Do you think that if your motorcycle is in a garage or closed area, it is safe? Most motorcycles around the world are stolen from these places. Our tips on how to protect yourself from thieves.
Although motorcycle thefts are less common than car thefts worldwide, they are certainly just as painful a loss. It is even more painful because if you become a victim of theft, the chances of your motorcycle being returned to you are very low.
Most likely, he will become a donor of spare parts after it is disassembled in some “hole”. Or he will go abroad, and his trace will disappear. It is unknown whether the reason for the low detection rate of stolen motorcycles is because the police have other, more important things to do, or because stolen motorcycles cease to exist, becoming an integral part of other cars.
The price of security
When choosing a security guard, you must answer one very important question: how important is your motorcycle? And based on this, decide how much you will invest in its security. If you feel like it's not worth the investment at all, you can rely on a steering lock. This is basic protection that is found on almost every modern motorcycle (excluding crossovers and high enduro).
Unfortunately, this only gives the appearance of security and provides much less peace of mind than real protection against thieves. Yes, the blockade will prevent amateur thieves from stealing your pet, preventing the thieves from starting a motorcycle, but if you come across a thief who has even a slight understanding of “what they eat with,” then you are doomed.
The same applies to the cheapest brake disc protection using bicycle cables. Although trying to move the bike away from the area will be difficult, a simple blow with a hammer or wire cutters and you can say goodbye to the bike.
There are many such methods of theft, but we do not intend to tell other vehicle owners how to do it. There is only one rule - the less security, the greater the likelihood that the motorcycle will change its owner. And don’t let yourself think that if the motorcycle is under the house or in the garage, then it is safe. More than 50% of stolen motorcycles disappear from private properties and garages.
Brake disc locking is only a good guarantee if you leave the motorcycle in the city center for a short time
Luckily, there are ways to immobilize a moto so that the thief is discouraged or simply fails. A good idea is to install what is called an anchor in the garage or on the wall and secure the motorcycle using a motorcycle chain and padlock (such as the ABUS Granit Extreme Plus 59, Oxford Hardcore XL or Luma Escudo).
The cost of this is not the lowest (the cost of anchors is from 5,000 rubles, the cost of a chain is from 3 to 17 thousand rubles for most armored chains), but it provides a fairly high level of security, because bypassing such protection usually requires considerable time and effort.
In combination with motopes.ru alarms (for example, an alarm in the lock when a hammer hits), such protection gives a chance that someone will react and notify the police. Before taking any action against a thief, keep in mind that he has nothing to lose and in an extreme situation he may turn out to be completely unpredictable. Therefore, leave this matter to professionals - security guards or police officers.
Is the theft of a moped and motorcycle a criminal offence?
According to Part 1 of Art. 1079 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, a vehicle is considered a source of increased danger. Therefore, legal entities and citizens may be held liable for damages. But if it is proven that the cause of the incident was force majeure or the intent of the victim, a sanction cannot be imposed. For causing grievous bodily harm through negligence, in accordance with Part 1 of Art. 118 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the following types of punishment can be applied:
- fine up to 80 thousand rubles. or in the amount of the convicted person’s salary for a period of no more than 6 months;
- compulsory work up to 480 hours or correctional labor up to 2 years;
- restriction of freedom up to 3 years;
- arrest up to 6 months.
Alarm, monitoring...
When a thief sees an anchor and chain, there is a good chance that after assessing the situation and calculating his chances of breaking the defense, he will give up and go looking for easier prey.
The Car Protection Center offers you all services related to anti-theft protection. Our Car Alarms are reliable and have a high level of protection.
Another option is an alarm. Typically, a subscription fee is charged for such a system (alarm, switch and motion sensors). If the alarm goes off during the night, within minutes cool-headed gentlemen with long sticks will arrive on site to deal with any trespassers attempting to gain access to your property. However, you will have to pay a small fine for making a false call.
If you find this protection insufficient, you can rely on monitoring. Here prices also start at 17,000, but can be ten times higher, plus about 10 thousand rubles per month if you want a security company to monitor your garage. In the end, monitoring is also a solution if there is no one to monitor.
Anti-theft protection for motorcycle - alarm
GPS beacon for motorcycle
As you can see, both experts and ordinary motorcyclists come to the same conclusion - installing a GPS beacon in a motorcycle is necessary. But how to choose the right model? What to look for when buying a GPS beacon?
