One concern about Motorcycles

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Nutella

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I've become very interested into eventually getting a motorcycle. I don't know too much as I'm turning 17 this year and don't have anybody i can ask about motorcycles, so I was just wondering how likely is it for a bike to get stolen? I live in Toronto and I don't think I'm in too bad of an area, I've run into some trouble but like those weren't much and I've already read that if i bike were to get stolen sometimes there's just no much you can do.

So basically is it very likely for a bike to get stolen here in like just normal parts of Toronto and any advice on how to make this less likely?

* I know about motorcycle insurance but any other advice?
 
Underground garages seem to be where most bikes are stolen. Do you have a secure place to keep a bike?
 
Nutella said:
I've become very interested into eventually getting a motorcycle. I don't know too much as I'm turning 17 this year and don't have anybody i can ask about motorcycles, so I was just wondering how likely is it for a bike to get stolen? I live in Toronto and I don't think I'm in too bad of an area, I've run into some trouble but like those weren't much and I've already read that if i bike were to get stolen sometimes there's just no much you can do.

So basically is it very likely for a bike to get stolen here in like just normal parts of Toronto and any advice on how to make this less likely?

* I know about motorcycle insurance but any other advice?
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You should be fine because you are at an age where owning a supersport would cost you a year's paycheque, this forces you to get less likely to be stolen bikes.

Bikes getting backed into though are very common =(
 
Nutella said:
I've become very interested into eventually getting a motorcycle. I don't know too much as I'm turning 17 this year and don't have anybody i can ask about motorcycles, so I was just wondering how likely is it for a bike to get stolen? I live in Toronto and I don't think I'm in too bad of an area, I've run into some trouble but like those weren't much and I've already read that if i bike were to get stolen sometimes there's just no much you can do.

So basically is it very likely for a bike to get stolen here in like just normal parts of Toronto and any advice on how to make this less likely?

* I know about motorcycle insurance but any other advice?
Click to expand...

It really depends where you are. A big place for bikes to get stolen is in condo or apartment underground lots. They just come in a van pick it up and drive off.

If you are worried, just get theft protection from insurance on the bike. It wont cost that much more per year. I'm not sure how you can really make it less likely. If you live in a house with a private garage park it there, parking on the street is usually fine if you go out downtown and such and its a high traffic area I would think.

You can possible chain the bike, ie secure it to something in the ground or something else with some heavy duty chains. Usually criminals will want to just come in, take it and leave right away so the more obstacles such as securing the bike to a spot you put in their way the more likely they will move along to the next bike.
 
油井緋色;2143527 said:
Bikes getting backed into though are very common =(
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Haha, Agreed xD
 
There are steps and precautions to avoid theft. However, the cost of insurance is unavoidable.........
 
assuming that you are for real
go get yourself a few insurance quotes on some bikes you really like
that will take care for your biking career for now
 
Get something small, cheap, and expendable if you are a new rider and downtown and don't have a secure storage location (like an enclosed, locked, private garage). Condo parking lots aren't secure.

Many reasons: It's better for you learn on something like that. A small, old bike is much less of a theft target. Insurance will be less expensive. And IF it gets knocked over or stolen ... no great loss.
 
It seems that im going to move sometime this year and probably to an apartment/condo were i will have underground parking, its safe to say I'd need some sort of locks on it?
 
Ya actually i read this thread on reddit, it was what first made me aware of how easily a motorcycle theft can be.
 
Apartment condo parking areas are probably the Number 1 place that bikes get stolen from ... They are not secure, no matter what management says.

Cheap old bike is unlikely to be a theft target.
 
This is hugely helpful. I always thought that secured and monitored condo garages were safe. You can't move anywhere without being on 24/7 CCTV and without being seen by security making the rounds quite often at my building. Still good not to take anything for granted. Plus, any van that could transport a bike would never fit in the garage by design. Even standard cargo vans have to park outside and dolly stuff to the elevators.

Question: If you can't chain your bike to anything physical, what's the next best alternative? Through the rear wheel if I understand everyone correctly? Or, will just a disc lock be fine in that instance?

For a chain I've read that it should never be on the ground to give bolt cutters leverage.
 
Jason416 said:
This is hugely helpful. I always thought that secured and monitored condo garages were safe. You can't move anywhere without being on 24/7 CCTV and without being seen by security making the rounds quite often at my building. Still good not to take anything for granted. Plus, any van that could transport a bike would never fit in the garage by design. Even standard cargo vans have to park outside and dolly stuff to the elevators.

Question: If you can't chain your bike to anything physical, what's the next best alternative? Through the rear wheel if I understand everyone correctly? Or, will just a disc lock be fine in that instance?

For a chain I've read that it should never be on the ground to give bolt cutters leverage.
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You can fit a bike in a minivan quite easily. How some people transport their bikes to the track. Sometimes the security is in on the theft too.
 
Security is only as good as you're willing to pay for. If you expect poor Kwame working at minimum wage and 20 hour days to do his best to protect your bike you are wrong. Kwame's job is to keep the chair from getting cold. The guys with the van will give him a gratuity so he can buy some food.

If the condo pays the guard a living wage you might actually have a chance. In any case, it only takes a second and really it can be moved fast. It's a small object in a space where people don't linger.
 
If you're an average 17 year old you can rest assured that no one wants to steal what you will be able to afford to ride. If however you're stinking rich/have rich parents/or have a parent willing to perform fraud and let you insure your bike under their name AND you insist on a sparkly new sport bike...then you might need to take extra careful precautions.
 
For the amount of money you'll pay for one years insurance to ride on the street you can get one of these bad boys and ride till you drop.
BONUS: No stunt charge, speeding tickets or road rash.



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I wouldn't worry about it. Used to park mine in Green P lots all the time. Left the keys in it over night once (and for less time a bunch of other times). Never stolen. Parked it on the road without a cover for about 6 months including a month where I was in BC for work, again no problems except some kids ripped a sign down and put it on my bike as a blanket, for some reason.

Only other problems I ever had with parking it was when I left it parked on a paved portion between the sidewalk and road and got $150 worth of parking tickets over the weekend and then when I moved into my newest place I parked it in the front "driveway" and bylaw gave me a warning because it wasn't a legal parking spot.

Finally sold it and the guy destroyed it within a week.

Park the replacement in a driveway out doors all year. Still no issues.

Heck, there's a story on here about a Ninja 400 sitting on the road for like a year and no one's stolen it yet, lol.
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