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If they're going to cut my chain with power tools in broad daylight about 5 feet away from a busy intersection, then there's probably nothing I can do about it.
I was actually warming up to the idea of simply parking it, not locked to anything at all.
There are 3 CCTV cameras in the lot(the half-globe kind), all covering the two vehicle entrances, but not my spot itself. I also figure the greatest opening is during the day, but there would be an incredibly high risk of one of my neighbors walking either in or out at the same time(6 units per floor, 7 occupied floors, 42 potential households barring vacant units, multiple people per unit). It's a very busy intersection, with a squad car(likely nearby) on site today at a traffic accident inside of 2 minutes, and ambulance within 5 minutes. I figure thieves would want to make their attempt in the middle of the night, but there will be a car parked in front of it, with one of the wheels locked, making it extremely difficult to move even lifting it(and no room for 2 people).
I also checked my old place about 2 blocks away. Considerably lower traffic, but there's a park nearby where some unscrupulous characters hang out at night. There are 5 bikes parked in a spot in the back of the building(DEEP inside), 4 moped/scooters, 1 large sport bike(Kawasaki Ninja or similar), none of them locked to a solid object, and none of them covered, and 2 more moped/scooters a bit closer to the entrance, 7 total. The history of the building(from what I know) is 2 attempted break-ins, and the security gate has been broken for about a year, so anyone can roll their cars in.
I figure if my old place has less potential witnesses(and arguably less potential passerby thieves scouting their next ride), then perhaps the chances are good that nothing would happen. I guess if someone were crazy, they would try. But I'd like to think a druggie wouldn't have a van(probably because they sold it for drug money), wouldn't drive very well or far with a 120 dB alarm screaming into their ears, and wouldn't think to tear out the GPS unit.
I dont see the reason you putting so much effort into this. just go do what you going to do. almost everyone will tell you-you will be a victim-its just a matter of WHEN.
I was hoping professionals would want something more valuable, typically for its parts. So supersports, whatever's super common, and whatever gets crashed a lot.
I was going to go with a concrete filled planter pot, just stick some soil and a plant on top. Not to disguise it, but to decrease the chances of HOA making a fuss over it.
Some other options might be putting a lo-jack or whatever they call those tracking devices on it so if it does get lifted you can track it.
Another option might be covering the thing with duct tape and making it look old and nasty so it doesn't get messed with. I had a friend who would buy a brand new moped and a dozen rolls of duct tape at the same time. When he wanted to resell the moped it did take awhile to get all the tape sticky off, but once it was off, the 'ped looked like new. At least, in the places where the duct tape had been.
Or put a custom colored seat on it so when it gets stolen and spray canned black, you'll still be able to ID it as yours at a glance.
Some 'peds get stolen for joy rides. If that is so, then you may get it back spray canned black although with the lo-jack, you might get it back before it got sprayed. Some 'peds get stolen for parts. If they take off the lo-jack part quickly, you may not get much back.
In any case, you don't have to run faster than the bear, you just have to run faster than the other guy. Just make sure your 'ped isn't the easy one to grab or the most desirable one to grab.
Some other options might be putting a lo-jack or whatever they call those tracking devices on it so if it does get lifted you can track it.
Yep, looking at one that comes with a siren. Also has more functions(app on iPhone) and costs less than Lojack I believe.
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Another option might be covering the thing with duct tape and making it look old and nasty so it doesn't get messed with. I had a friend who would buy a brand new moped and a dozen rolls of duct tape at the same time. When he wanted to resell the moped it did take awhile to get all the tape sticky off, but once it was off, the 'ped looked like new. At least, in the places where the duct tape had been.
I personally like my duct tape cover idea better, though I'm not sure that's even necessary since birds will crap over my spot.
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Or put a custom colored seat on it so when it gets stolen and spray canned black, you'll still be able to ID it as yours at a glance.
If they can't dye or change out the seat, they probably aren't going to be able to swipe my bike.
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Some 'peds get stolen for joy rides. If that is so, then you may get it back spray canned black although with the lo-jack, you might get it back before it got sprayed. Some 'peds get stolen for parts. If they take off the lo-jack part quickly, you may not get much back.
