Bike Security on Overnight Stays

JAGI00

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Dec 18, 2012
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Up till now I've just being doing day trips but I'm planning to do a few overnighters whilst the weather is still so good. What do you guys do about securing your bike overnight? Is theft of big bikes an issue up here?

Cheers
John
 

Pgt066

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Jan 31, 2005
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Simple common sense measures work.

Selecting a respectable place to bed down. Parking it close to your room, in front of security, in front of the main office. A simple brake rotor lock, and perhaps a lightweight tesco motorcycle cover can also help.

I am sure there are some horror stories out there, but I think a few low tech precautions can go a long way.
 

JAGI00

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Dec 18, 2012
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Pgt066;286796 wrote: Simple common sense measures work.

Selecting a respectable place to bed down. Parking it close to your room, in front of security, in front of the main office. A simple brake rotor lock, and perhaps a lightweight tesco motorcycle cover can also help.

I am sure there are some horror stories out there, but I think a few low tech precautions can go a long way.
Thanks, you have more or less confirmed what I was hoping to hear. I was considering adding a disk lock with alarm but the Xena one seems to have too many false alarms. The Gorilla Alarm with pager seems like a good solution but not sure if it is available here - maybe a bit expensive with Thai import tax added unless I can get someone to hand carry in.
 
Aug 25, 2012
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I think a lot also depends on what bike, and which city / town / mooban. For eg, if you are staying in Chiang Mai, then I reckon the risks are definitely higher than say Pang Mapha.

With the exception of Chiang Mai (where Phil of RC kindly allowed me to park my bike overnight there), the only other time I was a little concerned was having to park on the street in Chiang Khanburi. In all the other places, I always parked in the hotel parking and was never concerned. Did not even lock the steering though I think I will start to do so now, to avoid tempting fate. Some of the overnighters included Petchabun, Na Haeo, Chiang Khong, Pang Mapha, Mae Sot, Uttaradit, Kamphaeng Phet, but all usually in the hotel / resort compound.
 

KZ25

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Nov 19, 2011
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I went to a hardware store, got me 2 meters of a strong chain, sprayed it with DW40 (or Sonax) and pulled it through a plastic hose.

The chain fits around an electricity pole and through the rear rim, making it difficult to lift the bike onto a pick-up.

Cost me less than 500 B including a big lock.
 

DavidFL

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Jan 16, 2003
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Chiang Khong
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Arh not a problem up country. Steering lock, hotel / guesthouse car park.

On my AT the steering lock was broken for the last 150,000 kms & I never worried about it.
Perhaps it was too well known to steal, or too high for the local thieves to get on & ride away with.
But whose going to steal your bike up-country & not be noticed by every man & his dog in town? What's he doing on that bike?

Ride & enjoy & relax.
But if you drink too much don't forget where you park your bike John.
 
Aug 29, 2011
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KZ25;286805 wrote: I went to a hardware store, got me 2 meters of a strong chain, sprayed it with DW40 (or Sonax) and pulled it through a plastic hose.

The chain fits around an electricity pole and through the rear rim, making it difficult to lift the bike onto a pick-up.

Cost me less than 500 B including a big lock.
Trouble is, at the same shop you bought the WD40, plastic hose etc....they also sells 3' foot long bolt cutters for 1,500thb!! I've not seen the Kryptonite bolt cutter proof chains in Thailand.

If bad guys are in the area & see something they want...it's gone! Thankfully it is a pretty rare occurrence in most parts of Thailand.
 

KZ25

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Nov 19, 2011
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Sure, nothing is 100% safe, a chain keeps only unprofessional thieves away. Cars are searched often by police and locals don't want to be caught with a boltcutter.

But I'd still have my bike if it was chained to something, the thieves came into my dead-end street, turned around and left - no time for cutting!

That said I agree it doesn't happen too often, one bike stolen in eleven years is no reason to worry.
 

