General: Do not draw attention to the fact
that you own a bike. Keep your bike, trailer, old tyres, oil cans, etc out of sight or
covered with a tarpaulin. Check you are not followed home particularly after an event. If
you are selling a bike be careful when talking to "potential buyers" on the
telephone. Take their home number (not mobile) & ask to phone them back. Do not allow
unidentified people to test ride your bike even if they leave their mobile/bike/car etc.
They may have been stolen for that purpose. When buying a bike, use HPI (£28) to check
the frame & engine number, ownership, etc.
Wooden Sheds: Make an internal cage with
Weld or concrete reinforcing mesh. Do not forget the roof. Cover windows with
tinted/mirror vandal proof plastic. Secure the door with a good quality hasp & staple
lock which is bolted throough the wood to a metal plate on the inside.
Shed/Garage Alarms: Battery operated.
Available from £10. The control panel buzzs quietly for 15 seconds when the door is
opened to give you time to disarm it with the key. Unfortunately this gives the thief time
to find & disable it before the siren goes off. Extend the 2 core sensor wire so the
control panel can be installed in the house. Fit connectors into the wire to thread it
through the bike. The alarm will go off if the wire is cut.
Baby Alarms: Fit the pick up in the garage
with the monitor in the bedroom to detect any activity at night.
Alarm Mines: A trip wire detonates blank
12 gauge shot gun cartridges.
PIR Sensors: These detect movement &
can be used to activate an alarm &/or floodlight. They are available in a wireless
format. Place out of reach as they can be disabled with an aerosol of black paint.
Contact Sensors: Normally fitted on doors
& windows. A sensor placed in close proximity to a magnet reacts if the magnet is
moved.
Ground Anchors: An iron ring set into a
hole in the floor with conrete to which a chain can be attached. Thieves have cut a
section out of the frame to remove a chains so pass the chain through the swinging
arm/shock/engine mounts.
Security Lighting: Floodlights with a PIR.
Encase external cables in metal conduit.
Disc Locks: Carry a padlock which can
fitted through a hole in the disc or sprocket if the bike has to be left intended for a
moment i.e. paying for petrol at a garage.
Dogs: Get a dog. If you don't like dogs
get a "Beware of the Dog" sign.
