If you have a motorcycle, it’s important to keep it from being stolen. Let’s get to the point – motorcycles can be targets of theft because they are accessible. And your bike really matters to you, naturally, so you want to protect it. By taking a few simple steps you can protect your bike and prevent motorcycle theft. It just takes a little bit of time and a little bit of remembering!
Tips to prevent motorcycle theft
1. Lock the bike.
Okay, so first things first. When you arrive at your destination, you hop off the bike, right? But here’s the key – you need to turn off the ignition. Just that second that it takes to cut the ignition can prevent your bike from being stolen. After you cut the ignition, you need to lock up the bike too. You can lock the forks (disk brakes) of the bikes, and you can get brightly colored locks. That might help dissuade people from stealing the bike.
2. Lock multiple bikes together.
You might be traveling with a group, and if that’s the case lock the bikes together. It’s probably a bit more logistically difficult to steal multiple bikes that are locked together than a lone bike, right? So, coordinate with your friends and figure out how you are going to get the bikes locked together.
(And if you are on your own, you can lock the bike to an object that can’t be taken apart and can’t be moved – i.e., a light post.)
3. Get an anti-theft device.
You can also get a very loud alarm that will be very noisy if someone tries to mess with your bike. That way people will be alerted if there’s a motorcycle thief on the loose. Alarms can be helpful.
4. Check on your bike.
If you’re out at a public event, check on your bike from time to time. (Particularly right after you arrive.) Of course, you don’t want to be super paranoid about it, but still, it can’t hurt to have a quick look at the motorcycle every so often.
(Also, if possible, you can park the bike close to a security camera. You never know when camera footage could come in handy.)
5. Keep important motorcycle-related documents safe.
You probably want to be careful with the motorcycle’s title. That means stowing it safely in your house rather than leaving it in your saddlebag or in the bike’s compartment. The title is an important piece of paper, after all, and you don’t want anyone to get their hands on it.
And speaking of important pieces of paper, you should keep your insurance information and your motorcycle registration with you when you take your bike out. If something happens, you might need to show these things. Don’t lose track of them.
6. Distinguish your bike.
You can also customize your bike with a unique symbol. That way it looks distinctive. Also, it’s not a bad idea to take pictures of your bike (including your symbol) so that you can show them to the police if need be.
7. Take care when you’re selling the bike.
If you are selling your motorcycle, it’s important to be careful. When someone comes to test drive the bike, don’t give them the title until you’ve had the chance to do a background check and the payment has gone through. (And you should also check the buyer’s personal information against their ID.) You wouldn’t want someone to steal the bike just as you’re trying to sell it.
Keeping your motorcycle safe is important. By taking a few simple steps, you can prevent motorcycle theft and keep your bike from being stolen. And that’s not a bad plan, is it?
Along with preventing motorcycle theft, it’s important to get the right Atlanta motorcycle insurance. Our team would be happy to help you with that, or with helping you get insurance for a car you currently have or a new car. Get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. We like to help people save money on their insurance and we like to make insurance easy.