Do you always lock up your Buddy?

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Wed May 23, 2012 8:20 pm

At night I keep my Buddy in my locked garage, but since I got it in 2008 I have never used a chain or disk lock when I'm parked at the store, work, etc. I usually try to park in a really visible spot or a really inconspicuous place depending on the circumstances. I have never had a problem. Have I been careless and lucky? I realize a lot depends on what your area of the country is like and other local conditions, but other than the steering lock, do you always lock up your Buddy when you are out and about?

Mousenut · Post by **Mousenut** » Wed May 23, 2012 8:29 pm

No, and you just scared the crap out of me because I looked out the window and mine was gone!

I brought my cage today

At home we have our "Skooterhaus" to lock her up in that we custom built for her (pictures after stain is done) but at work we have extensive cameras and high traffic + small town = not locked up. Probably another mistake in a long line of mistakes but that's where I'm at right now.

Stormswift · Post by **Stormswift** » Wed May 23, 2012 10:21 pm

Locked up and alarmed from day One and chained at home after theft attempt.

Howardr · Post by **Howardr** » Wed May 23, 2012 10:59 pm

I did the first 5-6 months i had the scooter, but I haven't locked Iron Buddy up at all in more than 2 years. Not at home or when I'm out and about. The last 3 nights he has been outside my hotel window, as close as I could get him to the building, but not locked up.

One of these days I may regret my laziness, but I hope not. It's funny, a couple of months ago, someone stole the 20 year old, nearly dead air compressor that I had left next to my scoot, but they left the bike alone.

Howard

juls64 · Post by **juls64** » Wed May 23, 2012 11:40 pm

I park in a garage at night. During the day, I have not used my lock ever. I do choose my parking spots carefully. Fortunately I live in a suburban village and I feel pretty safe parking most places. I carry a lock at all times though, just in case.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Wed May 23, 2012 11:42 pm

It comes down to individual circumstances, and your own personal level of risk aversion. What's the crime rate where you live? What's the specific exposure where you're leaving it?

I chain my Buddy to the porch every night and whenever I'm not at home. There are occasional opportunistic burglaries in my neighborhood (unlocked door, open window), so I don't want to give anyone the opportunity to pick it up or roll it away. But it's not a high-crime neighborhood, so just a chain and padlock is enough for me. (Furthermore, there are a couple other scooters around that aren't locked up. If you and a friend are being chased by a bear, you only need to run faster than your friend, not faster than the bear.)

But I never lock it (just the steering column lock) for the day at the office building where I work, because someone trying to steal it there would be too conspicuous, and probably fearful of being caught on camera. And it's never locked up when I park it at the store or at the park, because it isn't there long enough for someone to notice it, figure out how to steal it (they'd need a truck/van), and execute the plan.

Wiggins · Post by **Wiggins** » Thu May 24, 2012 12:36 am

I don't lock mine up often when I am in town due to a lack of places that offer good parking and a good place to lock it. When I use it as a shuttle vehicle when I go kayaking I always lock it up. Too many rednecks with trucks around the takeouts I use!

Kyle

kimmiekarma · Post by **kimmiekarma** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:14 am

Stormswift what kiind of an alarm do you use, also what type of lock and how was it almost stolen? I live in a safe area but the thought of anything happeneing is more than I can bear

!! Thanks

Yorkiemom · Post by **Yorkiemom** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:19 am

Perhaps I'm a bit paranoid, but I lock her up everywhere I go...while at work (school), at the gym, running in the store...etc. She spends the night in my locked garage with the Beast, so that's no question. My babies never spend a night out of doors, unless of course, the Beast and me are on a road trip. GOOD TIMES!!! My dealer warned me early on that they are easy to steal and are stolen often. I'd much rather be safe than sorry and walk out one day to find her gone. It takes all of what...one minute tops???

PS...I don't live in a high crime area by any means.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:55 am

At work we have gated/fenced/guarded parking, so I only use the column lock. At home, it's column, disc lock, and Gorilla, and a cable sometimes around a steel deck beam. Fenced back yard, but no garage, just a Prima cover.

I keep the cable in the pet carrier if I'm out somewhere where I can use it as an additional deterrent, but that's pretty rare.

zuki · Post by **zuki** » Thu May 24, 2012 2:26 am

My little buddy stays in the garage at night and if I go any where I have a cable lock that I lock it through the rear wheel and attach it to a pole or something . At work I park right by the front door, but its always locked to the walk rail, it would just take 2 guys and a truck to pick it up and leave with it.The steering lock doesn't matter if they just pick it up. And just being a 50 i don't carry insurance on it so I would just be out a scooter, so yeah its always locked. I have seen several post on craigslist in the last few months about stolen scooter don't want to have to post one of those ads.

bluebuddygirl · Post by **bluebuddygirl** » Thu May 24, 2012 2:41 am

I definitely lock it in the garage at night, but during the day most times it is unlocked. It does depend on where it is, and how long it will be there. Any time that it is an overnight outdoor situation (hotel/motel/camping) I use the Xena alarm. I figure that even two people my size could walk off with it if they wanted to, so better safe than sorry. That said, I am always leaving stuff in the glove box area, or the rear rack that could easily be taken. My helmet is usually just locked via the helmet peg because I have so much crap in the pet carrier, and sometimes I just set it on the floorboard.

Stormswift · Post by **Stormswift** » Thu May 24, 2012 3:17 am

kimmiekarma wrote:Stormswift what kiind of an alarm do you use, also what type of lock and how was it almost stolen? I live in a safe area but the thought of anything happeneing is more than I can bear !! Thanks

I have Xena disk lock with alarm in it, New York Forgetaboutit chain and anchor built into front step of my house where scooter is parked. The back wheel gets wire lock pulled through it and wrapped around seat post. Did I mention front lawn, no handicap access and certain hernia for anyone who tries to carry the bike off?
Initially all I had was Xena and wire lock. Ascooter was parked parallel to the curb, in front of my SUV. Scooter was never ridden outside of development at that time and we are in a low crime neighborhood.They just picked it up and were going to throw it in the back of the truck. Xena went off. They left the bike and ran

Capt_Don · Post by **Capt_Don** » Thu May 24, 2012 3:20 am

I have not locked up my bike, out and about, since I got it, just steering locked. The Kryptonite cable is in the shop with my Tomos. At night here at the house, it is well secured and steering locked.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Thu May 24, 2012 3:25 am

I have spent an inordinate amount of time working and/or, recreating or living in places most people generally would not leave a car (both in my former Cleveland and now in San Diego). I never lock the scooters but have been fortunate to have garages for the over night. During the day, I have left them all kinds of different (this is the key word) places-very high crime places- w/o issue.

Here is my opinion-I think if you leave your scoot in the same place, day after day or night after night...someone will notice. Maybe the wrong person, and problems can ensue. If you have a predictable pattern of parking, then I think locking becomes more important.

We recently bought a home and luckily it has a garage. When we were looking, we told ourselves if we ended up in place w/o a garage we would lock them at night. I am truly shocked that in San Diego no one locks a scooter over night...even little 50's small enough to put in the back seat of a car. I see the same ones just sitting there for weeks at a time. WOW

Uncle Groucho · Post by **Uncle Groucho** » Thu May 24, 2012 12:56 pm

Usually I just use the steering lock; my office park has roving security. If I'm out, usually it's populated with enough people to see if someone is up to something.

If I'm someplace out of my normal routine I have my Motorcycle Club lock that I'll attach to a rack. I also have insurance to cover theft.

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:11 pm

Yup, I have one of those chain locks for places that I'm not sure of and when I'm at home (no garage). I also have a grip lock for quick trips at the supermarket.

AlleyOops · Post by **AlleyOops** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:18 pm

At home at night she's in my locked garage, if I'm running out to the store or for lunch I don't lock her up. When going to work, the gym or anywhere for a longer time I do.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu May 24, 2012 2:14 pm

At work I'm on the 2nd floor of a card access garage. At home it's chained to a metal fence, covered, and steering locked. there are MANY other scooters around my hood, some of which are never locked up. Mostly Vespas and a pile of Mets/Ruckus (Ruckii?). Most of them have minimum security and don't seem to get stolen, but there was a roughhouse that was pilfered in Feb or so, never heard if he got it back or not.

I'm sure mine could get swiped, but I also have the insurance, just in case.

It's also one of the reasons I got the Italia instead of something black or white, as those seem to get swiped constantly.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu May 24, 2012 2:16 pm

AlleyOops wrote:At home at night she's in my locked garage, if I'm running out to the store or for lunch I don't lock her up. When going to work, the gym or anywhere for a longer time I do.

I don't stay at the gym long enough for that to be risky.

Queen · Post by **Queen** » Thu May 24, 2012 2:27 pm

Nope, never. It's garaged at home and for work/store/errand running I just park it and grab the key. Might get burned some day, but it just never occurs to me to lock it.

rfman81 · Post by **rfman81** » Thu May 24, 2012 3:59 pm

At home,I have no garage so chained, disc lock and covered.
At Work just steering lock.
Out and about, depends on neighborhood, because my helmet does not have a d-ring I often put it on the handle bars, so I always disc lock with alarm incase someone trys to schonk my helmet, takes about 2 seconds to do it so its not like i save a ton of time. Very rarely do I chain it when out and about.

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Thu May 24, 2012 4:26 pm

When I'm out and about, I always try to park it in a place that's conspicuous and/or difficult to come by and lift on to a truck. The general rule is that if the Buddy's not parked in a place that I can see, I lock it up.

At home, I don't lock it up, because the garage is monitored, and there's no easy way to lift it on to a truck or roll it out from the parking spot without being caught on camera.

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Thu May 24, 2012 7:39 pm

I realize that I'm taking a risk by not locking up but it makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one.

Wow Howardr! I don't know how well I'd sleep with my Buddy unlocked outside my hotel window.

Oparu, nice videos. My daughter is in college at Berklee.

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Thu May 24, 2012 11:59 pm

In our locked garage at home, we loop a cable through the various wheels of our scooters...we have 5 scooters--I have a Buddy on each end. This allows me to push the loop of the cable through the rear wheel and put a padlock on the other side of one, then repeat this with the other end of the cable on the other Buddy. We utilize the steering lock on all of our scooters.

At work, in our parking garage (not gated during the day), I park next to a column, within straight shot site of the elevator, loop my cable around the column and through the front wheel of the Buddy--padlock on the other side of the wheel. Additionally I use the steering lock and then I use my Gorilla alarm.

Paranoid, not so much. More like if someone wants to move my scooter to make room for their car, I'm making it as hard as I can for them. It hasn't happened yet.

If I'm out and about, sometimes I use my cable and lock the bike to something, but I always use my steering lock and Gorilla alarm. That thing is LOUD....and if you park up next to a building, that even amplifies the sound.

cdwise · Post by **cdwise** » Fri May 25, 2012 1:10 am

In the 7 years we've had the Buddy its been locked up less times than I have fingers for counting. Mostly park it in a conspicuous place, lock the headset and go. It does live in the garage at night or if for some reason we can't park in ther then inside the security gate on the patio.

The times I locked it was attending a 3 day class in an area that wasn't one I'd want to be in after dark.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri May 25, 2012 1:33 am

I've never locked up the scoot or a motorcycle in my life and, knock on wood, have never had a problem. And of course, a few years back I had a bicycle locked and well secured, albeit in a public area, and it disappeared on me.

Rob

david12df · Post by **david12df** » Fri May 25, 2012 2:32 am

no, full insurance, live in bad neighborhood too. park on street,no problems