- Dimensions of the lighthouse
. To reliably hide a beacon in a motorcycle, its dimensions should be as small as possible. Therefore, the dimensions of the lighthouse are a key factor when choosing. The dimensions of the FindMe F3 GPS beacon are only 55x44x29 mm. This is the most compact device in its class at the moment. And the sealed housing further expands installation possibilities. - Autonomy
. Obviously, a GPS beacon must be completely autonomous, and battery life is an important factor when choosing a device. If you have hidden the beacon well, placed it in an inconspicuous and inaccessible place, then removing it every 2-3 months to replace the batteries will be problematic. The battery capacity of the FindMe F3 GPS beacon is 3100 mAh, which is enough for 2 years of battery life. - No subscription fees or additional payments
. If the beacon has a fee for sending SMS messages, then the owner has to monitor the balance of the SIM card, and there is always a risk of being in the red at the most inopportune moment. In addition, over the years of owning the beacon, the fee for sent SMS will significantly increase its cost. FindMe GPS beacons are equipped with SIM cards of MTS PJSC, which do not need to be refilled. There are no charges for SMS and GPRS traffic, no subscription fees, or any hidden fees.
FindMe GPS beacons are also easy to activate and configure. No need to spend hours reading instructions and draining battery power during setup. Activation is completed in just a couple of minutes, and the optimal settings are already set by default. You can change them using SMS commands or in a convenient personal account on the website.
Detailed characteristics of the FindMe F3 GPS beacon can be found on the device page.
Information about points of sale is on the Where to buy page.
Terrible streets
If you are parked outside overnight and therefore cannot secure an anchor, use landscaping features and attach the anchor to one of them. Don't be afraid to duplicate security elements (for example, a chain with a lock and just a lock). The longer a thief fiddles with the lock, the more likely he is to give up or be punished/caught.
Unfortunately, sometimes you have to leave your motorcycle on the street in the city center. Yes, it's sad, but about 1/3 of stolen motorcycles disappear from streets and parking lots. A well-groomed and beautiful motorcycle riding around the city or standing in front of a restaurant attracts the attention of not only spectators. It is usually easier for thieves to steal because the car is most often not secured in any way.
It is advisable to take a chain with you. It’s just hard to believe that you will constantly carry a 5 kg chain with a lock with you. Neither convenient, nor safe, nor aesthetically pleasing. Then you should rely on decent brake disc locking. An alarm with a shock or motion sensor is also welcome, which simply makes a terrible noise and scares away the thief.
A hardened chain and an armored lock are a solution that can resist a thief for a long time and prevent theft
A cable or armored cable, which is a metal hose that you can use to attach your motorcycle to a pole, is also a good idea. This system can be used interchangeably with U-locks, but cheaper models are more commonly used to secure bicycles. The best U-locks for motorcycles can cost between 10-15 thousand rubles. They have a limited length and may cause problems during transportation. Regardless of your choice, you can easily attach your motorcycle to a pole or railing and not have to worry about a group of kids messing with your motorcycle
If your moped is stolen
If a moped is stolen, you must:
- contact the police immediately. Before the squad arrives, it is worth finding witnesses who were close to the scene of the theft and could see what was happening. If there are eyewitnesses, you need to talk to them and get their contact numbers. Even if passers-by did not see the moment of the theft, they could see the thief passing by and remember his signs. A broken cable can also serve as material evidence, so it should not be thrown away;
- try to determine the hijacker's route. To do this, you should walk along every possible path of movement and look around. Perhaps the thief was recorded by a video recorder. Video recordings from external surveillance cameras, which could be located not only near the place where the moped was stolen, but also near the road along which the thief drove, can also help. There may be cameras on many buildings, but poor quality footage can make it difficult to make out details.
Police officers carry out the following activities:
- the time and place of the theft is recorded;
- a conversation is held with the security service;
- video from external surveillance cameras is requested (if available). The owner should also make a copy of the video from these cameras.
Note!
You should not rely on the efficiency of police officers, since they, as a rule, fulfill the minimum requirements prescribed in the instructions. Therefore, to return your property, it is better to consult with a lawyer who will tell you what actions should be taken in this case.
Which lock to choose?
First of all, determine the degree of risk. Some motorcycles are more likely to be stolen for parts. If you have a popular bike, such as a Yamaha FZ6 or Honda CBR, then you are taking a big risk. If your motorcycle is often left outdoors unattended, the risk of theft is also high, so you should invest in security.
The basis is a powerful shield lock, which does not give up at the first blow with a hammer. Pictured: mirrored Oxford Monster
What influences a thief's choice?
There are several places that rank first among the areas where vehicle thefts most often occur:
- parking at the house. According to statistics, more than 8 percent of thefts are committed from unguarded parking spaces in courtyards;
- parking at the store. In this case, the priority for car thieves is the presence of a huge number of cars;
- paid parking. This territory implies only 5 percent of the total number of thefts committed.
According to traffic police statistics on thefts, car theft most often occurs at night on weekdays. Moreover, hijackers choose the time for theft after 24 hours; it is during this period that attackers are especially invisible.
