thoughts on scooter theft (directors cut, aka long)
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 5:54 pm
Good morning, modernbuddy folks!
Here in Richmond, VA, we are in the middle of what even the police are calling an epidemic of theft. Scooters are only one part of the thefts that are occurring here. Cars, trucks, bicycles, mopeds, kayaks, canoes, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, picnic tables. You name it...if it isn't nailed down, there is a good chance someone has stolen it (or at least tried to). As scooterists, we only hear concentrated info on the stuff that we are into, so the other thefts go under our collective radar.
The Richmond Police are more aware of the situation now than a year ago. I am in regular communication with a detective. He put together a presentation last fall which gave the guys on the beat a lot better chance of identifying a stolen scooter. They are on the lookout for scooters that have visibly damaged ignition switches, are being ridden without keys, or have engines that are larger than 50cc and are therefore going faster than 35mph without a license plate (see below for more info on virginia's screwy system of licensing). Most importantly, I have heard from many sides of the story that lot more folks are getting pulled over on untagged scooters. It can be a little irritating if you are legit, and a little bit fantastic if that helps someone get a stolen scooter back.
I've got a few suggestions in terms of keeping your bike on lock down, making sure your ass is covered if your scoot DOES get stolen, and a project that I'll be pitching to the RVA police sometime in the next week in order to perhaps make some progress to help keep scooters in the hands of those that own them.
How are the thieves stealing the scooters?
One of the sales guys at Scoot Richmond had his Buddy 150 and his friend's Buddy 50 stolen from his apartment building last fall. The building's security cameras did a nice job of demonstrating the general procedure by which many scooters are stolen (but it didn't give us a good enough face view to get anybody). These scooters were not locked via an external cable or chain lock--just the column lock. The thieves rolled the scooters away, making the column lock a non-issue by simply pulling on the handlebars in order to lift and move the front wheel every few feet. The Buddys are relatively lightweight, and while this procedure is not graceful, it gets the job done. They rolled the scooters in this fashion out of the parking lot and down the side street. Out of sight of the camera, they rolled the scooters into the alley on the next block over. Here, they forced the column lock until it broke, probably by wacking on the left handlebar grip with a blunt instrument...or more simply, by running at it full force. Once the column lock was broken, they removed the front legshield plastic. We've seen this operation performed by someone with a screwdriver, but often it's done with a brick or rock, causing the front panel to partially shatter. And then they do some of the worst nastiest wiring bodgery known to mankind in order to bypass the battery and electric start. This allows the scoot to be started with the kickstart lever, no matter what position the key switch is in.
How do we know the details of this event? Matt's friend's scooter was actually recovered by the police in that alley a block or two away. Either they couldn't get it started or they were disturbed while working on them, we'll never know which.
Some of the scooters that are stolen in Richmond turn up with a heavily damaged ignition. These look like someone has tried to use a screwdriver, drill, or even a pocket knife to jimmy the ignition. We used to see more of this on stolen scooters. The ones that feature this sort of damage of late are obviously folks that have only stolen a few scooters. You see, it looks like a number of the thefts in Richmond are being done by people that have done more than a few of these, as the workmanship on the bikes is getting more sophisticated. We've recently seen some that have had whole new generic ignition switches installed, so the bike DOES have keys. We've seen some with a large portion of the VIN on the frame obliterated, making it impossible to identify the vehicle. This is an important point, and I'll come back to it momentarily.
Last but not least: Once a scooter has been successfully stolen, what happens to it? Last year, we saw recovered scooters with nasty horrible spray paint being ditched everywhere. Sometimes the scoot would have less than 100 miles on it. Those were scoots that were driven until the fuel ran out, and then ditched because someone couldn't get to the gas tank. But currently, the thieves' plan is to sell the vehicle as fast as possible for not very much. Very few of the scoots that have been recovered lately are spray painted. Flip the scoot quick, don't do a damn thing to it, and the thieves get the maximum pay out with the least work. A few questionable scooters have turned up on craigslist, and I know that many people in the area check it every day for possible theft recoveries. But mostly the scooters are sold to other people without advertising the fact. Some of the stolen bikes have been purchased at places like the Bellwood Flea Market, in deep southside Richmond. Other times, a scooter is seen being ridden with a "FOR SALE" sign on it, advertising something in the $300-$850 range.
