Coyote Chris
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A lock? I heard theft is low in Japan......
What is it?
- Thread starter Coyote Chris
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Coyote Chris
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This was written 6 years ago.
Motorcycle theft is pretty bad in Japan in general, but it's been getting better in the last ten years or so with the advent of better security systems and more parking areas with cameras. The other big thing that changed is they no longer will give registration records to anyone with a license plate number and VIN - now you need to show ID that you are the owner of the vehicle.
Osaka and Kyoto are number 3 and number 2 respectively for number of thefts annually. Number one is Fukuoka. Most stolen bikes are Harleys and supersports - no surprise. Good aftermarket parts are sold on auctions, the bikes themselves mostly get shipped off to SE Asia or Russia. Most bikes are stolen from the owner's home, not when they're out and about. Most commonly they're ridden away, but mattress tosses also happen.
Best prevention is to keep a cover on your bike when you're not riding it - get one that has grommets for locking the cover down front and rear. Bike thieves are looking for easy targets - they generally won't waste time trying to look through a secured cover. Every guy I know who's had a bike stolen hadn't put the cover on it that night (if they used one at all), and relied on a single lock or just the bike's inbuilt locks. My Dyna gets a heavy Kryptonite U-lock through the rear tire (securing the cover in rear), and a hex-link chain through the front forks to a bar in the parking area, and then a small wire cable to secure the cover in front. If you use a linked chain, wrap it so it's not touching the ground so they can't use a chisel on it. When you're out and about, disk locks are best on the rear rotor - or better yet one front, one rear.
Any dealer can set you up with theft insurance, which is separate from your other insurance. Usually it's pretty pricey, though. Mine covers 90% of the replacement cost of the bike.
Another website says 20,000 a year are stolen.
Motorcycle theft is pretty bad in Japan in general, but it's been getting better in the last ten years or so with the advent of better security systems and more parking areas with cameras. The other big thing that changed is they no longer will give registration records to anyone with a license plate number and VIN - now you need to show ID that you are the owner of the vehicle.
Osaka and Kyoto are number 3 and number 2 respectively for number of thefts annually. Number one is Fukuoka. Most stolen bikes are Harleys and supersports - no surprise. Good aftermarket parts are sold on auctions, the bikes themselves mostly get shipped off to SE Asia or Russia. Most bikes are stolen from the owner's home, not when they're out and about. Most commonly they're ridden away, but mattress tosses also happen.
Best prevention is to keep a cover on your bike when you're not riding it - get one that has grommets for locking the cover down front and rear. Bike thieves are looking for easy targets - they generally won't waste time trying to look through a secured cover. Every guy I know who's had a bike stolen hadn't put the cover on it that night (if they used one at all), and relied on a single lock or just the bike's inbuilt locks. My Dyna gets a heavy Kryptonite U-lock through the rear tire (securing the cover in rear), and a hex-link chain through the front forks to a bar in the parking area, and then a small wire cable to secure the cover in front. If you use a linked chain, wrap it so it's not touching the ground so they can't use a chisel on it. When you're out and about, disk locks are best on the rear rotor - or better yet one front, one rear.
Any dealer can set you up with theft insurance, which is separate from your other insurance. Usually it's pretty pricey, though. Mine covers 90% of the replacement cost of the bike.
Another website says 20,000 a year are stolen.
When I worked and commuted into mid-town Manhattan, NYC, back in the early 2000's. I did basically the same.
Kryptonite chain+lock to secure motorcycle to "No Parking sign" on sidewalk and heavy duty Dowco cover locked over motorcycle.
Did that for three years; never had a problem.
Whereas coworkers who did not cover their motorcycles; would occasionally tell stories of people trying to steal their motorcycle during the day.