Security of the 125

[Mother Goose]

I live in Tucson AZ, and my CT125 will be delivered this week. My concern is two or three guys could easily throw this into the back of a pickup truck and be gone before I come out of the store with a gallon of milk (or a case of adult beverages). Is my concern warranted and what options are others doing to prevent Trail theft?

 

[oldskool]

Park it where it is very visible, lock the front fork, don't leave it in sketchy areas, have full coverage insurance and invest in a Kyptonite lock and chain if you must leave it unattended for long periods of time.

 

[Msfitoy]

I live in Tucson AZ, and my CT125 will be delivered this week. My concern is two or three guys could easily throw this into the back of a pickup truck and be gone before I come out of the store with a gallon of milk (or a case of adult beverages). Is my concern warranted and what options are others doing to prevent Trail theft?

You guys don't pack in AZ? Kiddin...I installed a cheap motion alarm on mine...enough to let everyone know your baby's being kidnapped...

 

[Mother Goose]

Of course we all pack in AZ, especially the Little Old Ladies, but it doesn’t help if you’re in the store shopping. Thanks for the idea of a motion alarm

 

[dmonkey]

Always use the fork lock. It's already on the bike and at least adds a barrier to someone rolling the bike away. Survey for security cameras in a parking lot or on buildings and try to park in their view. You can't count on them as a deterrent or that they're recording anything useful, but it's a free and low effort.

There are small GPS tracker devices such as Sizzapp (wired) or Invoxia (wireless) that can be placed on the bike and use cell service to notify you via SMS or push notification if the tracker moves or is tilted.

 

[SneakyDingo]

There are small GPS tracker devices such as Sizzapp (wired) or Invoxia (wireless) that can be placed on the bike and use cell service to notify you via SMS or push notification if the tracker moves or is tilted.

They're not really supposed to be used that way but it's pretty reasonable to throw an airtag into the toolbox or under the seat too.

 

[Kev250R]

They're not really supposed to be used that way but it's pretty reasonable to throw an airtag into the toolbox or under the seat too.

^ This

I have an AirTag hidden on my Trail (and just about anything else I own with wheels) and while not fool-proof does give me nice peace of mind.

As far as security when in public goes, as others have said park in well-traveled/camera'd locations. Barring that park near the entrance, use the fork lock and carry insurance. I ride my Trail (or one of my other bikes) to dinner or to run errands a couple of times a week, sometimes to places where I can't watch the bike and have yet to have a problem, I just don't make it look too tempting. I don't use a lock or cable. To date the only issue I've ever had with parking a bike in public was when I owned a Grom, random people would come-up and sit on it. Never seen that with any of my other bikes.

 

[m in sc]

bike lock it to a bike rack or a pole if the area is that sketch.

 

[Msfitoy]

You guys don't pack in AZ? Kiddin...I installed a cheap motion alarm on mine...enough to let everyone know your baby's being kidnapped...

The remote is armed and locked under the seat...loud enough when bumped or moved to get attention...I won't hear it deep inside a store but at least the people in the parking lot will and might ask what's up...

 

[NMCoyote]

the only way to stop someone from just picking it up and putting it in the back of a Pigup would be to lock it to something that can't be moved easily. Air tags and alarms won't stop them from just grabbing it plain and simple. It might let you know where it is but it won't stop them.

 

[NMCoyote]

The remote is armed and locked under the seat...loud enough when bumped or moved to get attention...I won't hear it deep inside a store but at least the people in the parking lot will and might ask what's up...

Nobody I Know would get involved in a theft or ask "Are you tying to steal that motorcycle?" I carry all the time here in Newer Mexico but I'm not getting involved unless it's me or my family being in harms way, I damn sure wouldn't shoot somebody for stealing someone else's motorcycle, probably wouldn't shoot them if they were stealing mine unless I felt threatened. If you have taken a quality Concealed Carry Class they will instruct you in the cost and consequences of shooting somebody, even if you think it is justified. I'm not going to be the Sheriff unless it involves me. Just Sayin!

