Featured How I Became Fork Lock

Nice story, all the danger without the damage.
Like you, I have definitely reduced my intake when riding and it works

 

I take the fork locks out !
I had a Laverda RGS 1000 the steering lock failed ..! Parked up one day , didn't use the steering lock ,. But when I came back the steering head was stiff and locking and releasing at random.
Only roadside repair possible , was to disable it.
Stayed that way for seven years until I sold it .
Now remove them as soon as possible when I buy a bike.

They cost only a few $$$ to install at manufacture but take 30 seconds or less to defeat , and potentially can seriously damage and kill ... !
Great waste of everyone's time ....

 

Ha! I just saw this thread, @Fork Lock. What a great story! I can definitely see why your buddies dubbed you "Fork Lock".

 

Wouldn't work in London. Your bike would last about 5 minutes.

 

Great story

 

But at least it won't damage your bike if it becomes un-rideable when the lock is faulty , it's not a theft deterrent anyway !! Thieves would just pick up the front wheel - which they would need to do anyway- and wheel it into a conveyance !!!
Only really advanced/strong Lock's or security tracking devices will be any deterrent anyhoo ?

 

Over here it definitely is a theft deterrent (although admittedly it's only the first line of defence, and not sufficient on its own). You can find YouTube videos of the scumbags checking a row of parked bikes to see of any can be simply wheeled away.

A couple of years ago there were something like 24,000 bikes stolen in London. It's been a really major problem for a long time.

 

Just looked up "thefts" in WA , in 2015/16/17 averaged out between 10/12 thousand a year , on average just over 55% are recovered.
If you don't live in Perth , Broome or Bunbury the theft rate drops off to almost nothing.
A lot of Bike theft is opportunity related , but a significant portion are targeted High Value.
I'm lucky live 96 km East of Perth in Northam. I've lived here for almost 30 yrs now and can only remember like two Road bikes being stolen and maybe five small capacity single cylinder children's off roads bike's being stolen.

 

Digressing slightly, about 3 years ago I worked literally adjacent to the Channel 4 building/studios near Victoria in London, and on this particular day I was having a vape whilst wandering along one of the perimeter walls that was used to park motorbikes owned by their employees (the demise included a strip of land separating the site from the pavement, hence the motorbike parking - there must have been 8 or 10 of them parked up). As I stood there two scooters pulled up a few yards away from me, with two guys on each. All of them were large, and all clad in black, including their helmets and tinted visors. Neither of the scooters, also black, had number plates fitted.

Three of the riders dismounted; two of them proceeded to tackle a chain securing one of the bikes with an angle grinder, and the third approached within 3 or 4 feet of me, holding a length of pipe and inviting me to get involved if I wanted to. I looked at them, considered my family, and thought better of it; the bike would have been insured, and wasn't worth potentially losing my life over. It was quite an unnerving experience, though.

 

At the very least please tell me you filmed them and dialled 999 while it was ongoing

 

Sorry - I should have finished the story. No, with a guy holding a length of iron pipe three feet from my face I didn't film them. However, whist the others were taking an angle grinder to the chain, four very large guys came hurtling out of the Channel 4 entrance doors and proceeded to tackle the scumbags (who got away on the scooters but without the bike they were attempting to steal). The police arrived minutes later and took statements.

 

@learningtofly , I'll digress too
Whilst I lived in Sydney 30yrs ago. I was stationed at Moorebank (transport corps) as a driver. A friend was a performance car enthusiast , he owned a 1950's Buick with a worked 7litre V8 under the bonnet.
He knew many in the Drag racing fraternity.
He told me one guy had his Ducati and Harley Davidson drag bike's stolen !! From a locked heavily secured shed , 6inch thick, steel mesh reinforced cement walls and floors, steel mesh lined roofing and alarms on everything ! Bikes were chained up !! Seven foot fencing and security lighting in the yard !!
Bike's were stolen after midnight , midweek, they turned off the power , no lights or alarms working now.
They stole power from the neighbours to operate their power tools. Cutting fencing and wall's and chains. It was suspected that six or more were involved and wall's and fence were attacked at the same time.
Targeted and possibly insider knowledge involved.
Bike's went overseas , NZ for the HD , Ducati ??? Not sure but both recovered within a couple of months.