The most basic reasons why a certain car is stolen are as follows:
- No modern alarm system installed. Some car owners who do not have a car alarm installed naively believe that by placing the vehicle under the window, no one will steal it. This is a big misconception, because a professional car thief only needs a few seconds to take possession of someone else’s car;
- parking a vehicle among many cars. As already mentioned, a professional car thief will need a few seconds to take possession of a vehicle, so you should not naively believe that nothing will happen to the car in the five minutes while the car owner is in the supermarket. Among other machines, attackers are less noticeable;
- stopping in an unknown, dark and deserted place. In this situation, physical force, threats and other techniques may be used. However, in this situation, most often the driver’s personal belongings (documents, wallet, etc.) are stolen;
If you are forced to stop in such a place, you should not roll down the windows, talk to strangers, or open the doors.
- leaving a vehicle with windows/doors open;
- dirty or unkempt vehicle. The thief pays attention to the appearance of the car. More often than not, the choice falls on an unkempt car rather than a clean car of a similar brand. After all, if the owner of a vehicle does not have the money, roughly speaking, to wash the car, then where does he get the money for a good alarm system;
- , money, expensive phones and other significant items in sight in the salon It is unlikely that these items will be important for professional car thieves, but for ordinary thieves such items will be good bait;
- contacting an unscrupulous car repair service center.
Employees of such a center, specializing in alarms (and theft), can open the vehicle’s security system and install a jumper.
In this case, it will be quite easy to steal a vehicle, despite the presence of a car alarm. If you still had to send the car for servicing to an unfamiliar service center, then it is better to provide one standard key.
If we talk about ensuring the safety of a personal car, then the following actions can be taken:
- apply airbrushing (stickers and other marks) to the vehicle, which will make the car more noticeable. Stolen vehicles with markings are very easy to find, so car thieves try not to mess with such models.
- install the latest system to protect the vehicle - alarm. However, attackers are developing along with modern technologies and will be able to open a car with the most expensive and new alarm system.
- install a secret button (secret), without pressing which it is impossible to move the vehicle.
- leave the car for storage in a garage, paid parking, or in parking lots with good street lighting.
- install a special device “SCOUT-Mayak”, which will allow you to track the location of the stolen car and return it to the owner.
What should a good lock have?
Design – the strength of the blocking depends on it, for example, protection from impacts with a hammer or crowbar. Good locks are made of specially hardened steel. The lock should be secured to the disc with clearance, making it difficult for a thief to stabilize the lock.
The lock body must protect the lock mechanism. The lock must have a reliable locking system that can withstand strong impacts. A good solution is a lock blocked with balls similar to bearings.
The cylinder and the key must have two important features: resistance to manipulation with master keys and high-quality manufacturing so that they last a long time.
The alarm system is high-quality and has a motion recognition function in 3D mode. Another option is a shock alarm, which is activated at the moment of impact.
“Reminder” and handle – the lock should be equipped with a colored spiral hanging on the steering wheel and a handle or cover for easy transportation.
The most stolen car models
According to 2022 statistics, the most stolen Russian car brand was the Lada Priora due to the minimum standard protection present on this car.
If we talk about foreign cars, then most often they are stolen:
- Mazda 3;
- Hyundai Solaris;
- Ford Focus.
Mazda is stolen mainly for further disassembly and sale of spare parts. Other foreign brands are stolen for subsequent sale on the black market.
While a car that has been resold may turn up randomly, a car that has been dismantled for parts may not be found at all.
Cars with a higher value are subject to theft on order. For such purposes, the services of professional car thiefs and new technologies are used that can fool any alarm system.
The rate of return of stolen cars to owners barely reaches 0.1% of the total number of stolen vehicles.
If you analyze stolen cars by brand, you can display the following table:
| Brand | Number of thefts (pcs.) |
| VAZ | 3584 |
| Toyota | 1581 |
| Mazda | 567 |
| Nissan | 499 |
| KIA | 455 |
| Rover | 300 |
| Hyundai | 356 |
| Lexus | 430 |
How to recognize a good blocking?
The packaging of a good lock usually indicates its level of protection. This will help make choosing a lock for your motorcycle easier. The warranty provided by the manufacturer is very important. Before buying protection, check whether it fits the brake disc. If you decide to buy a lock with an alarm, check how the alarm works. Before paying, remove the lock from the package and open and close it several times. Check if everything is working fine.
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How are motorcycles stolen?
Motorcycles are at risk for thefts. The simplest and most effective method of theft is to load a parked motorcycle into a suitable vehicle and take it to a safe place.
More often than not, the motorcycle leaves under its own power. It only takes a couple of minutes for a criminal to start a two-wheeler without a key and steal it.
