Scooter Security

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Libby317
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Scooter Security

Post by Libby317 »

With the markets melting down, unemployment skyrocketing and everything generally being #@$$ed, no doubt I'm going to have to deal with repelling a thief at some point from just absconding with my scoot...

I've been looking into scooter-suitable locks and alarms... anybody got any input? Kryptonite, Master Lock, OnGuard and all those guys have one thing or another. Anybody had any experience with xenasecurity.com? They say the new all-in-one with a 6mm locking pin and a 110dB alarm (XX6) will fit most scooters, including Buddy...
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broke
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Post by broke »

Check out this thread on the Xena:
topic3988.html

I've been very happy with my Xena, but I don't think it has been really "tested" yet... I get to park at work in view of our receptionist and the alarm is so loud that I think she will hear it no problem if someone tries to move my scoot. I asked her if she has ever heard the alarm, but she said "only that one time that you set it off accidentally in the building". :oops:

(yeah, that was embarrasing!)
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ScooterDave
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Re: Scooter Security

Post by ScooterDave »

Libby317 wrote:a 6mm locking pin and a 110dB alarm (XX6) will fit most scooters, including Buddy...
I secure my scooters with a Tarus 9mm.
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dirt city
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Post by dirt city »

get a good quality (Vespa makes a great one $100 bucks though) chain lock and secure it under your bike through the loop that is welded on your frame. lock it to something physical bike rack ect.. thats you best bet alarms are a joke. good luck.
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Cheshire
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Post by Cheshire »

That 9mm only works when you're there to use it, Dave. Don't blink. :wink:

Physically securing to something immovable should be your primary defense. The Xena disc alarm is a (from what I've heard, don't have one yet) wonderful secondary/compliment to a chain or cable lock.

The downsides, as have been explained to me by my brother and the guys at my dealer: can be easy to forget you put it on. If you forget and try to ride off with it on, kiss your fork goodbye, only part of it if your lucky. Disc locks are nice and all, but can be defeated by taking the bike without riding it off. The buddy is under 300 lbs: either a pickup truck and a couple of big-ish guys, or my favourite story I've heard: couple of skateboards under the wheels.

The upsides: That thing SCREAMS. I'm looking to get one because should someone be at work trying to cut through my cable lock (no lock is failsafe), that xena is GOING to attract attention. Xena, thief. Thief, Xena. Have fun trying to be inconspicuous! :twisted:
Any lock can be defeated with time: a motion alarm kinda kills that part of the equation. My cable lock is a Krypto. I don't think they make 'em anymore, but just in case you didn't know, avoid cylinder keys at all costs.
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stickykitteh
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Post by stickykitteh »

Cheshire wrote:That 9mm only works when you're there to use it, Dave. Don't blink. :wink:

I don't think they make 'em anymore, but just in case you didn't know, avoid cylinder keys at all costs.
+1

AND, they do not in fact make them anymore, and we should all know why. For those of you who don't, because of the size cylinder key that Kryptonite used for those locks, they could be unlocked using a standard bic pen cap. Now go find someone who still uses one and steal their bike! Okay, not really, but do what I do and leave them a post-it note somewhere inconspicuous.
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Libby317
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re: Cylinder ("Flower-shaped") key barrels

Post by Libby317 »

FYI...
I don't think they make 'em anymore, but just in case you didn't know, avoid cylinder keys at all costs.
AND, they do not in fact make them anymore, and we should all know why. For those of you who don't, because of the size cylinder key that Kryptonite used for those locks, they could be unlocked using a standard bic pen cap. Now go find someone who still uses one and steal their bike! Okay, not really, but do what I do and leave them a post-it note somewhere inconspicuous.
XENA locks do NOT use Cylinder ("Flower-shaped") key barrels
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Cheshire
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Post by Cheshire »

I didn't think Xena did. Thanks for the confirmation. :)

I was mostly posting that info for general purpose. Didn't want to run the risk of someone using an old lock that DID use a cylinder key, only to have them find out the hard way how easy they are to pick and be out their scooter. That would suck, and I'd feel bad. :(

Ze pooblic has been INFORMED!! :D
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bounce
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Post by bounce »

i have the xena alarm, and it doesn't scream, so if you're looking for something really loud... this isn't it. i wonder if i can even hear it from my apt when it's downstairs. probably not.

regardless, if a thief was trying to steal it, i'm sure at least the thief and people nearby would hear it... which i hope is enough to scare him away!

i don't have anything sturdy on my street that i can chain my buddy to, so that's pretty much my only security.

that, and a cover... i think it does do wonders. it's less eye-catching and if someone is standing around peeking under a cover, it looks more suspicious than if they're hunched over a lock, appearing as though they were unlocking their own bike.

the only thing that keeps me warm at night is my insurance policy...
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bluebuddygirl
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Post by bluebuddygirl »

Crap! I have a lock with a cylinder key. Gonna have to get another. I did not know that they were easy to pick. Thanks for the info!
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Rob
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Post by Rob »

bluebuddygirl wrote:Crap! I have a lock with a cylinder key. Gonna have to get another. I did not know that they were easy to pick. Thanks for the info!
Now ... exactly where is it that you park that Buddy of yours? :D

Rob
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ericalm
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Post by ericalm »

The locks made by Kryptonite since 2005 use a different design than those that were pickable with a pen. They also had a lock exchange program for those with the vulnerability.

Oddly enough, I had to poke around online to find this info. The FAQs on the Kryptonite site don't address the issue at all. I know it's been 4 years, but I hear this reiterated pretty frequently.

[EDITED TO ADD: Kryptonite, BTW, makes a lot of locks for scooters and MCs, some of which are the best-reviewed locks on the market.
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/products ... x?cid=1000 ]
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Cheshire
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Post by Cheshire »

When the vunerability was first discovered (and when the lock exchange was active) Kryptonite had info about it all over their website. They actually did a really good job in trying to get the cylinder locks out of circulation.
Unfortunately, logic and reason took a back seat to panic as far as the average consumer was concerned: people ignored the fact that it was circular locks that were the risk (made by any company) and started thinking it was Kryptonite locks. Sad, because Krypto makes some awesome locks.

I don't blame 'em for wanting to put it behind them. They did a great job fixing the issue, but the longer the info was on their website, the more damage their reputation took. :?
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Quo Vadimus
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Post by Quo Vadimus »

I'm very happy with my New York Noose (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... -Lock.aspx - Daisy is stored in the open 24/7, so she deserves the best. It also gives a bit more distance than you can get out of a standard loop chain or cable.

Since it is out there in ALL weather, though, two points:

+ you're going to need to spray some lube in there somewhat often. I started to have some real trouble separating the pieces during the rainy season. The locking and unlocking wears away the black coating on the U-shaped piece eventually.

+ I can't decide if I'm going to pull the 'sleeve' off this year: it picks up all sorts of grime and grit from the road when things are wet.

Otherwise I'm much more happy with having spent $90 on this than my S/O is having spent $20-30 on a cable that's a b**** to open and close and store and find a place to lock etc. etc. etc.
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bluebuddygirl
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Post by bluebuddygirl »

Most of the time my parked buddy is in a very secure location, in my garage, in the tiny faculty lot at school, but in better weather I do ride it around everywhere and park wherever I happen to be. Akron is not exactly a big bad city but it is quite large, and it does have it's problems. Let's just say that I have learned not to store snow shovels on my front porch. They walk off.

I have an older "Club" cable lock with a cylinder key. I do have to turn the key both to put the lock on and take it off.

Kim
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bulldog1967
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Re: Scooter Security

Post by bulldog1967 »

ScooterDave wrote:
Libby317 wrote:a 6mm locking pin and a 110dB alarm (XX6) will fit most scooters, including Buddy...
I secure my scooters with a Tarus 9mm.
Amen.

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