Whether touring across the country, or just riding around town, there are several things you can do to protect your bike from being stolen. Most of them are pretty obvious, but effective. The trick to making thieves more likely to walk past your bike is to make it a harder target. The trouble with most bikes is that they can be picked up by several guys and placed it the back of a truck. If someone is determined to get your bike, then there is not much you can do except plan for the worst and have a recovery plan. Have the VIN number to your bike and a picture stored in your wallet or cell phone, and contact the police immediately. If you invest in a Lo-Jack motorcycle system, your motorcycle recovery will stand a better chance. Lastly, have your bike insured and keep the phone number along with your policy number stored in your waller or cell phone and never leave your wallet or cell phone on your bike. Here are some simple steps you can take to help protect your bike. Always take the key out of your bike. I know, you're just running into the store to pay for your gas, but many bikes are stolen because the key is left in it. Even when your bike is at home, in the garage. Take the time to lock your bike and take the key out.  Park your bike out in the open, in a well traveled, well lit area. Look to see if there are security cameras, and park your bike in view of them. Thieves are less likely to mess with your bike if there is a chance they will be seen. If you will be out of site of your bike for some time, use a lock. You can chain your bike to a pole or another bike to prevent lift-away theft. You can use a wheel lock to prevent your bike from being wheeled away. Just remember that the lock is on your bike and remove it before trying to ride off. Many riders put something around the break/throttle to remind them about the lock. Put a motorcycle cover on your bike when you stop for the night. Thieves are less likely to mess with something they cannot see. We use a disc lock on the wheel of our bike in addition to locking the cover on our bike at night. Thieves cannot see what kind of bike is under the cover and your saddlebags are covered, so they are less likely to be messes with. If you have an audible alarm on your bike, make sure you can hear it go off if someone is messing with your bike. How well an alarm works depends on the ability of the rider or anyone else to respond to the alarm. We have all grown used to the sound of alarms going off in our neighborhoods and in parking lots. Most of us get annoyed and ignore the alarm.  If no one quickly comes when the alarm goes off the first time, the thieves will assume no one is coming at all and they will take your bike. While there is no magic tip to prevent a  professional thief. from taking your bike.  A little prevention can slow down the amateurs. I hope you will use these tips on your next ride to keep your bike secure.

Leah Lind