 

[dmonkey]

^ Good points.
I have a disc lock with an alarm that I will sometimes arm outside sketchy motels, knowing I'll be able to hear it from the other side of the motel door. I have to make sure the alarm settles in a place where it's not going to have a false positive and go off with the wind though. Other than that I try to avoid audible alarms. If you aren't within earshot of it then it's unlikely to do much good. There are studies concluding that alarms are not measurably effective at reducing theft. I've also lived in urban areas where if you have an alarm that goes off your neighbors are likely to get upset at you and your vehicle, potentially to the point of vandalism.

 

[SneakyDingo]

My faith in anyone actually stopping the theft is pretty low. I could never condone such actions, but in the long history of bike theft from people I am directly connected to (bikes being either motorcycle or bicycle), the only successful results I've seen have come from vigilante justice and/or insurance replacement.

I hate to say it but on bikes that are worth this little monetary value, I'm expecting it to get written off really quickly. The thing is, a bike that's missing vs. a bike that's been busted up but we know where it is... one of those is going to get reimbursed more quickly than the other. Seattle PD et al are notoriously bad in our area for actually stepping up with theft recovery, even if you provide them exact details, locations, etc. and I speak from experience when I say this. There's also friends in my area have bicycles stolen from garages that were locked to floor anchors so even that isn't much of a motivation.

AirTags and the like to me are more about recovery and filing insurance later. Especially since it's very, very well known that OfferUp continually lists stolen items, the attorney general refuses to do anything about it, and there's a theft ring where they routinely ship goodies from this city to others up and down I-5 and have done so for the last 20 years.

 

[Msfitoy]

I guess there's no solution except to not leave your bike anywhere..

 

[Mother Goose]

All great ideas, an Apple Air Tag & motion alarm, or disc lock are relatively easy as well as to avoid sketchy areas. Thanks for all the ideas

 

[SneakyDingo]

I guess there's no solution except to not leave your bike anywhere..

IMO have reasonable expectations. Don't expect someone to stick their neck out for you, even if there are a ton of laws that support someone with a white hat stepping in. This is more representative of what will actually happen:

 

[jBIRDt]

IMO have reasonable expectations. Don't expect someone to stick their neck out for you, even if there are a ton of laws that support someone with a white hat stepping in. This is more representative of what will actually happen:

All I can say is WOW!

 

[Kev250R]

Bottom line is if someone wants to steal something bad enough, they will find a way. I once had a car alarm malfunction and had to drive ~10 miles to the Dealership with the alarm blaring and lights flashing; this was in a populated area at a busy time and no one, not even a passing Police Cruiser gave me a second glance as I drove down the road!

 

[SneakyDingo]

Bottom line is if someone wants to steal something bad enough, they will find a way. I once had a car alarm malfunction and had to drive ~10 miles to the Dealership with the alarm blaring and lights flashing; this was in a populated area at a busy time and no one, not even a passing Police Cruiser gave me a second glance as I drove down the road!

Corollary: If you make it harder to steal than the return on investment they are willing to do to steal it, they won't steal it. So even a cheap bicycle lock or disk lock, combined with the steering lock that forces them to lift the bike instead of wheeling it will stop the purely opportunistic thieves.

 

[oldskool]

Bottom line is if someone wants to steal something bad enough, they will find a way. I once had a car alarm malfunction and had to drive ~10 miles to the Dealership with the alarm blaring and lights flashing; this was in a populated area at a busy time and no one, not even a passing Police Cruiser gave me a second glance as I drove down the road!

Thats because those alarms go off so often nobody give them a second glance. Chain her up with a Kryptonite lock and there will be little doubt that "something ain't right" as they do what is needed to get the bike free from the metal post its secured to. Nobody expects someone to physically stop them but most people have cell phones and most trucks have licence plates.