Deano747

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Aug 24, 2008
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If you go the disc lock option, don't do the alarm. They all seem to go off for no reason. Also add the 1 Baht option, a 2 metre length of string attached to the disc lock that you loop around the handlebar whenever the disc lock is fitted. The length of chain is a good idea, but a little bulky, and as mentioned, you won't stop a determined thief anyway. I went with 2 bicycle type locks. Around 2 metres in length, but fairly lightweight steel cable plastic coated and in a spiral with the lock attached. One around the front wheel and forks, and one around the back wheel and frame. They are small and light enough to wind around the mirror stalks when you are riding. They were about 300 Baht each and brightly coloured so quite visible. Probably a little over the top, but with no theft insurance on rented bikes, and the hassle of having your transport disappear during a holiday, it seemed prudent.
 

JAGI00

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Dec 18, 2012
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Davidfl;286812 wrote: Arh not a problem up country. Steering lock, hotel / guesthouse car park.

On my AT the steering lock was broken for the last 150,000 kms & I never worried about it.
Perhaps it was too well known to steal, or too high for the local thieves to get on & ride away with.
But whose going to steal your bike up-country & not be noticed by every man & his dog in town? What's he doing on that bike?

Ride & enjoy & relax.
But if you drink too much don't forget where you park your bike John.
That's reasssuring David, I wondered if the problem would be mainly in the more populated south. However, as one poster noted, let common sense prevail and leave it in as secure location as possible.

If anyone has a problem with remembering where he left his bike 'the morning after', maybe fitting a GPS tracker would be adviseable but stopping drinking would be a bit cheaper!
 

Mactao

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Oct 22, 2012
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I don't really understand why you are saying that the alarm on disc lock is going off for no reason... I am using a Xena for 6 years and before even when my bike was parked outside my home, right under my bedroom window, I was putting it. Never had it go off for no reason, unless a cat was passing by and touching the thing... I guess if you use it properly, position it as it should and let it keep an horizontal position, you don't have problems. I never had problems and used it a lot.

For me it is a very efficient safety device for overnight stays, especially if you can park the bike close enough to your room to hear if the alarm goes off which in the countryside in Thailand is most of the time. It will not prevent someone to load the bike on a truck but you will hear that something is going on before that happens! Or even if you don't hear yourself someone else will hear and will probably come to see whats the hell is going on. It is small, light, easy to carry and for me once i put it on it really give me the peace of mind...
An exemple when I was in Turkey, I was sleeping in a bungalow and parked my bike about 100m away, some teenage kids came back drunk at 2 o'clock at night and started to try if they could seat on my bike and play rodeo... The alarm went on, I was on the deck of my bungalow, I just walk 20m to see the bike and saw them running away just scared about the noise of the bloody thing. Not nice for the people that were sleeping but it is doing the trick for me....
 
Apr 23, 2006
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I note the comment re. no theft insurance on rented bikes. I rented a Honda vTwin for a friend of mine 3 years ago from Tony's Big Bikes & to be fair - a chain & lock was provided. Had no problems so far myself. If in ChiangMai we use the Tapae Place Hotel & park bike near front door, they have all night security. Have used Weerachai (maybe wrong spelling, it's in the soi almost opposite Tapae Place) they have security & lock the gate at night. Other places we've used in Pua, Nan & so on have always had a suitable parking area. Suggest just choose a night stop with care.
 
Mar 30, 2010
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JAGI00;286799 wrote: Thanks, you have more or less confirmed what I was hoping to hear. I was considering adding a disk lock with alarm but the Xena one seems to have too many false alarms. The Gorilla Alarm with pager seems like a good solution but not sure if it is available here - maybe a bit expensive with Thai import tax added unless I can get someone to hand carry in.
http://www.xenasecurity.com/faqs/DisclockAlarm/page1/

You can adjust the sensitivity of your XENA disc-lock alarm by positioning it at different points on your brake disc.

Alarm too sensitive: Place at 6 o’clock on disk.
Alarm not sensitive enough: Place at 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock on disc.

Cheers
Brian
 
Jan 21, 2011
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I'm always use a xena X15 never had a false alarm. You never have 100% guaranty whatever you do. A good lock and parking near the the security reduces the risk of theft..........if they are not sleeping ;)