Author: Dave Fall

I have but a nodding acquaintance with a particular neighbour in the block of flats where I stay and was most concerned when he rounded the corner quite obviously in some distress recently.

He was dressed in his riding gear but his scooter had apparently been stolen.

Johann, that was his name, was understandably beside himself with rage and when I managed to calm him down he told me: “I only nipped into the local shopping centre for a few minutes, came out and my scooter had gone. It’s my only means of transport and I have to be at work within the hour.”

NO INSURANCE

His scooter, as I remembered, was quite a late model and neither of us could understand immediately how it could have happened. I suggested that the steering lock on most lightweight bikes can easily be snapped (forced) and whoever took it probably then simply wheeled it around the corner and loaded it on a bakkie to eventually ride as their own — or perhaps even to break it up for spares.

Johan then told me it wasn’t insured; he’d let it lapse because of financial constraints - something I could understand given the tough times in which we live. I took him along to the local police station and the officer on duty went through the motions of filling out forms but didn’t hold out much hope for the bike’s recovery.

If there’s a lesson to be learned by Johan (and perhaps you, dear reader) it’s this: don’t make it easy for bike thieves. Get yourself the toughest chain and padlock you can afford over and above whatever security is fitted to the bike by the factory - especially if you can’t manage insurance … then rummage through your junk box in the garage for a bicycle inner tube, cut it to the required length and insert the chain within - the tighter the better.

This will prevent your scooter/motorcycle being scratched while in the bike’s storage compartment – or buy one of the ready-covered ones.

As primitive as it may seem a good quality padlock and extra-strong chain will deter most thieves — want to take it a stage further? What will even deter the most determined thief is looped steel cable … it simply cannot be cut through with bolt cutters in one go and no thief is going to hang around trying.

An American bike magazine I read recently featured an article by a “retired” bike thief who simply hated trying to cut his way through steel cabling.

HELMET? TAKE IT WITH YOU!

When you park your bike (even at home) loop the chain (or, better still, cable) around a solid post and then through the bike’s forks. Get into this way of thinking each and every time you park your machine and your precious asset will be waiting for you on your return. (By all means still use the steering lock the bike came with but for extra security be sure to obliterate the number on the key barrel, obviously first recording it for posterity’s sake.)

• Most helmet locks that scooters come with are actually pretty feeble. Don’t leave your expensive crash helmet for all to see attached simply by the strap that can be easily cut - rather take it with you!