I used to joke that pink Buddys had the least risk of being stolen, because what young male would ride a pink scooter? Now I know that that doesn't make the vehicle unstealable either (although it may keep the thieves from trying too hard to get it running).
Your scooter is in the greatest danger when you are the places that you go on the most regular basis. Your home is obviously #1 on the list. Your work is probably #2. The parking lot of the grocery store, the post office, while out to lunch, etc is considerably further down the list, because obviously the scoot is only there every now and then vs being there on a super regular basis.
Discussing the problem with a customer over the weekend, she told me how she doesn't ride the scooter to the office much these days. If she has to go to a meeting, she doesn't like having to find a parking space that is actually secure and has a good solid place to lock the scoot. That makes her Buddy considerably less practical than she hoped, and therefore she generally takes her car to work. Note that this customer lives in a part of town that always has a VERY high theft rate, and she had her first Buddy 125 stolen in the dead of winter. I showed her the features of the Xena Disc Brake Lock with Alarm with an explanation of what we usually see when scooters are stolen (pickup and roll, pickup and roll), and then I showed her how the Disc Lock can help with that (makes the scoot's front wheel almost immobile and makes a crazy loud alarm if the scoot is moved). She was stoked about it. The Disc Brake Alarm Lock adds an extra layer of security to her Big Ass Onguard Lock at her house. It gives her more flexibility when locking her scoot during a meeting or at the grocery store, places where she would be able to hear if someone messed with her ride.
Make sure that you scoot is on LOCKDOWN when you are at home at night. Never ever ever take your home for granted. Even if it is in a fenced yard, even if it is locked in a shed, no matter where your scoot is, it is currently a target. The column lock is NOT enough. Depending where you live and work, you may want to consider using multiple layers of security. Locking the scoot to something that isn't going anywhere with a heavy duty chain lock that cannot be cut using normal methods is a must. I've seen several cable locks of varying sizes get seriously manhandled and cut through of late, but we still haven't seen any of the big chain link Onguard or Krypto locks get cut.
Add a Xena Disc Brake Alarm Lock to your front end if you can. Owners of Buddy 50-125-150s, Roughhouse 50s, SYM Mios, SYM Fiddle IIs, and others can all comfortably use any of the Xena Disc Locks with the 6mm locking pin. Owners of Rattler 110s, Blackjack 150s, or Buddys with the upgraded front disc rotor as well as HD125/200s and Citycoms can use the fancier double locking pin Xena locks, such as the XH14. Sorry Stella riders, SYMBA folks, Ruckus and Metro owners, either you don't have a disc brake or your disc rotor is mega weird and not compatible. However, you CAN still take advantage of the disc alarm by combining it with a Xena chain lock or cable lock. These have special ends that fit into the disc lock itself and activate the sensors of the alarm. If the lock unit or the chain/cable is tampered with and moves the contacts in the lock unit, then the alarm is going to go off and you'll hopefully scare off the potential thieves. However, using the lock in this fashion does not keep the front wheel from moving.
Some other helpful tips:
1. Do not lock through or around the front wheel rim--one guy had his front wheel removed and the thieves drove his scoot away with the help of a 5" pocket bike wheel that they brought with them
2. Do not put the lock around the fork tube on the side of the front wheel which does NOT hold the front disc brake caliper. You CAN use the locking hasp itself to secure the front fork tube on the side with the disc brake caliper as long as you put the lock hasp above the caliper. Then the potential thief cannot remove the front wheel and slide the lock down the fork tube. Sure, he can take off the caliper and all of that crap, but we've found that the more stuff someone has to do, the less likely they are to mess with your bike.
3. Do not trust the circle on the sidestand mount of the Genuine Roughhouse/Rattler alone. I'm reasonably sure that that circle is there specifically to allow you to lock your scoot to something, but it can be hacksawed through. Only OK if you have coupled that lock with a disc brake alarm.
4. If you must lock to a street sign, make sure it is securely in the ground. Make sure that the post doesn't just lift out of the sidewalk or exhibit any movement.
5. Do not park locked to a parking meter or other not tall solid object. Two men can generally muster the strength to lift a wee scooter up high enough to clear something like that.
