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Overall, I wouldn't worry that much about it. Besides, that's what insurance is for.
That's actually pretty comforting.
One, because all of those bikes are worth roughly twice as much as anything I'm looking at. And two, because I'm mostly looking at sporty scooters or small cruisers with high fuel economy, not large supersports with monster engines. Mostly confirms my suspicion that anyone who knows what they're doing probably wouldn't give a damn about mine(parts are said to be cheap too).
I'm also looking at insurance with comprehensive coverage(got my eye on Allstate based on local Yelp reviews). But I'd prefer to use it as a last resort simply because as a new driver(sort of, it's been a while since I drove a car) who hasn't had insurance for a long time, my premiums would already be high.
I'm not TOO worried about it, as I'm pretty sure anyone who could find and disable both the GPS and the alarm(and backup battery) would be smart enough to go for bigger fish than mine.
In the first photo you posted, it looks like there is a larger tree on the left? Looks like you can see a larger trunk and some branches just on the edge of the photo. Everything you've listed to lock up your scooter would deter almost all thieves...they would be looking for the easy-to-grab joy ride, not the chained-to-a-tree one. The weak point would be the bush you showed, but even then I think it's going to more hassle than most thieves want to spend the time with. Just make sure you get the chain down around the base of the shrub where it's thickest.
I was told the board would not be cool with a long chain wrapped around the tree(would be even longer as I was told it has to be parked in front of my stall). Thus, shrub.
I'm actually quite certain the shrub isn't worth the financial risk if I'm slapped with the bill to replace the shrub, on top of a fine. Either that, or I **** off the board president by pointing the finger at him for suggesting it. Probably easier to let the thieves steal the scooter if I'm going to be living here for 5+ years.
On the other hand, the property manager says one of my earlier ideas(to fill a tire with concrete and use that as a makeshift anchor) would likely be fine as it would sit on top of my stall, wouldn't modify the property, and wouldn't cause damage to the property if someone is bold enough to lift a 300 lbs bike and 300 lbs tire out of the lot. Plus, the worst case scenario would simply involve my being asked to remove it, in which case I could roll it away up into my unit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dthraco
Surf buddy had his moped stolen at his work off Beretania. He had gotten in the habit of not locking it up. I'm sure it only took a few drive by's of the right people before they nabbed it.
+1 on theft insurance.
Did they chuck it into a pickup? Or just hotwire and ride off?
Trying to get a picture of whether thieves here cooperate much in order to jack the heavier stuff(300+ lbs).
No idea. It was just gone when he came out of his building. Would have been easy to chuck it into a pickup though.
I can say this, if they are willing to lift a 300lb tire, they are going to get it one way or another. There are organized thieves here, no question.
Very true, and I'm not trying to protect myself from the pros. More along the lines of a few unscrupulous fellows with no job and plenty of time on their hands, and not well equipped to disarm and remove a GPS device in a moving vehicle while a 125+ dB alarm is screaming into their ears. Bunch of bored bros so to speak, if we're avoiding racial terms.
I figure people with skills would either fish around the nicer parts of town or UH campus where the rich kids park their 650cc crotch rockets and do something real stupid like only lock up the wheel. And I figure budding criminals or drug junkies are more likely to hang around Waikiki and Downtown/Chinatown(according to HPD crime map).
Again, just to deter the neighborhood shoplifters, and maybe buy me enough time to run across the street from work to greet the punks with sticky fingers... or to find out that my mom smacked into my bike with her stereotypical old asian woman driving.
It's just a cost/benefit game. Pros ought to recognize the layers of security(and perhaps assume I have more they can't see), as well as that microdot decal sticker, which would likely mean that they would have to run over every part with UV light and physically sand off any marked parts in order to remove all identification from the vehicle beyond VIN number and license plate. Plenty of work for a vehicle with around $4,000 MSRP. Might as well find a nice looking car that doesn't have an alarm and just swipe that instead.
Funny, but I've been thinking "Why don't you just buy a nice looking car with an alarm instead?"
Because as I said earlier, parking on campus takes just as long as the hour-long bus ride, if not longer.
Is there also a problem with a college student working a job with a mortgage wanting something with good fuel economy so I don't shell out $30-$40 per fillup every 2 weeks? Then there's the issue of having only one assigned stall per unit(that's why I have to park it in FRONT of the car), and adding the headache of finding street parking and walking 20 minutes home on top of the headache of circling around the lots at college for an hour trying to find parking. Might as well lose out on the 2 hours a day and just catch The Bus to save myself the money, adding to my current stress of working 36+ hours a week on top of maintaining my 4.0 GPA and hopefully getting my BBA in Accounting before I turn 35.
No prob right?
This is still a free country right?
My mother was busy forgetting she wasn't in Communist China anymore and wanted to decide for me what I'm going to spend my money on(it WILL be a moped damnit, cuz mopeds w/ bicycle helmet & no training = safe and motorcycles in ATGATT & MSF Basic Rider's Course = dangerous) before I pointed out that the "mopeds" she sees on the streets are actually motor scooters(you can tell because you don't totally blow by them in traffic) and can go as fast as most motorcycles.
I should also add that most states would change the classification of a theft crime from petty theft to a felony, depending on the value of the property. Even the sentence of the crime could vary within the same class of felony, again depending on the value of the property in question.
I should add as well that $1,000 and under PoS Chinese 50cc mopeds have a notorious reputation for breaking down frequently and ultimately costing more to repair than it does to buy a brand new one. So the high demand for parts is understandable.
Keep the chain up high off the ground on the frame and wheel so the potential thief can't get any leverage with cutters. Like with his feet but then again they sell a lot of cordless tools these days.
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. And I figure budding criminals or drug junkies are more likely to hang around Waikiki and Downtown/Chinatown(according to HPD crime map).
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