Hello from a Brick Newbie in Socal

[bmwpyro]

Thank you Gentlemen of the Asylum.

there is so many choices that its hard to make a decision. specially when the finance is not so obliging.

High boots, wiki has several different types of high boots... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_boot

racing, touring, engineer, police, harness... its worse than ordering coffee at starbucks.  :mbird

jackets. i have no preference but the Bmw club and motorrad jackets and look nice.  as long as they have protection.
still reading on that topic...   i like pockets.

as to weather condition that i will be riding in, it will be mostly around LA. hot and cold weather. no snow. maybe the 2 or bigbear hwy sometimes to camp. i dont see riding beyond that... yet...

Laitch, which forcefield armor do you mean? i looked up the website there are like 40 choices :D not sure which you meant...
M.Brane, Jack,  i'll probably end up with spending thousands of dollars. but i hope not... yes. i hate any western medical torture procedure. i hope i never have the opportunity to try it.

still reading and learning. Thank you!

[bmwpyro]

Gentlemen,

i just thought of something the other day... how does one secure a K bike from being stolen?

i went through some threads but it seems that the consensus is that its too old that no one really wants one?
just wondering if that is it or i should be concerned about security?

for example, does anyone use the steering lock? or is there a better alternative?

Thank You

[Martin]

I have a battery isolator switch and an attack trained Koala named Bruce in the top box. But due to the fact they are all out stealing Harleys he has yet to see action. :dunno
Regards Martin.

[Scud]

Park it next to a more expensive motorcycle.   :hehehe


Seriously, I use the steering lock at work. Anti-theft is the same for any motorcycle - you can use cables, disc-locks, etc.  However, I think the theft of a 20-year old BMW is pretty low risk. I regularly leave mine at San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles airports - using nothing but the steering lock and a cover. I leave all my gear in the saddle bags, but I do lock the bags. I'm more worried about my gear being stolen than the bike.

[Martin]

As with Scud more likely to have gear stolen, I cable lock my helmet to the forks with my helmet sitting on the mirror, lock my tragkorbs  and top box to the bike. I do have a disc lock with a alarm which I attach to the helmet and occasionally use. Ten or more years ago when there were more Bricks around side covers used to disappear. Whether this was due to owners leaving off the "C" retaining clips off the tank or actual thefts I don't know, I've never lost any. I even have a GPS on my bike that would be very easy to steal but it has never been tampered with. I do occasionally find my kill switch has been turned off, could be a joker. However there are some places I would not park my bike, and places where if you do feel a bit insecure you can find a security camera that will cover your bike. There are also battery powered GPS location devices that are pretty cheap and you can track your bikes location.
Regards Martin.
 

[bmwpyro]

Thank you Martin, Scud.

I will check out the cables, disc lock and GPS devices.

@Martin, I'm trying to imagine how you use a disc lock on the helmet tho...

also, the reason i ask is because i see the steering lock like this... its kinda of sunk in...  but fork isnt locked...
i have started soaking it in old ATF to loosen it up for later repair.

[Martin]

I've got a full face helmet with "D" straps. With the helmet sitting on my mirror  I can either loop the cable around the fork and poke the pin from the cable lock through the "D" shackle and into the lock. Or around the fork and through the visor opening into the lock. The Brick does have a helmet lock incorporated into the seat lock, but it can be hard to attach a helmet to unless you have a short bit of chain to run through the "D" shackle or visor opening. It also has a disadvantage that some scumbags find it the appropriate height to use as a toilet,  :yow it has happened to one mate of mine a couple of times. Although I had never even previously heard of that, after he warned me I now put it on the mirror.
Regards Martin.

[Elipten]

I heard of the helmet toilet happening to a friends helmet in San Fransisco. Bike was parked in a parking garage


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Scud]

I take back what I said about the steering lock on my brick. That applies to my Moto Guzzis, which have a locking position built into the ignition switch. I don't bother with the steering lock on the brick.


Sometimes I take a cable lock to the airport - put my helmet on the seat and run the cable through the helmet and the rear wheel. I usually also bring a motorcycle cover.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

IMO a cover is the best theft deterrent. 

First, it conceals what is parked there from anyone who may have nefarious ambitions.  A covered bike on it's centerstand is not likely to attract as much attention as some shiny pile of chrome.  Then too, that centerstand poking out seems to imply "geezer bike" in the minds of the younger folks I know, the folks most likely to be "borrowing" your bike.  Also, who wants to bother pulling the cover off just to see if the bike under it worth stealing?

Second, the cover makes it very difficult to plan a theft.  You can't just casually walk around the bike seeing what would be involved in unlocking and getting it started.  Just the act of pulling the cover off is going to attract unwanted attention to the potential thief.  Even if they do pull the cover off, what do they do with?  Are they going to spend the time to fold it up, or are they just going to throw it on the ground?  Either way, if there is anyone in the area, the perp is going to find either alternative undesirable.

[Martin]

Alarmed disc lock through the one "D" ring on the helmet, cable lock through the other "D" ring.
Regards Martin.

[Scud]

The theft topic came up recently on a Moto Guzzi forum also from a new owner who was rightly enamored of his new-to-him ride. Somebody said "the theft deterrent is sticking out of the frame on both sides." They were referring to the transverse V-twin cylinder heads.


A lot of stolen bikes get parted out - and the serialized parts (frame and block) destroyed or discarded. There is only a very small market for used Moto Guzzi parts - I think it's similar for the bricks. So... the theft deterrent is sticking out of the frame - but in the case of bricks, it's the valve cover and crank cover.


Centerstand is a geezer-bike.  That's funny - and along with the skinny tires makes would-be-thieves look away.  They don't know that a used brick is probably the best value for money in the used motorcycle market.