6. Try not to park someplace too secretive. It's a plus if passers by cannot see your scoot, but it's a definite minus if passers by also cannot see people doing terrible things to your scoot. Private is good, dark and sketchy is not.
7. Your shed is probably break-into-able. If you do not have security on the structure that holds your scoot, then you should probably still use a disc brake lock or lock it to something. Yes, we've had scoots stolen from locked sheds.
Going into a store for a few? The column lock may be enough, and even more solid if you add an easy-to-tote disc lock. Park close to the building rather than close to the street, so that a passing pickup truck can't stop and dump your scoot in the back lickity split. Park near windows so that people can see if something sketchy starts happening. Park where someone doesn't have room to get in on the left hand side and force your column lock.
Important thing to keep in mind in relation to the above point: Of late, the theft capital of Richmond seems to be the intersection of Boulevard and Monument. The closer you are to that intersection, the more you need to use every locking device in your power every time you lock the scoot. Seriously. Recently a scoot was stolen on Monument within 30 minutes of it being parked there for the first time, cable lock severed.
What else can you do to make sure you don't get screwed? Make sure you have theft insurance. It doesn't cost much more than the basic minimum liability insurance you have. If the unthinkable does happen, then at least you can get what you deserve, which will hopefully be enough to replace your scoot.
For owners of 50cc vehicles in VA, this can be more difficult than you'd guess. A 50cc scooter is technically considered a moped rather than a motorcycle, so getting standard motorcycle coverage may or may not be possible. Call a company that specializes in recreational vehicles and they may tell you that they only cover things that happen in an offroad scenario. Try your home owners or renters insurance and they may only cover a theft if it occurs at your house. But as we've seen, most thefts DO occur at the owner's residence. Even though it's not the best most comprehensive coverage ever, it may be the best option for the time being. When inquiring, ask about coverage for a motorized bicycle because that's basically what they consider it.
What is Scoot Richmond doing to recover scoots and hopefully prevent some from being stolen? Well, we definitely have a database of all of the vehicles that have been stolen to date which contains VIN info and such. If someone comes to my shop looking for an ignition switch, we tell that person that there are a few different models and each uses a different switch. We collect the VIN of the scooter and we check it against our list of stolen vehicles. If we get a winner, we call 911. Then we stall that person until the police arrive.
However, my plan is to expand our database significantly in order to identify where thefts are more common and to attempt to sift through particulars found on recovered scooters to find patterns. I think it will help the police narrow down the search area and help identify a good place to work out a sting operation. I'll be starting work on this project this week. If your scooter has been stolen in Richmond at any time and any place, whether it has been recovered or not, I'd like to hear from you.
In addition, I've been mulling over the details of a possible scooter registry. I've got a few ideas on this, but it's not totally formulated in my brains quite yet. Give me a week.
dear christ, I'm long-winded. thanks for reading and please contribute your ideas, thoughts, etc. if you are someone who has had a scooter stolen in the central VA area, please DM me and I'll ask you a hundred thousand questions so that I can add you to our database.
NOTES:
In Virginia, any 2 wheeled vehicle with an engine capacity of less than 50cc can be ridden without a motorcycle license, license plates, inspection stickers, insurance, etc. In fact, it is legal to ride a 49cc scooter even if you have had your drivers license revoked due to a DUI, causing 50cc scooters to be fondly known as "liquorcicles". The catch is that those vehicles cannot be ridden faster than 35mph. Since in many cases the larger engine version looks almost identical to the smaller version, and since in many cases even the 50cc scooters go faster than 35mph, there has been LOADS of confusion about which which is which.
Further complicating things is Virginia's system of handling motorcycle dealers. If you sell vehicles that are under 50cc, the business is NOT required to have a Virginia motorcycle dealers license, and therefore that business is NOT capable of issuing the purchaser a Manufacturers Certificates of Origin (aka MCO or MSO...the piece of paper that becomes a title). The businesses selling those scoots without proper licensing themselves are generally selling to people that *also* want to avoid proper licensing. And of course the only manufacturers that will sell to those folks are Chinese scooter makers, who probably ALSO lack proper licensing. It's a total disaster, and has led to people riding 50s, 125s, 150s, and larger without tags, license, and generally without a proper title or ownership documents either. The whole thing is simply ridiculous.
Here in Richmond, VA, we are in the middle of what even the police are calling an epidemic of theft. Scooters are only one part of the thefts that are occurring here. Cars, trucks, bicycles, mopeds, kayaks, canoes, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, picnic tables. You name it...if it isn't nailed down, there is a good chance someone has stolen it (or at least tried to). As scooterists, we only hear concentrated info on the stuff that we are into, so the other thefts go under our collective radar.
The Richmond Police are more aware of the situation now than a year ago. I am in regular communication with a detective. He put together a presentation last fall which gave the guys on the beat a lot better chance of identifying a stolen scooter. They are on the lookout for scooters that have visibly damaged ignition switches, are being ridden without keys, or have engines that are larger than 50cc and are therefore going faster than 35mph without a license plate (see below for more info on virginia's screwy system of licensing). Most importantly, I have heard from many sides of the story that lot more folks are getting pulled over on untagged scooters. It can be a little irritating if you are legit, and a little bit fantastic if that helps someone get a stolen scooter back.
I've got a few suggestions in terms of keeping your bike on lock down, making sure your ass is covered if your scoot DOES get stolen, and a project that I'll be pitching to the RVA police sometime in the next week in order to perhaps make some progress to help keep scooters in the hands of those that own them.
How are the thieves stealing the scooters?
One of the sales guys at Scoot Richmond had his Buddy 150 and his friend's Buddy 50 stolen from his apartment building last fall. The building's security cameras did a nice job of demonstrating the general procedure by which many scooters are stolen (but it didn't give us a good enough face view to get anybody). These scooters were not locked via an external cable or chain lock--just the column lock. The thieves rolled the scooters away, making the column lock a non-issue by simply pulling on the handlebars in order to lift and move the front wheel every few feet. The Buddys are relatively lightweight, and while this procedure is not graceful, it gets the job done. They rolled the scooters in this fashion out of the parking lot and down the side street. Out of sight of the camera, they rolled the scooters into the alley on the next block over. Here, they forced the column lock until it broke, probably by wacking on the left handlebar grip with a blunt instrument...or more simply, by running at it full force. Once the column lock was broken, they removed the front legshield plastic. We've seen this operation performed by someone with a screwdriver, but often it's done with a brick or rock, causing the front panel to partially shatter. And then they do some of the worst nastiest wiring bodgery known to mankind in order to bypass the battery and electric start. This allows the scoot to be started with the kickstart lever, no matter what position the key switch is in.
How do we know the details of this event? Matt's friend's scooter was actually recovered by the police in that alley a block or two away. Either they couldn't get it started or they were disturbed while working on them, we'll never know which.
Some of the scooters that are stolen in Richmond turn up with a heavily damaged ignition. These look like someone has tried to use a screwdriver, drill, or even a pocket knife to jimmy the ignition. We used to see more of this on stolen scooters. The ones that feature this sort of damage of late are obviously folks that have only stolen a few scooters. You see, it looks like a number of the thefts in Richmond are being done by people that have done more than a few of these, as the workmanship on the bikes is getting more sophisticated. We've recently seen some that have had whole new generic ignition switches installed, so the bike DOES have keys. We've seen some with a large portion of the VIN on the frame obliterated, making it impossible to identify the vehicle. This is an important point, and I'll come back to it momentarily.
Last but not least: Once a scooter has been successfully stolen, what happens to it? Last year, we saw recovered scooters with nasty horrible spray paint being ditched everywhere. Sometimes the scoot would have less than 100 miles on it. Those were scoots that were driven until the fuel ran out, and then ditched because someone couldn't get to the gas tank. But currently, the thieves' plan is to sell the vehicle as fast as possible for not very much. Very few of the scoots that have been recovered lately are spray painted. Flip the scoot quick, don't do a damn thing to it, and the thieves get the maximum pay out with the least work. A few questionable scooters have turned up on craigslist, and I know that many people in the area check it every day for possible theft recoveries. But mostly the scooters are sold to other people without advertising the fact. Some of the stolen bikes have been purchased at places like the Bellwood Flea Market, in deep southside Richmond. Other times, a scooter is seen being ridden with a "FOR SALE" sign on it, advertising something in the $300-$850 range.
