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General Discussion / Re: Theft proofing our scooters
« on: May 15, 2016, 07:06:12 PM »
hello all from London England - this is my first post on this forum 
here in London we have a really serious problem with scooter theft, and you need to be pretty clued up about security.
Any cable lock, grip lock, disc lock, or chain lock with a link or shaft less than 16mm in diameter can be cut or broken in two minutes or less by a thief with some basic knowledge and a few cheap tools. Our local scooter thieves (known in the scooter world as 'toerags') travel equipped with 5' bolt cutters, hammers, and freeze spray as standard equipment. Some of the cheaper locks can be picked with a biro (ballpoint pen).
My security setup at home, in a leafy suburb of London, consists of a 1.5m chain with 16mm links, Squire padlock, all locked into a large eyebolt in the wall of my house. I'm also getting a ground anchor put in to secure the rear wheel, which will be secured with another identical chain and lock. The chain with padlock cost about £250 ($500) each, but if you don't invest in proper security then your scooter will surely be nicked. Vespas are particularly vulnerable - I rode Vespas for over 10 years, and am a moderator on a Vespa forum, but I don't ride one any more because it's too difficult to keep kids from taking them unless you have totally secure parking both at home and at work.
here in London we have a really serious problem with scooter theft, and you need to be pretty clued up about security.
Any cable lock, grip lock, disc lock, or chain lock with a link or shaft less than 16mm in diameter can be cut or broken in two minutes or less by a thief with some basic knowledge and a few cheap tools. Our local scooter thieves (known in the scooter world as 'toerags') travel equipped with 5' bolt cutters, hammers, and freeze spray as standard equipment. Some of the cheaper locks can be picked with a biro (ballpoint pen).
My security setup at home, in a leafy suburb of London, consists of a 1.5m chain with 16mm links, Squire padlock, all locked into a large eyebolt in the wall of my house. I'm also getting a ground anchor put in to secure the rear wheel, which will be secured with another identical chain and lock. The chain with padlock cost about £250 ($500) each, but if you don't invest in proper security then your scooter will surely be nicked. Vespas are particularly vulnerable - I rode Vespas for over 10 years, and am a moderator on a Vespa forum, but I don't ride one any more because it's too difficult to keep kids from taking them unless you have totally secure parking both at home and at work.