This page summarises security products popular for use with Motorcycles, Quad Bikes, ATVs, Ride-On Mowers and similar items. We try to cover various situations, such as in garages, etc. If there is nothing similar, please contact us and we will see if we can add guidance to help.
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These items are most frequently stolen from homes, but keeping them secure when away from home is also important. The requirements and constraints on the two situations are quite different. Hence, we break down by the location and the need for portability, whilst allowing for the likely weight-carrying ability of the vehicle itself.
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For most of these items, security at home usually starts with a ground anchor, at least a 16mm chain passing through the frame of the bike wherever possible, and a suitable padlock or D-Lock. Higher value bikes, or where a previous theft has occured in the vicinity, going up a level or two, to e.g. a 19mm chain or even a 22mm chain, is recommended. These items should all be at least Sold Secure Motorcycle Gold approved. Beware that many ground anchors on the market do not have sufficient capacity to take a 16mm chain, let alone anything higher grade.
The ground anchor should ideally be placed underneath and/or behind the bike, such as between the bike and the wall.
Many motorcycles have such tight fairings that it is impossible to get such a heavy chain to pass through the frame, which is why we developed the Anti-Pinch Pin. That can help in many situations, where there is enough room to get the Pin through, and the chain can go on the Pin.
Ideally, the chain should be short and kept off the floor, since it is much easier for a thief to attack a chain with a variety of tools if the chain is resting on the floor. This is easier said than done, but measuring carefully, and taking advantage of the long link chain opportunity for artificially shortening the chain, can help to get it exactly the right length.
Select a ground anchor according to the Ground Anchor Selector's guidance.
Hint: The majority of people choose a Torc anchor if they want the highest-approved anchor (our flagship product), or the Double Doofer if they know they will need to move the anchor sometime in the future.
Then, once you know the position of the ground anchor, select a chain according to the Chain Selector's guidance. You will need to decide the position of the anchor so that you can assess (preferably measure) the length of chain you will need. Remember to add a bit, as people very frequently under-estimate the length required.
Hint: For home security for motorbikes, most people choose a Protector 16mm chain as a minimum, or the Protector 19mm chain to have something that gives a bit more protection. If there has been a previous attack involving an angle grinder, or if they are becoming more prevalent in the local area, the Protector Titan RoundLock 22mm chain provides a significant additional level of deterrent (at a higher price, and much harder to handle as well as to route through the bike).
And choose a padlock to suit the chain by following the guidance in the Padlocks Selector.
Hint: To pair with the Protector 16mm chain, most people go for the RoundLock or the Squire SS65CS. To pair with the Protector 19mm chain, most go for the RoundLock (with the Combo socket to make it compatible with the 19mm), or the Squire SS65CS-XLN. With the Protector Titan 22mm chain, the lock will depend on the type of Titan chain chosen (either the normal RoundLock or the Squire SS80CS.
Hint: We offer Package Deals that combine chains and appropriate locks.
It is clearly not ideal to be keeping a motorcycle or similar item outdoors but, where this is the reality, it is very important to lock the item down to something substantial; simply having a chain looped around a bike and not actually tethering it to anything else, achieves very little! If there is nothing solid already in a convenient position then it is recommended to install a ground anchor onto a solid and suitable surface. (Note that a ground anchor can be installed on a wall, providing that wall is high enough above the mounting point (usually at least 2m metres/6 feet) and also solid enough in its own construction. Low garden walls are generally not suitable!)
Ideally, a ground anchor should be installed onto good quality concrete of sufficient thickness (preferably 120mm minimum thickness).
Important: Do not attempt to fit any kind of ground anchor to block-paving! Block paving is simply bricks/blocks lying on a bed of sand and there is virtually nothing preventing them from being lifted: The anchor can literally be picked up, with one or more bricks attached! It is therefore useless as a security anchor!
Fitting an anchor to the side of a house wall can be a good option, but you should keep away from the end or any corner of a wall (at least 600mm or 2 feet, usually). Positioning a wall-mounted anchor behind the bike can make it difficult for a thief to attack. Be wary that it also becomes a little harder for you to loop a chain through it, but a little inconvenience for you can make it a much tougher challenge for a thief so it is worth considering.
If there is no good quality concrete already in existence and if there is no suitable wall nearby, then it is usually necessary to dig a hole and pour fresh concrete to create a new anchoring point. Some anchors, such as our Torc anchor, are available with a Bury-in Fresh Concrete/Concrete-in fitting option, where the anchor can be set into wet concrete as it is laid. This saves times and can also result in a more secure result.
The following are alternatives: (Select according to recommendations above):
Then, choose a chain and lock by following the guidance above for home security for motorcycles etc.
It is not normally recommended to store valuable items like these in wooden sheds, but life is not always ideal. Sometimes, it is necessary to store a moped or scooter in a shed, or an older or vintage bike (or even a collection!). We manufacture the Shed Shackle and that can help to achieve some level of security but beware that many motorcycle insurance policies will not regard the Shed Shackle as motorcycle grade - it would qualify if they ask for the bike to be secured to an immovable object, which is quite a frequent term, but you should confirm with your poliy if insurance is important to you. Indeed, many policies will simply forbid a bike to be stored in any kind of wooden structure! The Shed Shackle does tend to keep the chain off the floor and can also make it easier for you to lock up the bike and keep the chain off the floor, all of whih make it less appealing for a thief to attack.
If you wish to achieve a higher level of security than is offered by the Shed Shackle, laying concrete under the floor of the shed and installing a Torc Ground Anchor onto that, will help. However, if you have a wooden floor to the shed then you will have to cut through the wood to gain access below. Some customers have made rather excellent adaptations to their shed floors so as to avoid the likes of mice coming in through any gap around the ground anchor. If you have a shed with a concrete floor, you are already in a better place ...providing the concrete is of sufficient quality.
The following are alternatives for the anchor: (Select according to recommendations above):
Then, choose a chain and lock by following the guidance above for home security for motorcycles etc.
Motorcycles can typically carry about 7kg in the under-seat storage area, but you should check the actual load capacity of your bike, and also see how much physical space there is. Some people will carry quite heavy chains etc in panniers (although be wary about balance of the bike, from side-to-side) and/or in a top box or tail pack or tank bag or back pack. We offer our Protector 13mm Noose Chain as a compromise since it is about two-thirds of the weight of an equivalent length 16mm chain, but it still presents a significant deterrent. Be wary of any consraints on your insurance policy. The Protector 13mm chain is Motorcycle Gold approved, but some insurers are not up-to-date on such gradings. The Noose Chain offers more flexibility in how you loop the noose around an item of sreet furniture and then run a single length of chain to the side of the bike. Typically, the chain is secured to the bike with a DIB series D-Lock, often looped around a frame member or through the cut-out in a swingarm. Failing that, around the spoke of a cast wheel.
Protector 13mm Chain, plus...
The following are alternatives for the lock: (Select according to recommendations above):
We also have more advice about motorcycle security.