- Joined
- Jul 27, 2010
- Messages
- 5,788
- Reaction score
- 908
- Location
- Blouberg, Cape Town
- Bike
- KTM 890 Adventure R
My CRF250L was stolen out of my business parking area in Blaauwberg Road, Table View, Cape Town last week (1 June 2021). Could it have been prevented by engaging the steering lock?
After any such an event some soul searching is called for. I am in the habit of parking, hopping off and there you go. No one is going to steal my bike, right?
It sounds like a bike theft syndicate is operating in the area. Two guys on a bike. They search for stealable bikes. The theft happens in seconds. In my case one walked in, pushed the bike out the gate and down the street, and they were gone, most probably in seconds. Later one was seen travelling in a southerly direction in Koeberg Road, so the bike must have been hot wired close by.
There are many ways to stop theft. Fitting a disk brake lock or cable is one way, but it remains a schlep. Engaging the steering lock would have made the bike run in circles only, eating into the precious seconds needed to do the deed. At 144kg the bike is light enough to lift, but two guys carrying a bike by its front wheel could have woken suspicion and kept them from moving as fast as they did.
Not locking the steering has been my bad habit for many years, and the habit has proven to be a costly one. I am not alone. Many bikers visit my shop and we walk to their bikes. In many years only one had the steering lock engaged, so I am not the only one. I think we conveniently forget.
The habit of engaging the steering lock is easy, and it is free (preinstalled on the bike). There is a fair chance that my bike would not have been stolen should it have been engaged I think.
So, do you use your bike's steering lock?
After any such an event some soul searching is called for. I am in the habit of parking, hopping off and there you go. No one is going to steal my bike, right?
It sounds like a bike theft syndicate is operating in the area. Two guys on a bike. They search for stealable bikes. The theft happens in seconds. In my case one walked in, pushed the bike out the gate and down the street, and they were gone, most probably in seconds. Later one was seen travelling in a southerly direction in Koeberg Road, so the bike must have been hot wired close by.
There are many ways to stop theft. Fitting a disk brake lock or cable is one way, but it remains a schlep. Engaging the steering lock would have made the bike run in circles only, eating into the precious seconds needed to do the deed. At 144kg the bike is light enough to lift, but two guys carrying a bike by its front wheel could have woken suspicion and kept them from moving as fast as they did.
Not locking the steering has been my bad habit for many years, and the habit has proven to be a costly one. I am not alone. Many bikers visit my shop and we walk to their bikes. In many years only one had the steering lock engaged, so I am not the only one. I think we conveniently forget.
The habit of engaging the steering lock is easy, and it is free (preinstalled on the bike). There is a fair chance that my bike would not have been stolen should it have been engaged I think.
So, do you use your bike's steering lock?