In 2022, for the first time, motorcycles entered the top 10 stolen equipment!
A motorcycle is easier to steal than a car, since its control mechanisms are less protected from third-party interference, which is what thieves take advantage of.
There have been rare cases where a driver was simply thrown off a running motorcycle standing at a traffic light and drove off on it.
Difference between VIN code and frame number
To protect vehicles from theft, special tags have been developed. At first these were ordinary frame numbers, which were 9 characters from the factory.
As world trade developed, the ISO 3779 standard was adopted, in which, in addition to the plant number, 6 digits were added to distinguish cars from different countries of production. In modern vehicles, VIN codes are used instead of frame numbers.
The VIN structure consists of 17 characters, divided into blocks of information.
| Meaning | Symbol by account |
| World Index | 1-3 |
| Vehicle characteristics | 4-8 |
| Result of mathematical formula (for control check) | 9 |
| Year of issue | 10 |
| Factory code | 11 |
| Serial number | 12-17 |
Brake disc bracket
This is a lock that locks the front wheel of the car. A steel rod passes through the hole in the brake disc. In most models, the rod simply snaps into place by gently pressing the cylinder. The bracket should be installed in front of the motorcycle fork at the bottom of the disc. The lock face should be directed inward. This is done to make it inconvenient to get the lock.
The staples are made from special steels that are very resistant to mechanical stress. They can only be broken by breaking off the brake disc. Typically, thieves simply place a skateboard under the front wheel and roll the bike away in this way.
These types of locks are also produced with a built-in bell alarm. For forgetful owners, special cables are sold, which are attached to the steering wheel with one end and to the bracket lock with the other.
How to check in the AutoHistory service
Checking with the AutoHistory service is beneficial for many reasons. The main thing is that you will receive complete information about the vehicle, and you will also have a VIN, which can be used for inquiries through other organizations. But after purchasing the report, you will probably have no questions about the selected motorcycle, since you will receive all the necessary information.
You can request a motorcycle inspection according to the state. number, which is quite convenient for the buyer. How to do it:
- Enter the vehicle number in the search bar.
- Click the "Check" button.
- Check out the information. Please note that the full version of the report is only available after payment.
- Click "Buy Report". Enter your email to receive the report by email.
- Click “Proceed to payment” and select a convenient payment method.
You will receive the report within 15 minutes after confirmation of payment. Before ordering, you can familiarize yourself with a sample report.
The cost of the request is only 199 rubles. Our online vehicle history check service in the Russian Federation operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What data can be obtained during verification?
Unfortunately, no check gives a 100% guarantee that the transport is absolutely clean from the legal side. Risk is always present, but this is not a reason to refuse to receive information. You can break a motorcycle using the following points:
- presence of encumbrances, restrictions, arrests from bailiffs;
- being hijacked;
- participation in an accident;
- the number of owners and the tenure of each owner;
- basic technical characteristics;
- traffic police fines;
- passed technical inspections;
- OSAGO policy.
You can check the motorcycle by VIN number on the official website of the traffic police. How to do it:
- On the right side of the site, select “Car Check”.
- Enter VIN code or frame number.
- Request verification for each item.
This method helps provided that there is information about the vehicle identification number. But the seller may refuse to provide this information. In this case, you should check using the state number.
Why is verification needed?
Checking your motorcycle allows you to avoid many troubles:
- Refusal to re-register transport due to being on the wanted list. The check allows you to make sure that the vehicle is not stolen and is not wanted. If this fact is discovered by the traffic police, then you will not be able to register the bike in your name. Moreover, the vehicle will be confiscated and returned to the real owner.
- Loss of new property due to seizure by the bank in the presence of encumbrances. If a motorcycle acts as collateral for a loan, then in the absence of payments, the property is confiscated and sold to pay off the debt. And it will be quite difficult to prove your non-involvement in fraudulent activities.
- Your motorcycle may end up with broken parts and serious technical problems after one or more accidents. If the owner has not had any major accidents, then this indicates his careful driving and careful attitude towards transport.
- Frequent changes of ownership are a sign of serious shortcomings.
To safely ride a motorcycle without expensive repairs, you need to check it on several points.
What you need to know about theft guarantee
When you sign up for a theft guarantee, you must comply with certain provisions. Indeed, they will determine whether you can claim compensation in case of theft or not. As for the theft guarantee, we can mention the presence of standard anti-theft devices, for example, in case of vandalism. Of course, the information provided to the insurer must also be completely accurate.
What to declare when subscribing
When signing the contract, be sure to write down:
- Technical characteristics of your motorcycle.
- The place where it is parked.
- It already has theft protection, such as a certified anti-theft system.
