock and lock it to something solid in front of the motel office window. Of course that may not help much if you stay in places like the crackhead inn

 

[ShieldArc]

Get a ground floor room with outside room and push it in when no one is looking.

 

[ShieldArc]

Get a ground floor room with outside door and push it in when no one is looking.

 

[SneakyDingo]

Security is about effort, motivation and tools. These are tempered by convenience and usability. Like defusing IEDs, you have to get it right every time, they only have to get it right once.
- If it can be defeated, but not by something carried regularly, then you're going to stop most people there.
- if you make it sufficiently high effort when alternatives exist, then you're going to stop most people there.
- if you make it sufficiently painful, then you're going to stop most people there.

I noticed Ang from Some Guy Rides pretty much ALWAYS rolls the bike into the hotel room. If the floor getting dirty is a concern like I've had with my bikepacking gear (which we get absolutely COVERED in mud and then wheel them into hotel rooms), get one of those polycro window sealing kits and bring it with you for a makeshift tarp to protect the floor. It's pretty affordable (IIRC 2x tarps can be made out of a single window sealing kit, and the kits are like $15); it folds down really small, and works well as an ultralight tent footprint.

I'm still trying to figure out if an AirTag is a reasonable option, possibly a slightly modded one (where I've snipped the speaker wires). I have one already, and there's a variety of options I haven't explored yet, mostly I'm worried it will beep if I'm not next to it, or any time I walk away from the bike. Even just taped to the underside of the seat, according to Honda that's enough security for your helmet lock, so probably enough for a tracker only I know about.

 

[Kritou]

With a bike cover fitted it will no longer be attractive (and will stay dry) …

 

[bryanchurch06]

I've got a cover and a 12ft cable and lock, if I can get it inside the room I will, otherwise I'll try to lock it near the lobby, thanks for all the suggestions

 

[Rackbid]

I just put an AirTag in my factory tool kit inside the bag. Lock the forks to the left. Have comp insurance...

 

[Backwoods]

I thought if I was needing to stay at a motel I would find a ground floor room and do as previously posted. In today’s world my motorcycle is not being left unattended. Went to Tractor Supply today, parked between the two new garden tractors displayed by the entrance. Then to Walmart,
parked under the “ law enforcement parking only” sign.

 

[Kev250R]

What I've done with my other bikes when I stay at Motels/Hotels:

+Ask if you can park near the front door to the Lobby. A couple of times I've been allowed to park near the front Lobby entrance off to one-side. As long as you're not blocking access most Desk Clerks don't seem to care.
+Remove anything which can be easily removed (extra bags, electronics, etc).
+Good lock and cable run through the frame and wheels. Maybe locked to a nearby post or heavy object.
+Choose a Hotel in a decent area.
+Make sure your insurance is up to date.
+Take a picture of how you left the bike so if something happens to it, you can show how you had it locked/secured.
+Don't be mad when drunks or kids sit on your bike to take pictures (happened once when I had my Grom parked in a public place).
+I recently started using Air Tags on my other 'Toys'. So far I like them, though I do wish that you could set them to send an alert when they move. IME The chime only occurs when the Air Tag hasn't been near the phone it's linked to for a period of time. Earlier this month one of my VW's was at a shop for a few days getting some suspension work done on it. That car has an Air Tag hidden in it. I had it wrapped in an old T-shirt stuffed under a seat to help hide it and muffle any sound it might make. If the shop noticed or found it they never mentioned it.

A quick funny story about leaving 'Toys' at a Hotel parking lot. Every year my friends and I take a week-long trip to Utah with our off-road toys. There's a Hotel in a small town where I like to stay for a quick overnight stop (clean rooms, coupons for a free breakfast at the restaurant next door and if you slip the desk clerk a tip he'll allow after-hours use of the Hotel Hot Tub). However it's not in the best part of this small town and from the outside appears to be a bit run-down. I stopped there a couple of years ago with friends who had concerns about the place (we were all towing off-road toys on open trailers). I assured my friends it was safe as I'd stayed there many times before. We got rooms, had dinner and went to bed in our respective rooms. Middle of the night I woke-up, shined my Spotlight out the upstairs window of my room, briefly illuminating our rigs parked outside. Convinced all was well I turned the light off and went back to bed.

The next morning my GF and I are sitting having breakfast when my friends walked-in. My buddy who the day before had been concerned about the security of the place was ecstatic saying how much he now liked it. He said he'd never before stayed at a place which had a revolving searchlight on their roof. Turns-out he had gotten up about the same time I had and was getting ready to go outside to check on our stuff when he saw a large light come-on and sweep across the parking lot. That was me, in the room above him, with my spotlight. He said he saw it again an hour or so later (my GF, when she got-up to go pee). For the rest of the week he told everyone about Comfort Inn with the Searchlight LOL!

 

[SneakyDingo]

@Kev250R, I don't suppose you and your flashlight are gonna be near El Paso, TX or Antelope Wells, NM right around the end of May?

 

[Kev250R]

@Kev250R, I don't suppose you and your flashlight are gonna be near El Paso, TX or Antelope Wells, NM right around the end of May?

Have spotlight, will travel!

I wish I could join you on that trip, sounds like it's going to be a good one!