best way to secure a commando

got my 1st season of riding under my belt. probably about a thousand miles tooling around the twisties of s indiana. my next step is urban riding and it dawned on me that i'd better find a way to secure him while unnattended. the fork lock is there w/ no key but looks pretty ineffective anyway. how do you guys secure your bike from urban predators? i reckon i could pull the ignition leads and that would stymie the bad guys for a while but what about 2 or 3 knuckleheads just manhandling him into the back of a pickup. thanks, rick

I think stock Lucas electrics, Amal carbs, and a kick starter make up the best anti-theft system out there.

I mean, if us Commando owners have a challenge just to get these beasts started, what chance does a potential thief have?

pulling the ignition leads etc. would only really frustrate the casual joy-rider and as pkeithkelly rightly points out Nortons are already designed to frustrate those of us in the know, let alone some spotty youth with light fingers and a need for speed. You really need to mitigate against professional thieves with a van and an agenda. First and foremost I would look for secure parking even if I had to pay for it. If there is a restaurant or diner, or commercial building where you could agree to park it for a crate of beer for the staff or something, then it might be possible for them to keep an eye on it for you. Failing this buy a decent bike cover with eyelets for locks that make it difficult to lift the cover for a good look. If you park it on the street try not to park in the same place every time or eventually people will know it is there and for how long each day. See if there are any security cameras near where the bike is parked, then if someone takes it at least you might have some evidence. Make sure the bike is adequately insured. The final suggestion is to leave the bike at home and buy 'an old smoker' for a couple of hundred bucks and use this for your commute then leave it anywhere and if it gets stolen consider it a bonus!

I've been thinking about this one too. My friend's ducati and his neighbor's bike were stolen from his apartment complex about 2 months ago. They just cut the locks, wheeled them into a truck, and took off. He got his bike back a few weeks later, but it was totally trashed. I saw there's a theft system where they hide a gps chip somewhere in your bike....looked pretty good. Instantly notifies the police and gives up to date tracking before the thieves even find it.

Just get a set of spark plug wire extensions that you plug into the plug wires when you park. The other end goes into receptacles built into the seat. Just leave your keys in the bike and watch when you're in a bad neighborhood.

rgrigutis said:

got my 1st season of riding under my belt. probably about a thousand miles tooling around the twisties of s indiana. my next step is urban riding and it dawned on me that i'd better find a way to secure him while unnattended. the fork lock is there w/ no key but looks pretty ineffective anyway. how do you guys secure your bike from urban predators? i reckon i could pull the ignition leads and that would stymie the bad guys for a while but what about 2 or 3 knuckleheads just manhandling him into the back of a pickup. thanks, rick

Click to expand...

Rick,
Every situation is different and your advantage is that you get to choose those situations for the most part. Alarms are cheap and loud, good enough for casual stop and shop or resturant. Moteling it, a cover and an alarm help me sleep easier. All Time best motorcycle catalog ever:
http://www.aerostich.com/
A guy at an AHRMA race put it perfectly. He came on a UJM. Someone asked him how he liked it. He said, "Let me put it this way. If when I came out to the parking lot this morning and it was gone, I'd be really pissed. If it was my Dominator, I'd be heartbroken."

I have a strong cable with a padlock & thread it through the helmets & the back wheel. Maybe an alarm will be fitted this winter. I & the wife would be very hurt if it was stolen, after all, I have had this bike longer than the wife, & we have been married 30 years.

Use a strong chain and padlock and secure it to the street furniture, I work in a dockyard and motorcycle theft has happened in the past. It's believed that lorries with hydraulic loading platform at the rear were used as you only have to drag the bike a few feet onto it - easier with a modern sports bike I must admit, but goes to show that even with armed guards, cctv etc it can still be nicked.

If you're riding a Norton, you can leave the keys in it. Nobody will steal it. Everybody admires them, in the abstract sense, but in reality, they don't fetch enough money to be worth stealing. And they don't go fast enough to make a good getaway!

shredne said:

If you're riding a Norton, you can leave the keys in it. Nobody will steal it. Everybody admires them, in the abstract sense, in reality, they don't fecth enough money to be worth stealing. And they don't go fast enough to make a good getaway!