I doubt a joyrider could A) cut my chain and B) remove my GPS. If they could, they evidently have enough resources to steal an actual crotch rocket or a Harley, or even buy something that goes faster than mine.
Parts wise that's a little sketchy for me. From what a former motorcycle thief and police say, supersports or anything commonplace, goes very fast, and gets crashed a lot are the ones with high demand for parts. That really doesn't sound like the case for a 150cc scooter or even 250cc starter bikes.
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In any case, you don't have to run faster than the bear, you just have to run faster than the other guy. Just make sure your 'ped isn't the easy one to grab or the most desirable one to grab.
Well, whatever I buy is cheaper than most motorcycles you see riding down the street, but it's still going to be more expensive than any moped or scooter you see(other than Piaggio and Vespa). There's a motorcycle and a scooter in the same lot, both with cheap and thick chains from Home Depot wrapped around stone columns, but mine isn't locked up to any fixed object. So it's kind of a coin toss what will happen.
I'm not sure when theft became the state sport for Hawaii, but it pretty much is. Hell, the islanders will steal anything that isn't nailed down...then come back with a crowbar to steal the nails, too. I had some problems with theft (funny you mention Micros, they got pinched and guess who, both times?), and everyone I know who owned a moped or crotch rocket DID have it stolen when I was living there (will be there again soon) so take that into consideration. Too bad we can't shoot 'em like they can in Texas, I know that would make them think twice.
I was hoping professionals would want something more valuable, typically for its parts. So supersports, whatever's super common, and whatever gets crashed a lot.
I was going to go with a concrete filled planter pot, just stick some soil and a plant on top. Not to disguise it, but to decrease the chances of HOA making a fuss over it.
The more inherently dangerous the two-wheeled vehicle is, the more likely it will be stolen. Ridiculously suped up mopeds will disappear within a week regardless of how well you lock them up. Race bikes are also hot targets. Probably not an option for "cool" kids, but I say stay away from bikes idiots generally like to own/operate. That will reduce the chance of theft by about 99%. Remember the idiot/thief correlation... it runs strong here in the isles; if enough idiots want your bike, it will be stolen. I own a large maxi-scooter and I can park that monster anywhere, no locks, no alarm. Thieves run from it. Waay back in the day, I had a Honda Elite and Yamaha Razz scooter. I had to religiously lock those two bikes up (they didn't make alarms for bikes back then). Amazingly, neither were ever stolen.
I'm not sure when theft became the state sport for Hawaii, but it pretty much is. Hell, the islanders will steal anything that isn't nailed down...then come back with a crowbar to steal the nails, too. I had some problems with theft (funny you mention Micros, they got pinched and guess who, both times?), and everyone I know who owned a moped or crotch rocket DID have it stolen when I was living there (will be there again soon) so take that into consideration. Too bad we can't shoot 'em like they can in Texas, I know that would make them think twice.
I guess it depends where you park it, when, and with what(alarm? chains?). I know street parking can be a PITA since there's nothing you can legally chain it to aside from other bikes.
Still, as I said. Old place, 6 mopeds/scooters & 1 sport bike, nothing stolen AFAIK. There was even a pink bicycle with a flimsy cable wrapped around a short concrete post that made me /facepalm.
New place, 1 moped/scooter, 1 motorcycle. Only reported thefts in 5 years(that the board president was there) was one unlocked moped, and one car(though I don't know if that had an alarm or not). Don't know if that was before CCTV cameras were installed.
Theft is rampant in Waikiki and Downtown/Chinatown areas, but from the flimsy cable locks I see still attached to the bike frames on the sidewalk holding a disassembled frame or wheel, the thieves evidently don't spend much time in their theft, and aren't even carrying bolt cutters.
Would be interesting to hear how you had those things locked, whether there were any alarms, any covers, and where you parked them(busy street? day or not?).
The more inherently dangerous the two-wheeled vehicle is, the more likely it will be stolen. Ridiculously suped up mopeds will disappear within a week regardless of how well you lock them up. Race bikes are also hot targets. Probably not an option for "cool" kids, but I say stay away from bikes idiots generally like to own/operate. That will reduce the chance of theft by about 99%. Remember the idiot/thief correlation... it runs strong here in the isles; if enough idiots want your bike, it will be stolen. I own a large maxi-scooter and I can park that monster anywhere, no locks, no alarm. Thieves run from it. Waay back in the day, I had a Honda Elite and Yamaha Razz scooter. I had to religiously lock those two bikes up (they didn't make alarms for bikes back then). Amazingly, neither were ever stolen.
Huh. Would be kind of interesting how they tell whether a moped is modified for speed or not, unless they take the thing apart on the spot.
I know testosterone overloaded guys typically like 500cc+ sports/supersports that go from 0 to 60 in a few seconds, and a traffic division officer swears people pop wheelies on the freeway at 80 mph on a modified moped.
I do have my sights on a Honda PCX scooter because it's sporty looking, even though it's 153cc. Not sure if thieves are into that.
I actually think the idiot/thief correlation is more like:
Idiots crash the bikes, thus creating a demand for parts.
Thieves steal the bikes, thus creating a cheap supply for parts.
You might get an idiot thief, but I think it's just the idiots that dictate what bikes are targeted. I suspect something like a cruiser or something ridden more for comfort and fuel economy is the way to go.
Huh. Would be kind of interesting how they tell whether a moped is modified for speed or not, unless they take the thing apart on the spot.
I know testosterone overloaded guys typically like 500cc+ sports/supersports that go from 0 to 60 in a few seconds, and a traffic division officer swears people pop wheelies on the freeway at 80 mph on a modified moped.
I do have my sights on a Honda PCX scooter because it's sporty looking, even though it's 153cc. Not sure if thieves are into that.
I actually think the idiot/thief correlation is more like:
Idiots crash the bikes, thus creating a demand for parts.
Thieves steal the bikes, thus creating a cheap supply for parts.
You might get an idiot thief, but I think it's just the idiots that dictate what bikes are targeted. I suspect something like a cruiser or something ridden more for comfort and fuel economy is the way to go.
Nope. The correlation is simple. Some idiots are thieves. All thieves are idiots. They are peas in a pod. Any product that is highly desirable to idiots will always be a prime target by thieves. Why do you think Honda Civics are the most stolen vehicle in Hawaii year after year? Because the idiot kiddies absolutely love to grossly over modify them into noise-making road torpedoes. Same goes for mopeds that are modified by similar low-IQ kiddies; they like to race them around and make a racket endangering everyone around them in the process. Same deal with modified and stock race bikes.
It is extremely simple to distinguish 99% of mopeds that have been modified. I'm not talking about removing the limiter/governor (which is almost always done by the moped importer/seller) but rather installing aftermarket equipment like exhaust systems, removing DOT equipment like rear view mirrors, etc. Those mopeds that are used solely for commuting from home to school/work look VERY different from those that are used for "cruising" with buddies, racing or just "showing off". It's no different than spotting a modified Honda Civic vs a stock one.
The Honda PCX is not desirable to thieves that sell stolen goods to the black market. It's basically a small maxi-scooter. They are too "dorky" to be desirable by thieves. They operate at roughly the same top speed as illegally modified mopeds but require licensing, insurance and annual registration/safety checks to operate legally on the road; those requirements make them even less desirable to thieves as these bikes are easier to track down after being stolen. Having said that, you still need to secure your bike. Crackhead thieves (unprofessional thieves that don't have a specific black market to sell their stolen goods to) don't care about cameras or alarms. They'll just keep going at your bike until someone runs after them in which case they flee until they find another unsecured bike, chair, car, laptop, whatever to run off with. The good thing is the crackheads generally don't bother if it's secured. So secure your bike to anything. Even a metal stake driven deep into the ground with a metal eye hook and decent cable should deter them. The board shouldn't have a problem with a metal stake into dirt as long as there isn't any infrastructure underground and it's not a trip hazard.
Last edited by pj737; 06-30-2014 at 07:31 PM..
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