LOSING A MOTORCYCLE TO THEFT DOES NOT MAKE A PLEASANT MEMORY. I’ve had one bike stolen. It was about 1985 and it was locked to a street-light pole with a heavy chain outside my apartment in Boston. In fact, it was secured with a really heavy chain and a big lock. However, it was no match against a determined thief, or team of thieves. I say “team” because there was an earlier time that the same bike was almost stolen. A neighbor told me he observed two guys who had backed up to my bike and were apparently getting ready to attempt to break the chain or lock. From what he could figure, they were going to load the bike into their panel truck, shut the door and drive off with my motorbike.

Which is when he walked over and inquired about their activity.

That time they left.

If I was smarter, I would have made other arrangements about where to park the bike after I was offered that observation. Because, shortly thereafter, when it actually was stolen, and I was left with a broken chain instead of my motorcycle, I learned that the likelihood of getting any missing bike returned was pretty close to nil.

Lucky Motorcycle Rider

And yet, I was lucky.

A week or so later, I did get it back – although with some damage.

And it wasn’t the police who located it.

In this case, it was through the efforts of a helpful citizen, in a neighborhood several miles away, on a street I had never previously visited.

My stolen bike had been left by the curb on a residential street and someone who lived nearby observed its ripped-apart ignition and a jimmied fairing pocket and figured it was stolen and abandoned.

My owners manual was sticking out of the jimmied side pocket and he opened it up in search of identification. He found my phone number from an earlier residence in upstate New York. He called the phone number, got my old roommate, who provided my new phone in Boston. When he called me, I was instantly jubilant (and incredulous) and made my way over to the address he gave me. I found the bike, inspected the damage, and rode it away.

The motorcycle spent a few days in the shop getting a new ignition and having some cosmetic damage repaired. The bike, which I had purchased brand-new a year before, had never been down. But its temporary caretaker had introduced it to the ground in some kind of minor mishap.

Motorcycle Garages

In the mean time, I went into high gear networking with friends and neighbors and posting fliers around the community in search of a garage with some space I could rent. As a result, my repaired bike was returned to a rented portion of a garage about 1/2 mile away from where I lived. Although it was not nearly as convenient as having it parked outside the front door, the peace of mind in terms of motorcycle security was greatly appreciated.

Nowadays, I understand motorcycle security options have improved. Not only are there stronger and lighter locks, there are different kinds of locks (for example, I don’t recall disc brake locks being in existence back then). Regardless, I don’t know if any locks are really able to deter a motivated thief. And back then, LoJack’s Stolen Vehicle Recovery System for motorcycles had not been developed, or at least I wasn’t aware of it yet.

Although I’ve had a few items stolen from motorcycles over the years, I’ve never had any bikes, themselves, stolen since that incident. However, since then my bikes have always been garage kept at night, except when I’m out on the road, whether that be for a weekend, a week, a month, or longer. I’m not concerned about my bike when I’m camping, but when I’m staying at hotels or motels, I park it where I can see it outside my window, or right by the lobby and ask the night desk clerk to keep an eye on it.

Even though garages have been good to my bikes since then, I’m aware that some owners take extra care to lock their bikes inside their garage as a greater precaution.

What Are Your Motorcycle Security Suggestions?

So, what are the best options for motorcycle security nowadays? I don’t actually know. But I figured some of the readers here would have some experiences that could be helpful to others.

What types of motorcycle security problems have you had?

And even if you have never had motorbike security issues, what equipment or procedures do you advise to keep your bike and gear safe?

Add your recommendations below.

Add a kidney belt to your road-riding apparel.

My first kidney belt supported my guts and lower back in the 70′s during a tremendous amount of dirt bike riding. Man, do those things make offroad moto-life more enjoyable.

At some point after I started riding the pavement, I brought along the same kidney belt and found that I could ride much longer and with less fatigue whenever I wore the thing. 30 years later it is still a staple in my riding arsenal.

Basically, the belt keeps your innards from shaking around and it also supports your lower back. When I put mine on, I typically pull in my gut, tighten the wide kidney belt, and lock the hook and loop (Velcro) fasteners.

There are many choices of kidney belts, including varying degrees of additional back protection, and of course different sizes. Even though there is a greater selection of these belts available, compared to the 70′s, I’ve never found one as good as my first one. Nowadays, the majority of kidney belts are secured via hook and loop fasteners. But I find they wear out after about a year or so of heavy use and the fastening system can then detach by itself while riding.

My first one had metal hooks and metal fasteners that offered a variety of positions for different waist sizes. Like the modern versions, this one also included some elastic fabric so the belt would give a little as you straddled your seat, and because of the metal hooks and metal fasteners back then, the snug fit just wouldn’t detach.

The earlier one also had stainless steel strips, ensconced in rubber for back support. You can find that on some of the modern ones, but the fastening system will not last as long. Regardless, I wouldn’t go for a longer ride without one!

You should be able to buy one from any motorcycle accessories dealer, although more often than not, they will be with the dirt bike apparel.

Do you have a favorite kind of motorcycle kidney belt?

It’s all at MOTORCYCLE-GIFTS.com

Or how about an abundance of so many extra gadgets that the handlebar area looks like a free-form mechanical sculpture resplendent with enough wires and thingamajigs to make it seem impossible for a mere mortal to find the throttle?

There’s a name for this: Motorcycle Farkles Disease.

This might be considered as a relatively benign malady. Certainly, for most riders, it’s not terminal (wive’s or hubbie’s rantings to the contrary).

Let’s be clear that the subject of this article is not merely that of buying and installing a few accessories, called farkles (also spelled farkels). That would be as erroneous as describing anyone who enjoys a beer now and then as an alcoholic. This article describes something well beyond that.

But first, let’s clarify some terminology.

Motorbike Farkles

Farkels are certainly not limited to this list, but they serve as common examples:

♦ Radar Detectors

♦ Music, Radios and Audio Systems

♦ Wireless Communication Systems

♦ Global Positioning System (GPS) Receivers

♦ Heated Grips

♦ And of course lots of SHINY and ILLUMINATED THINGS

The list is endless.

A Motorcycle Malady Gone Wild

It may be arguable as to “when” the evolution of personalizing one’s motorbike crosses some threshold and becomes a malady that should be treated. But should you find yourself buying things to personalize motorcycles that you don’t own anymore, a little mental alarm bell ought to be giving you a jingle.

Even if your mental jingler was out of whack when personalization turned to obsession, it’s hard to argue that madness was not close to hand when your investment in farkles surpassed that of your house.

And speaking of houses, some home owners convert their garages to recreational rooms to gain more living space. However, should you find yourself converting living quarters to additional garage space to store more motorcycle accessories, there is cause for concern.

The good news is that such a disease does not require consultations with top doctors in various part of the globe. The standard cure is therapy for both your bike and soul: You need to ride more!

Your Favorite Accessories?

Having said all that, there are accessories and gadgets that truly improve the riding experience, whether practical and/or aesthetic.  What are your favorites? Please note them below.