I used to joke that pink Buddys had the least risk of being stolen, because what young male would ride a pink scooter? Now I know that that doesn't make the vehicle unstealable either (although it may keep the thieves from trying too hard to get it running).
Your scooter is in the greatest danger when you are the places that you go on the most regular basis. Your home is obviously #1 on the list. Your work is probably #2. The parking lot of the grocery store, the post office, while out to lunch, etc is considerably further down the list, because obviously the scoot is only there every now and then vs being there on a super regular basis.
Discussing the problem with a customer over the weekend, she told me how she doesn't ride the scooter to the office much these days. If she has to go to a meeting, she doesn't like having to find a parking space that is actually secure and has a good solid place to lock the scoot. That makes her Buddy considerably less practical than she hoped, and therefore she generally takes her car to work. Note that this customer lives in a part of town that always has a VERY high theft rate, and she had her first Buddy 125 stolen in the dead of winter. I showed her the features of the Xena Disc Brake Lock with Alarm with an explanation of what we usually see when scooters are stolen (pickup and roll, pickup and roll), and then I showed her how the Disc Lock can help with that (makes the scoot's front wheel almost immobile and makes a crazy loud alarm if the scoot is moved). She was stoked about it. The Disc Brake Alarm Lock adds an extra layer of security to her Big Ass Onguard Lock at her house. It gives her more flexibility when locking her scoot during a meeting or at the grocery store, places where she would be able to hear if someone messed with her ride.
Make sure that you scoot is on LOCKDOWN when you are at home at night. Never ever ever take your home for granted. Even if it is in a fenced yard, even if it is locked in a shed, no matter where your scoot is, it is currently a target. The column lock is NOT enough. Depending where you live and work, you may want to consider using multiple layers of security. Locking the scoot to something that isn't going anywhere with a heavy duty chain lock that cannot be cut using normal methods is a must. I've seen several cable locks of varying sizes get seriously manhandled and cut through of late, but we still haven't seen any of the big chain link Onguard or Krypto locks get cut.
Add a Xena Disc Brake Alarm Lock to your front end if you can. Owners of Buddy 50-125-150s, Roughhouse 50s, SYM Mios, SYM Fiddle IIs, and others can all comfortably use any of the Xena Disc Locks with the 6mm locking pin. Owners of Rattler 110s, Blackjack 150s, or Buddys with the upgraded front disc rotor as well as HD125/200s and Citycoms can use the fancier double locking pin Xena locks, such as the XH14. Sorry Stella riders, SYMBA folks, Ruckus and Metro owners, either you don't have a disc brake or your disc rotor is mega weird and not compatible. However, you CAN still take advantage of the disc alarm by combining it with a Xena chain lock or cable lock. These have special ends that fit into the disc lock itself and activate the sensors of the alarm. If the lock unit or the chain/cable is tampered with and moves the contacts in the lock unit, then the alarm is going to go off and you'll hopefully scare off the potential thieves. However, using the lock in this fashion does not keep the front wheel from moving.
Some other helpful tips:
1. Do not lock through or around the front wheel rim--one guy had his front wheel removed and the thieves drove his scoot away with the help of a 5" pocket bike wheel that they brought with them
2. Do not put the lock around the fork tube on the side of the front wheel which does NOT hold the front disc brake caliper. You CAN use the locking hasp itself to secure the front fork tube on the side with the disc brake caliper as long as you put the lock hasp above the caliper. Then the potential thief cannot remove the front wheel and slide the lock down the fork tube. Sure, he can take off the caliper and all of that crap, but we've found that the more stuff someone has to do, the less likely they are to mess with your bike.
3. Do not trust the circle on the sidestand mount of the Genuine Roughhouse/Rattler alone. I'm reasonably sure that that circle is there specifically to allow you to lock your scoot to something, but it can be hacksawed through. Only OK if you have coupled that lock with a disc brake alarm.
4. If you must lock to a street sign, make sure it is securely in the ground. Make sure that the post doesn't just lift out of the sidewalk or exhibit any movement.
5. Do not park locked to a parking meter or other not tall solid object. Two men can generally muster the strength to lift a wee scooter up high enough to clear something like that.
