Attempted theft of my sweet R foiled by "Emgo"

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:57 am

My battered, 12 year old Emgo front disc lock stopped a thief from stealing my bike on Monday night!! The fork now has some paint on it from where the lock knocked up against it, but no big deal.

I've since taken my bike to be stored in a seperate location until I find a long term solution to this problem. And I've ordered new security devices (I'm sparing no expense).

I was told when I bought my bike that BMW's are some of the LEAST stolen bikes on the road. But that wasn't the case the other night. However, I suppose that compared to Harley's, our survival rate is pretty damn good!

Unfortunately, vehicle thefts have gone way up here in Maryland.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Hopefully, it ended the same way.

Post by **MikeCam** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:33 am

In what jurisdiction do you live?

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:06 am

Glad your disc lock saved your bike...here's a pic of my fancy disc lock that cost about $2..

..just a cheap padlock..

DJ

popgazer · Post by **popgazer** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:21 pm

Pasadena, CA, summer of last year. I parked my R in a busy street and went to dinner with some family members and my girlfriend.
The restaurant was a few blocks away. After dinner my gf dropped me off to pick up the bike, around 11:30 pm. The street was less crowded but not totally deserted.
There was a flat bed double-parked slightly ahead of my bike with the engine running, a guy on a harley and another one standing next to the bike were talking and staring at the bike. I didn't realize what was going on at once. I got out of the car went to the back to pick up my helmet, jacket and gloves from the trunk, and back to tell my gf how to get back to the freeway. Flatbed and Harley both took off at once in a hurry (at the sight of the helmet, I guessed). That's when I realized that a few minutes too late I'd have lost it!
Since then I alway use paid parking and park in a hard-to-get-to spot.

bimmer83is · Post by **bimmer83is** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:50 pm

FYI
I'm in New York, just on the Queens border and if you have the right bike here, it is just a matter of time that it is gone. I've talked to some "Biker Gangs" and they say the front rotor lock is not that much of a deterrent. They will actually dissamble the disc off the rim. This one guy said that one of the best things to do is put a nice case hardened lock around the chain of the moto. In our case here, most of us have no chain. I did this quite often with my old ZX-6R. Haven't given much thought of what I can use for the RR.
Vinny

Post by **wncbmw** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:50 pm

Glad to hear they were unsuccessful. And popgazer, your episode could have ended badly if those guys were more hostile!

Locks are to prevent honest people from stealing your stuff. Pros will find a way.

I heard a story years ago about a guy parking a Porshe on the streets with a big old chain through the rear bumper to a tree. One day he comes out and the chain is on the front bumper, with a note on the windshield "When we want it, we'll get it".

The Kurch Man · Post by **The Kurch Man** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:47 pm

For what it's worth, I've been impressed with the On Guard locks. Keys are not the circular ones that a bic pen works on, tumblers on both sides of a u-lock so if they sawed one off, the other side will not disengauge. Take a look at them on your next dealer visit. Good stuff....... I had Kryptonite (which are good locks) but these are a bit more impressive.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:27 pm

Yea, a good thief can always get your bike/car/wife if they really want 'em;)

This is something worth considering in the event that your bike IS successfully stolen: http://www.microtrakgps.com/

The local police confirmed that they would investigate a gps signal to track the location of a stolen bike or car.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:38 pm

P.S. There's a guy in my neighborhood who HAD a brand new Soft Tail. He would be outside any day that the sun was out, literally wiping the thing with a cloth diaper. It was spotless. Then he would cover it with the giant "HARLEY DAVIDSON" logo cover plastered on the front (how stupid is that advert?). The bike never left his parking space......and then one day about four months ago, *poof* it was just gone. And I haven't seen it since. The poor slob.

possum · Post by **possum** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:32 am

Back when I was just a little guy,my bicycle was stolen.Two nights later the neighbors bicyle was stolen,next night my brothers.So my bro and the neighbor decided, to wirer 3 car batteries to his sisters bicycle.

Well there little plan may have worked.Her bicycle never did get stolen,and the thefts came to a stop. It still makes me laugh..

Post by **KHaynes** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:31 pm

Anything type of lock, no matter how cheap, is a deterrent. Your disc lock showed that adding an extra step into the process is enough for them to try elsewhere.
I fit a disc-lock whenever I'm leaving the bike out overnight in motels etc. I also have a locking cable that I bought for $7.50 in a hardware store. The cable looks to be very strong but probably isn't and would fool most thieves.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:38 pm

There definitely is no easy answer to the issue of security. If you catch someone in the act of trying to steal your bike, you could grab a baseball bat and give 'em a "wooden shampoo" (that's what the police call it here). But then YOU'RE the one who gets into trouble.

You can call the police, but they're too slow to stop any crime. They're only good for taking a report after the fact.

Or you just have to leave your bike locked up somewhere pretty far from your home.

Does anyone have any experience with or opinion about these gps tracking devices?

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:52 pm

Oh yea. I forgot to mention; If you do use a front (or rear) disc lock, try to determine in which direction that a thief would attempt to roll your bike away and place the lock up against the fork with that in mind. That way, the wheel won't have a chance to pick-up momentum before smacking into your fork. (I learned that the hard way).

Post by **wncbmw** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:57 pm

I had a friend, now retired from riding at age 90, that used to keep an empty pistol holster strapped to the side of his bike in plain view as a thief deterrent!

MesquiteDave · Post by **MesquiteDave** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:25 pm

Neat little trick they use in taking bikes with wheel locks is useing a shopping chart. take the basket off of the cart then load the while with the lock on it on the cart and roll it off.

GJBushman · Post by **GJBushman** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:15 pm

Harry,

Where in Maryland did this theft attempt occur? The rest of us in the DC area are just dying to know.

Post by **Beemeridian** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:18 pm

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:30 am

If you live in the Washington DC and surrounding area and want the piece of mind of having a home with a garage, you'd better have a minium of $400,000. laying around in order to afford it...LITERALLY.

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http://www.toddlaneart.com/protoblast/

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