I've got another airport run Tuesday. The helmet-toilet story is disturbing. I will not forget my cover again.

[bmwpyro]

Thank You. Martin, Scud, TMGryphon and Elipten,
Having no experience. i just have no idea, reading about it and actually having the experience are just like 2 different things.
i realized i have never thought to observe how motorbikes are secured in the Mall. I'm normally observant but i overlooked this part. will pay closer attention now...
i was observing the motorbikes at work the other day. i didnt see any fancy security, but i might have missed it. will look daily to see if i can see more...
i have friends tho whose bicycle seat or tires has been taken... so i worry...

I have operated on the basis of "out of sight, out of mind" for a long time. its my #1 deterrent,  that includes, a low to no bling factor.
having a cover introduces a potential psychological barrier I agree.
any cover suggestions? does it use tie down / lock / garter / other ?

maybe i should just leave the bike looking unfinished after all is done :yes function over form so to speak.

@Martin, if you have the disc lock on the Helmet. which i assume to be motion sensitive. when the helmet moves, it sounds right?

yey!(?) I'm a geezer now.  :yes

[Martin]

It gives a warning couple of chirps, if you leave it alone it is then fine. But if you continue to tamper with it, it sounds the alarm. It also gives you enough time to deactivate with the key once it chirps. Made by Oxford.
Regards Martin.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Yeah, the centerstand thing was pointed out to me by a twenty-something who was a salesman at a large dealership.  He saw my RT sitting under the cover and asked if it was a Beemer under there.  We got talking and he told me that it is very hard to sell a bike with a centerstand to anyone under the age of 30 or so.  That centerstands go with European or Japanese touring bikes which are considered pigs by the younger go-fast sport bike set and the older lifestyle riders. 

As far as the cover, I just use those cheap lightweight nylon types that stuff into a small bag.  They usually have a short bungie that fastens under the engine, but I discard it and just throw the cover over the bike.  So far I have had no problems with them blowing off in the wind. 

I'm not looking for protection from a building collapsing on my bike.  Mainly I just want to keep dust and the UV radiation off the paint.  That the cover deters threat is a bonus.

[Martin]

As Gryph has stated multi purpose.I have a mid price range cover and covers are  great idea as long as you keep them away from the exhaust. And some types tend to stick to the paintwork if stored outside in hot temperatures. If you are storing outside in extreme heat I believe the ones that breath should negate the problem of sticking, but get some local advice.
Regards Martin.

[The Dude]

Gentlemen,

i just thought of something the other day... how does one secure a K bike from being stolen?
Thank You

Great question.
It's peace of mind we are really after.Will she be there when I get back?All the ideas to discourage yours from going missing are good and can ultimately fail but for the fact as Scud pointed out we ride wierd looking oddities that are only valued by their old geezer riders and not lollipop,chrome or rocket ship which appeals to the alternate and popular view.Old geezers know a thing or two but let's just keep that to ourselves? :dunno2:

[Chaos]

I've been known to leave the keys in mine while parked all day in beautiful downtown Dayton and nobody even looked at it.  Maybe because I parked next to a planter  :hehehe

[jakgieger]

  Maybe because I parked next to a planter  :hehehe

 :hehehe Chaos, I have long pondered the paint scheme for you bike :dunno ...is it a BMW disguised as a Ural, a BMW military inspired version, or a personal statement ????

[Chaos]

More like practicality.  In 05 I trashed the bodywork with a deer hit, went the cafe route for a couple years but missed the protection of the fairing.  Then in 2011 I found a full 75s fairing and extras at beemerboneyard all for $200.  Trouble was, it had a horrid yellow rattlecan orange peel runs and blotchy paint job.  Rather than prep everything for a decent paint job the flat cameo covers a myriad of sins.  And it looks cool.  :2thumbup:

[jakgieger]

 :2thumbup: on practicality...kinda like the bike itself

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I also leave the keys in the ignition.  I throw my gloves over them so they aren't out in the open.  I will admit that I never park in large cities, it's mostly small rural towns and suburban areas.   That the fold down key doesn't look like a key from a couple feet away helps too.

[jakgieger]

 :2thumbup: on the fold down key...a must for safety.  I have a brother that hasn't figured out how to start my bike yet :hehehe !

[bmwpyro]

just some updates.

i got the bike scud was showing earlier...
unfortunately cracked the right side fairing after i unstrapped it from the truck before i could get the picker on, hit the bed side rail...
it was a slow motion fall as my wife and i tried  to stop it but couldnt... minor right fairing crack/damage only...

got some time off and built a shed before the Rains and morning frosts came. just in time...

and i passed the MSF... now waiting for my paperwork to arrive. watching people riding their bikes isnt the same...  :dunno2:

delayed in starting work on the bikes... still need to finish a car before anything else. dont want to have parts all over the place and misplace it.

Happy New Year to All!

(i was able to insert pics in between sentences before. right now i cant remember how. seems like something is missing)
(guess not, it seems i dont have that capability yet  :eek: )

[Laitch]

(i was able to insert pics in between sentences before. right now i cant remember how. seems like something is missing)
(guess not, it seems i dont have that capability yet  :eek: )

You haven't done it before, bmwpyro—not here anyway. Photos uploaded from desktops get stacked at the end of posts like they are in your latest post and all of your other posts here. If you had them on a photo server account, you would have the capability to insert them into text.

The problem with using photos from photo server accounts is that they disappear from here when the account lapses, is closed or when the site itself is taken down for some reason. It's more useful for you to substitute a caption for the number strings like your photos have under them then, after that, you upload them to the site from your desktop or phone. That way, they'll be self-descriptive and stick around for the duration.