6. Try not to park someplace too secretive. It's a plus if passers by cannot see your scoot, but it's a definite minus if passers by also cannot see people doing terrible things to your scoot. Private is good, dark and sketchy is not.
7. Your shed is probably break-into-able. If you do not have security on the structure that holds your scoot, then you should probably still use a disc brake lock or lock it to something. Yes, we've had scoots stolen from locked sheds.
Going into a store for a few? The column lock may be enough, and even more solid if you add an easy-to-tote disc lock. Park close to the building rather than close to the street, so that a passing pickup truck can't stop and dump your scoot in the back lickity split. Park near windows so that people can see if something sketchy starts happening. Park where someone doesn't have room to get in on the left hand side and force your column lock.
Important thing to keep in mind in relation to the above point: Of late, the theft capital of Richmond seems to be the intersection of Boulevard and Monument. The closer you are to that intersection, the more you need to use every locking device in your power every time you lock the scoot. Seriously. Recently a scoot was stolen on Monument within 30 minutes of it being parked there for the first time, cable lock severed.
What else can you do to make sure you don't get screwed? Make sure you have theft insurance. It doesn't cost much more than the basic minimum liability insurance you have. If the unthinkable does happen, then at least you can get what you deserve, which will hopefully be enough to replace your scoot.
For owners of 50cc vehicles in VA, this can be more difficult than you'd guess. A 50cc scooter is technically considered a moped rather than a motorcycle, so getting standard motorcycle coverage may or may not be possible. Call a company that specializes in recreational vehicles and they may tell you that they only cover things that happen in an offroad scenario. Try your home owners or renters insurance and they may only cover a theft if it occurs at your house. But as we've seen, most thefts DO occur at the owner's residence. Even though it's not the best most comprehensive coverage ever, it may be the best option for the time being. When inquiring, ask about coverage for a motorized bicycle because that's basically what they consider it.
What is Scoot Richmond doing to recover scoots and hopefully prevent some from being stolen? Well, we definitely have a database of all of the vehicles that have been stolen to date which contains VIN info and such. If someone comes to my shop looking for an ignition switch, we tell that person that there are a few different models and each uses a different switch. We collect the VIN of the scooter and we check it against our list of stolen vehicles. If we get a winner, we call 911. Then we stall that person until the police arrive.
However, my plan is to expand our database significantly in order to identify where thefts are more common and to attempt to sift through particulars found on recovered scooters to find patterns. I think it will help the police narrow down the search area and help identify a good place to work out a sting operation. I'll be starting work on this project this week. If your scooter has been stolen in Richmond at any time and any place, whether it has been recovered or not, I'd like to hear from you.
In addition, I've been mulling over the details of a possible scooter registry. I've got a few ideas on this, but it's not totally formulated in my brains quite yet. Give me a week.
dear christ, I'm long-winded. thanks for reading and please contribute your ideas, thoughts, etc. if you are someone who has had a scooter stolen in the central VA area, please DM me and I'll ask you a hundred thousand questions so that I can add you to our database.
NOTES:
In Virginia, any 2 wheeled vehicle with an engine capacity of less than 50cc can be ridden without a motorcycle license, license plates, inspection stickers, insurance, etc. In fact, it is legal to ride a 49cc scooter even if you have had your drivers license revoked due to a DUI, causing 50cc scooters to be fondly known as "liquorcicles". The catch is that those vehicles cannot be ridden faster than 35mph. Since in many cases the larger engine version looks almost identical to the smaller version, and since in many cases even the 50cc scooters go faster than 35mph, there has been LOADS of confusion about which which is which.
Further complicating things is Virginia's system of handling motorcycle dealers. If you sell vehicles that are under 50cc, the business is NOT required to have a Virginia motorcycle dealers license, and therefore that business is NOT capable of issuing the purchaser a Manufacturers Certificates of Origin (aka MCO or MSO...the piece of paper that becomes a title). The businesses selling those scoots without proper licensing themselves are generally selling to people that *also* want to avoid proper licensing. And of course the only manufacturers that will sell to those folks are Chinese scooter makers, who probably ALSO lack proper licensing. It's a total disaster, and has led to people riding 50s, 125s, 150s, and larger without tags, license, and generally without a proper title or ownership documents either. The whole thing is simply ridiculous.