[Starbound]

I have heard that lots of bikes get stolen at bike rally's such as Sturgis and Daytona. What is the best way to protect your bike at these rally's other than staying with it 24-7? Anyone here had a bike stolen while at a rally? What kind of bikes usually get stolen? I have a 96' FXDL getting a custom paint job on the frame and tins so it will stand out from the stock bikes. Maybe I am just paranoid!! :sofa:

Starbound

 

[george248]

leave it in the trailer :dunno:

 

[czar]

Just make sure your insurance policy will cover the new paint.

We all know that if someone wants to steal something, they'll find a way, no matter what kind of "protection" you got.

 

[TXCHOP]

leave it in the trailer :dunno:

careful, they may take the whole trailer as well.......make sure its SECURE

 

[Flatline]

I like the "leave it in the trailer". However, last year a gent lost his bike, trailer all together while he was sleeping in the motel! or was that at Daytona...:hmmm:

Ok, seriously, lock up the bike as usual, rotor locks on the front/back or both. The biggy here is buy a Cobra cable lock and wrap it round the frame to somthing real solid or to other bikes. Don't park it all by itself. The goal here is to make any other bike a better hit than yours. Alarms with pagers are nice also that will wake you up give you warning that the bike space is being violated.

Now your going to get some creative answers like, cover it with a Honda/Yamaha or simular cover, put an empty gun hoster on the bike, pull the plugs and other parts etc...

Just do what you feel confortable with and hope the insurance won't $crew ya if something does happen. Heck a riding buddy of mine has never locked his bike up at a rally or anywhere else for that matter for years. Never had a problem. So there ya are! :duh?:
Flatline

 

[jockeyshift]

Get sticker for the trailer that say something about manure hauling or toilet repair, or you could put honda stickers on the side.

 

[Weasels]

I don't think new paint will make your bike stand out.

 

[swmnkdinthervr]

leave it in the trailer :dunno:

:roflback: :roflback: :roflback:

Chain it to a tree (unless ya trailered there :hystria: ) most bike are take by organized bike theives...4 guys in a step van with 2 lengths of pipe slide the pipe in the wheels and off they go...takes all of 30 seconds

 

[petrock]

I don't think new paint will make your bike stand out.

I agree... Especially if its parked next to all the other bikes with custom paint...

As for locking it up, if your bike has a security system on it, make sure its activated. If your bike has a stearing lock, lock it. If your bike has an ignition lock, lock it too... For added protection, get a rotor lock. Just make sure you take it off before getting back on the road.

Saw one guy with a thick cable going between his frame down tubes and his front wheel.

 

[OldMsocko]

I agree... Especially if its parked next to all the other bikes with custom paint...

As for locking it up, if your bike has a security system on it, make sure its activated. If your bike has a stearing lock, lock it. If your bike has an ignition lock, lock it too... For added protection, get a rotor lock. Just make sure you take it off before getting back on the road.

Saw one guy with a thick cable going between his frame down tubes and his front wheel.

If what it takes is 4 guys and 2 pieces of pipe, all the above will do you no good. I never thought of borrowing a bike that way. I always thought if you had the security system and the ignition lock and you would be fairly safe.

 

[billymac]

Get a ground floor hotel room and keep it in the room.

 

[LittleBear]

Well the last number I heard was about 40% of the bikes are not even locked, I would think locking it would go a long way.
Thiefs take what is easy, if yours is harder to steal than others, they will steal others.
Custom paint is a dime a dozen at rallies, yours will blend in like everybody elses.
You are paranoid.

 

[czar]

Get a ground floor hotel room and keep it in the room.

I've actually done that before! Usually in small no-name towns when I'm a long way from home... and usually it's a cheap motel (hince the doors that open to the outside, and the mystery carpet with enough stains to cover any oil my bike wants to leave behind.) I don't want to be stranded in the middle of no where, so I sleep with my ride.

I have heard of people getting hotel / motel management permission to leave their bikes in the lobby too. But at a rally though, it will be tough to do that since there will be soooo many bikes, unless you fork over some green to park in the hotel reception area.

 

[dmize]

:Banadance

Put a GoldWing cover on it....

 

[berserker]

At Sturgis I just lock igntion and forks. Theres a million bikes there, chances yours will get stolen is low. Sucks to be in that small percentile though.

 

[nessus]

cover it up people steal what they can easily identify oh yea and have ins just in case

 

[1bdBagr]

stolen bikes

I don't know the percentages but i think the bulk of bikes that get stolen are softails. Easy for the thiefs to rebuild into a spec. const. bike. I also heard that some organized thiefs use a box van with a ramp and a hospital gurney. They just push the bike over on it and roll it into the van. But when you don't lock the steering neck (or the rotor, or wheels), or even the ignition, you make your bike that much more appetizing, as opposed to the owner who locks the front wheel to the frame, or to another bike. They just look for the easiest, fastest target...unless your bike just happens to be something really special and vulnerable. A guy i know had his special construction softail that was totally hand built with a supercharger hanging off it stolen while at the bar. It was locked up, if i remember correctly. He had always thought that one of the hand crafted parts on the bike would show up, but nothing ever did. A total loss. He could never get insurance that would cover the true value of the bike, since it was a spec. const. All that said...i think you're paranoid too.

 

[msocko3]

Leave it at home and rent a bike from a dealer, or just take a cage. Myself I can't see the joy of fighting for road space and parking spots with thousands of assholes, if its a rally with a large bike crowd I'm not interested. I figure Sturgis and Daytona will still be there for me to enjoy without the pinheads that these events draw.

 

[Almost There]

I’ve been to Sturgis and Daytona (in the fall) and a number of other smaller rallies all over the States and Canada and I’ve never had a problem.

I lock the ignition, fork and saddle bags … that’s it.

If I stay in motels, I try and get a ground floor unit if it’s available, but I don’t panic if they don’t. The fact is that I’m such a sound sleeper, I probably wouldn’t hear anything anyway. That’s why I bring the OL … she’s a light sleeper.

As mentioned in previous posts, unless your ride really stands out as a truly custom bike, it probably won’t get stolen …. and if they really want it … they’ll steal it, no matter what you tie it to … lash to it … cover it up with … etc.

In other words, quit being so paranoid.

As long as you’ve taken all the precautions you feel are warranted to protect your ride, sit back and enjoy the rally, that’s what you’re there for.

 

[Jeep]

Leave it at home and rent a bike from a dealer, or just take a cage. Myself I can't see the joy of fighting for road space and parking spots with thousands of assholes, if its a rally with a large bike crowd I'm not interested. I figure Sturgis and Daytona will still be there for me to enjoy without the pinheads that these events draw.

Wow, I thought all the people and bikes was the reason these events are so fun. Guess I'm just one of those pinheads.. :huh: