Disc Locks - worth it?

[truckerdave]

I have a cheap but tough disc lock. All it does is keep someone from casually rolling it away. We try to park in motel parking lots four bikes to a parking space with the bikes with locks on the outside. Assuming cars or more bikes are on each side that prevents them being thrown in a van. I might also add that if you forget your disc lock and try to ride away, you go a couple of feet and come to a abrupt stop. It amuses small children.

 

[omega man]

Leaving your bike in 5th gear slows a quick roll-away.
OM

 

[brownie0486]

On the disk locks, if someone tries to roll the bike away and isn't successful due to the disk lock, will the bike need to be towed because the lock messed up the rotor/caliper?

What are the odds they damage that rotor/caliper enough that it disables the bike and the trip you're on gets suspended/delayed etc?

 

[bc1100s]

What are the odds they damage that rotor/caliper enough that it disables the bike and the trip you're on gets suspended/delayed etc?

Virtually zero.

 

[brownie0486]

Virtually zero.

Zero? I wonder if there's video of someone ramming that lock into the caliper in their excitement to push it away that shows there's zero chance of damage.

I've read examples of people starting to pull away having forgot it was there that bent a rotor. So what you're suggesting is someone who aggressively tries to roll the bike away won't damage your rotor, zero chance of that happening?

I sure wish I had your confidence in their not being damaged by some thief trying to abscond with the motor.

 

[truckerdave]

Trust me, if you try to ride off with the disc lock still attached you won't be going fast enough to damage anything but your pride. Ask me how i know.

 

[bc1100s]

Zero? I wonder if there's video of someone ramming that lock into the caliper in their excitement to push it away that shows there's zero chance of damage.

I've read examples of people starting to pull away having forgot it was there that bent a rotor. So what you're suggesting is someone who aggressively tries to roll the bike away won't damage your rotor, zero chance of that happening?

I sure wish I had your confidence in their not being damaged by some thief trying to abscond with the motor.

Make up your mind, Brownie. Its either the thief is pushing the bike away or the owner has forgotten to remove the lock. Not both. Ask Truckerdave for the answer on the second part. And please tell me how much speed the thief might get up to while pushing a 500+ pound motorcycle 2-3 feet until the lock stops against the brake caliper. And do you think thieves don't check the bikes they're about to steal?

You seem to be like that kid in the cereal commercial from years ago - you hate everything.

 

[Rainman48]

On the disk locks, if someone tries to roll the bike away and isn't successful due to the disk lock, will the bike need to be towed because the lock messed up the rotor/caliper?

What are the odds they damage that rotor/caliper enough that it disables the bike and the trip you're on gets suspended/delayed etc?

An honest set of questions that have no definitive answers, but there are ways to minimize the possibilities if you consider the "type" of jack-wagon that is moving the bike (including the owner). By "type" I mean those ranging from someone who could have accidently touched the bike, to someone who wanted to sit on your pretty bike or set their kid on it for a fun picture, to being a sneaky opportunistic thief who wants to ride the bike away, to being a heavy-handed pro team of two or more that want to lift it into a U-Haul and drive away with it.

First - the disc lock itself. And let's keep it to "disc locks" - those devices that attach to and/or surround the brake disc rotors, and are not U-bolts or chains, or cables that include going through wheels or other frame members/swingarms, etc. Some of them have pins designed to go through the holes in drilled brake rotors, and others have pins and throat sizes designed to fit entirely around the inner and outer diameters of a single brake disc. All of them rely on having obstructions on or around the whole wheel that will stop the wheel itself from rolling - like the brake caliper, or a suspension part like a fork tube, or even a fender. The cheapest disc locks are just a lock itself, and the more expensive ones include increasingly better metallurgical properties, and add increasingly sophisticated sensitivity to the motion detecting components to set off alarms. OK?

So, to answer your concerns. A smart disc-lock owner positions the lock as close as possible to the brake caliper in the direction the bike is likely to be moved. That means no rolling inertia of the bike itself before stopping by contact. That minimizes damage, depending on the type of jack-wagon. You don't place the disc lock say on the front of the wheel or near the top of the front fender if it would be rolling forward. That gives an intentional thief a possible 1/4 - 3/4 turn of the wheel to bang into a fork tube or brake caliper or fender, and hurt something - as well as the rider themselves by dropping their bike while underway (as others here have admittedly experienced). , and that could ruin your trip. Keep in mind, that as the lock is on or around the disc itself, even yanking the handlebars around (if they weren't locked) keeps the lock and disc in the same plane if you will, so damage to the rotor is minimal - it's unlikely to become "warped". The fork tube or caliper? Probably more, depending again on the jack-wagon. If the thieves have good tools (angle grinder) they are more likely to cut your rotor and/or the lock and ruin your trip anyway no matter what type of protection you think you have.

If you include an alarm - either as part of the disc lock or on the bike itself - you have the added benefit of having a deterrent to theft or molesting before they or you (the rider) get too far in the act - either intentional or not. Personally, I wouldn't want a disc lock that didn't have an alarm that would keep me from moving the bike the instant I tipped it off the kick stand, grabbed the handlebars or put a leg over it.

Oh, and most importantly, have full coverage insurance the instant you buy that bike.

Does that help?

P.S. Go back to post # 10 provided by rickdm and view at least the first two videos. I'll give you a hint. The guy making the videos is a motorcycle security guy working for a popular motorcycle insurance company in England. In a nutshell, ANY deterrent to thief provides a proven 3 to 10 times less likely chance of having a thief even attempt it. Or stick to your cover and hope somebody with a pocket knife won't relieve you of it only to find out it's an "undesirable" BMW and he shouldn't have looked to begin with.

 

[brownie0486]

Make up your mind, Brownie. Its either the thief is pushing the bike away or the owner has forgotten to remove the lock. Not both. Ask Truckerdave for the answer on the second part. And please tell me how much speed the thief might get up to while pushing a 500+ pound motorcycle 2-3 feet until the lock stops against the brake caliper. And do you think thieves don't check the bikes they're about to steal?

You seem to be like that kid in the cereal commercial from years ago - you hate everything.

Well, here's the way I'm looking at it. If the bike gets damaged and I can't ride it/finish the trip, I've got to find a dealer closest by, find a tow, then wait how many days before the bike is fixed OR, it gets stolen and I call an uber to the nearest airport for a trip back home.

But according to those in the know here, there's NO risk of the rotor or caliber being damaged if some turd decides to get aggressive pushing it and then find out it's got the lock on the rotor. So he may not get the bike, but he's caused me more headaches than if he'd just absconded with it.

I did some research, and several people that have forgotten to take the lock off before pushing off have bent a rotor on occasion. One damaging the caliper. Now, that may be, they didn't place it on the rotor properly as has been suggested by others here.

This thread on disk locks has been informative, especially the placement of the disk lock on the rotor. Who knew one could use it improperly

 

[r0ckrat]

If I were using a disc lock, I would get one with an alarm, first and foremost. That way IF someone tries to move it, it makes noise so that they know there is an issue somewhere, and either abandon stealing it or remembers the lock to be removed. (The ones I've seen are VERY LOUD...)

Now, if I was concerned about damage from it rolling if it didn't have an alarm, I'd ALWAYS park the bike with the tire against something, either front or rear, to prevent it from rolling in one direction. Then I'd mount the lock so that it couldn't move more than an inch or two in the other direction before the lock stops the motion. Back tire against a curb, lock as close to the front caliper as possible. Front tire against a curb/wall/etc., lock as close to something hard in the other direction.

Third, I'd always use a leash as a quick indicator that there's a lock on there.

This will prevent damage (other than possible paint chips) as you aren't going to get much oomph behind rolling it either direction if it can only move an inch or two, and only in 1 direction.

The damage I have always heard about was a lock (either U-Lock or brake lock) not placed carefully on the front, and attempting to ride away *under power*, so that the engine provides all that torque, and the lock was placed at the bottom of wheel rotation, allowing a full 1/4 turn or more before striking hard parts. Most of these stories come from counter people at Eagle Rider - when they provided anything other than cable locks (as they were required to provide locks) and the renter would forget, try to take off, bend a disk and scratch up the paint on the bike from dropping it...

If you always tether it with the colorful cable to the throttle, then you will never forget about it.

 

[r0ckrat]

Even if some guys keep remarking that even with a disc lock a couple of guys can pick up your bike and put it in a truck and zoom away, they are still a reasonable deterrent for the casual thief or bike "molester", and those disc locks with built in alarms just might scare them away or let you hear what's going on with your bike when they are moved - even in the slightest.

Like I said previously, I used to have a Xena brand disc lock and thought it was pretty good. I even found their web site again today and see they have now expanded their line to include bluetooth connectivity with your phone via an app that makes setting up parameters like sensitivity to movement, alarm volume, alarm duration, timing of repeat alarms, and even set the alarm armed or off from your phone. Note: it doesn't notify you when the alarm is triggered, but BT only works about 33 feet, so I wouldn't expect it to. It's just simpler to set up or change the parameters than carrying around a paper manual should you need to. I happen to like that idea as I set my alarm off a few times just trying to disable it with a key. The brand continues to include their "standard" versions that have all the setting available, just not the BT and therefore don't use the phone app.

Any hooey, I ordered one of their BT models this afternoon (XX10 BLE) and am looking forward to getting it. You can buy a number of the "standard" models from Amazon or Revzilla, but they don't have (or aren't authorized) to sell the new BT models. There is only one distributor for the USA & Canada who can, and that's Tristan at Lockandloud.com in Florida.

I'll give the standard disclaimer: I don't work for, get commissioned, or paid by this manufacturer or their vendor. I'm just trying to pass information on to those who might be interested.

Here is the manufacturer's web site:
https://www.xenasecurity.com/

Here is the USA Distributer's web site:
Lockandloud.com

I wrote Tristan about shipping and product availability (in stock or not) using their Contact Us page. Within an hour (probably quicker) he wrote back they use USPS flat rate prices ($6.75), he has the XX15 and XX10 models in Bluetooth in stock but doesn't have the XX14 model and won't get any more until next year. He recommended the XX10 and I bought it. It's the same specs as the XX14 just a 10mm diameter pin vs. a 14mm pin. Also, no sales tax charged to my state. So with a discount code he freely gave me, I got a 20% discount plus saved the 11% sales tax I normally would have. I don't feel like stating the code because I don't know the reason why or terms, but I'd use the same Contact Us on his distributor web site to see he he's handing them out when asked.

P.S. His price was better than Revzilla by $10 even before his 20% discount so that beats Revzilla's free shipping right off the bat.

Before choosing this, check out this video - sounds like they have a tendency for the alarm to fail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mb0KGCkJr0

 

[r0ckrat]

And, if they make one with an alarm, sounds like the Abus Granite is the hardest to pick...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D_vCWzX_Rw

 

[Rainman48]

Before choosing this, check out this video - sounds like they have a tendency for the alarm to fail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mb0KGCkJr0

I love watching the Lock Picking Lawyer's videos, he's unquestionably the best at "picking" and that is what he likes showing. He never tests any brute force attempts to break or remove locks on anything. I tried to determine when that video was made but the best I can determine was at least 3 years ago as those are the oldest comments by reviewers. The real problem with this video is twofold:

1) he bought REALLY OLD, most likely USED, Xena alarm(s) off of eBay and those alarms were dead on arrival. As he says, he had bought at least two the same way and referenced having tried 6 batteries. Not too smart really.

2) Those particular locks he bought of that vintage were of squared off zinc with the battery and alarm module on the body facing the "outside" of the bike. They were not the rounded stainless steel of the company's newer locks they are selling with the alarm and battery module on the "inside" of the thinner throat piece which faces the inside of the wheel. Even on my at least 6 year old "missing" Xena alarm, it had the modern body design being sold today and its alarm worked very well right up to the day it went AWOL maybe 2 years ago. Just like here, you see more nay-sayers about problems than those who don't. Guess I'll find out if the alarm on the new one works just as well. With a 3 year warranty I'm not too worried. It's at least as good as my BMW's that are still working well past that.

And, if they make one with an alarm, sounds like the Abus Granite is the hardest to pick...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D_vCWzX_Rw

True, but on this issue I'll just say again: most thieves of motorcycles in particular don't pick disc locks. They don't want to get on the ground with a 120db alarm screaming in their ears while trying to pick a lock. They mostly jam screwdrivers into the OEM ignition lock cylinders to punch them out on other non-alarmed bikes so they can ride away or roll them away and lift them into a truck.

 

[88bmwjeff]

I'm remember this from around 1990, one of the TV news-report shows (e.g. 20/20, 60 Minutes, etc.) had a "professional" ex-car thief test the top-rated car alarms of the day. There are things I remember from the expose. One, the ex-car thief said he looked for cars with alarms. It told him there was something of value in the car. Second, it showed him breaking into and driving off in a Porsche 911 with a top-rated alarm system. He was able to break into the car and drive off relatively quickly--I think it was around 15 seconds (my memory could be incorrect here, but it was relatively quick). Granted things have changed dramatically since 1990 with both car alarms and thieves. But, it does show how quickly a professional can disable an alarm and drive off. Also, how at least one thief chose his targets.

My thoughts are this: don't leave anything of value in or on your vehicle, and if you have to, keep it out of sight. My goal is to make the car look empty when I'm not in it. Second, have it properly insured in case it does get stolen.

As others have mentioned. The disc lock will discourage some thieves, but if a professional wants your bike, they will most likely get it. If the disc lock gives you peace of mind, then use it.