Click to expand...

You sound like a "biker" with the latest Fireblade.

I have two Nortons, and a 1998 Triumph Sprint. I bought the Sprint last year as my "reliable" ride, but it's down with some unknown electrical issuses. The Nortons are the only ridable bikes I have, right now. Ironic, ain't it?

Last few months,
BMW K1200s, Battery less than a year old gave up.
Yamaha, Siezed front caliper, clutch slave cylinder leak (& general rust)
Norton, perfect.
Ride them all in turn.
Must be getting a pattern here.

I contacted a triumph dealer to see if I could get one of their modern immobilisers from a bonneville because I was thinking of putting it on the commando.
They said it wouldn't work as I don;t have the right plugs and computer chips? Does this make sense? Maybe I don't understand how it works, but as an electronic device I was figuring you could just wire power to it and splice it in.

Can anyone explain?

If good thieves want your bike only armed guards can protect it.
If just away from bike a short time in ordinary pubic place
likely just take keys or not.
Two guys can lift a Commando and be gone too easy.
Can also cut locks or remove a front wheel with disc lock.
Only strong hard ware through frame to permanent object
can delay the deed.
Shockers and air bags mounted on bars or in seat are
legal suit invites and may piss someone off to toss gas
on and >>>>

Also some protection is a cute animal or cartoon character
attached some where, works in car too, many thieves
are soft hearted to relate and move on.

hobot

Hey Hobot,

What sort of ordinary PUBIC places are you parking in, even if only for a short time?

I thought this forum had a PG rating...........

Very clever Ludwig.
However, I could never use such a lock as certainly I would forget and uh, well...... :roll:
Still clever.

Cool lock, Ludwig. I use the clumsy fork lock, then usually forget about it, start the bike, feel like an idiot, switch it off and start over. So if I had a lock on the wheels, I can only imagine how badly that would go.

My solution is short stops, fork lock, a guarded faith in my fellow man combined with a belief that, like others have said, no one could start it anyway. Oh and I keep her in a garage at night...

I would think a secretly placed ignition switch would deter most thieves that didn't have a torry they would put it in. It would wear them out after about 6 kicks. It could be placed almost anywhere at your pleasure.

Dave
69S

roqueweiler
Ordinary public places like grocery store, with cameras and traffic
congestion enough it'd be pretty obvious a theft in progress.
Also busy street parking often metered.

I'd think riskiest would be break downs on side of high ways
or rest stops you can't hang around for some reason.
Staying at mistress with only apartment parking lot all night long.
Movie parking lots,
Hotel parking lots, especially covered lots, if not parked at main entrance.

I've faced similar in my custom van being left all night at
deserted boat ramps me suck on sand bar waiting on tide.
Alarm 1, ordinary proximity sensor, in soft female voice
in Brit accent politely advises - "Caution I'm armed"
Alarm 2 ordinary motion detector, noise and lights flash.
Alarm 3 - hi freg vibration, glass break, flairs and rockets
fireworks and smoke bombs go off. Terrified girl voice
screaming out PA system "Help Their Taking Me"
Alarm 4 door opened, 50,000 sq ft ware house size tear
gas tripped wired off inside, airs out after a while.
Alarm 5 if started will stall in a few minutes to
block traffic and get cops attention with lights-noise
and cell phone complainers.

Maybe on Peel a explosive bolt that cuts oil hose to spill
out and a stink bomb spray burst that'l wear off in few days.

hobot

Spaulding wrote;

I use the clumsy fork lock, then usually forget about it, start the bike, feel like an idiot.........

Click to expand...

I had a disc lock on a modern Triumph that I owned a few years ago, and set off in a public place, travelled about two feet before finding myself layed on the floor with the bike on top of me I had forgotten to take the lock off :x

I don't bother with these anymore.....yes the dementia is getting really bad..........at least I think it is :?: