Protecting Expensive Equipment on your Motorbike

Date Posted:31 May 2013 

Your motorbike is an expensive piece of machinery and needs protection from theft and damage, as does the equipment you use with it.

Helmets

Helmets are expensive to buy and when they are Bluetooth helmets as well (communication devices), they are not something you want to leave sitting on your bike while you pop into the store. The options you have to protect your helmet are as follows:

  •     Carry it with you – this is cumbersome and far from ideal, but better than nothing if you have no way of securing it to your bike.
  •     Have a backpack – not only is a backpack useful for carrying those groceries you popped into the store for, but it is also a good way to carry you helmet and keep your hands free while you’re shopping.
  •     Use a helmet lock – a cable combination lock like those used to lock bicycles is all you need, as it is small and light enough to be kept in a pannier or bag, but strong enough to slow a would-be thief down, unless they’re carrying bolt cutters.

    
GPS systems

These are now made for motorbikes as well as cars and they are built tough to survive all but the heaviest knocks. They are waterproof and shock and vibration-resistant and are usually mounted on a stand at the front of the bike. Ways to secure a GPS system on your bike include:

  •     Cover it with something when you park your bike, as what an opportunistic thief doesn’t see won’t attract his attention.
  •     Remove it from the mounting and take it with you in your bag or lock it in a pannier whenever you leave your bike unattended.
  •     Don’t carry it on the bike unless you are planning to go on a long trip where it will be needed.

    
The bike itself

The best way to ensure your bike’s accessories don’t get stolen is to make sure that your bike doesn’t get stolen either and the way to do this is to follow some basic safety precautions. These are:

  •     Always park in well-lit, heavily populated areas where someone trying to break a lock would be noticeable to passersby.
  •     If you’re going to check on your bike, do so in the first fifteen minutes after you park it, as this is the most common time for thieves to act.
  •     Use a combination of locks on your bike, including cable locks, disc locks, U locks and security chains.
  •     Consider purchasing a motor cycle alarm (they are becoming much more affordable these days).
  •     Always lock you bike at home as well (even in the garage or driveway), as 80% of motorbikes are stolen from the owner’s premises.

    
Of course, at the end of the day, if a professional thief is determined to steal your bike or accessories, then nothing you can do will prevent them, so the ultimate form of protection for your bike and equipment is to insure it fully, so you can replace it if need be (only 25% of motorbikes are ever recovered after being stolen).