How long do you trust your bikes unattended?

I'm just kind of trying to gauge how people feel about this stuff.

I'll start off by saying that anytime I go somewhere, and am unable to see my bike through a window or something, I start to worry if someone might roll up and take my bike away.

The most common occurrence is when I go to see a movie. That's at least 2 hours (or more) of the bike just sitting out in the parking lot without me being able to see it at all. I really stress out hard over whether or not it may still be there when I come back out.

Am I being rational in always being worried that my bike might get stolen?

How do you guys feel about this?
Do you have certain limits as to how long you will leave your bike parked and unattended?

Share your experience/thoughts please

If you were living in London that wouldn't be irrational at all! There are certain parts I wouldn't leave it for 5 minutes! And certainly not without disk locks on both wheels which will at least put off the kids.

I don't really know how bad the motorcycle theft culture is here in my area

If I go to Edinburgh, at least one of the big chains gets brought along, disc lock is always there. Locally, its just kids and there are easier pickings around than my garaged, multi-chained and locked bikes.

I've only had one attempted theft and a sharp-eyed taxi driver chased them off. Still fooked my ignition barrel and steering locks though.

I share your fear.

Mostly now I ride in ways that doesn't require I leave the bike. Trackdays, rideouts, short trips shopping that only mean the bike is left for minutes, not hours. If I need to leave the bike for hours or overnight then I have to take along a big chain and lock as well as the disc lock to make myself feel easy. And I also take a lightweight cover so the bike is not visible to opportunistic thieves. I has sort of spoiled my enjoyment of biking over the years. I hate that feeling as you come round the corner expecting it to be gone and then the relief when it's still there. My bike is worth way more than the insurance would pay out for so if it goes it's a lot of financial loss. I'd never replace it or want to replicate what I've achieved over the last 6 years.

I'm glad I don't commute on it everyday. I used to. That's when these bikes are most at risk I think, a known bike arriving every day in the same place. And you get a bit sloppy when it's routine and forget to do the whole security thing all the time. It's so much hassle. (And an Almax chain weighs a ton to carry about with you all the time!)

In some ways the only consolation of an aging bike is that as the years go by the '07 Superduke is dropping from the 'desirable bike to steal' list and there are loads more bikes that are more attractive - both to the professional gangs and opportunistic joyriders. The fact that mine is starting to show signs of general wear and use means that it just doesn't have the appeal and is more likely to be overlooked. I always try and park up next to bigger, newer, shinier bikes so they would be targeted first!

I work on an airbase so I don't worry at all leaving it unattended with just ignition key removed
At home on my driveway I just use steering look and pull the key unless I'm going away.
locked garage, disc lock, sisters family nextdoor and the big almax chain if I'm going away for a long time.
On parkinglots I'm just worried about stupid parents who think it's ok to place their offspring on others property.

Same here, locks and chains and don't leave her alone for too long. Don't leave her alone at all in a dodgy area.
But the sad truth is, if they really want your bike they will get it, no matter what. If they are professional bike thief they will find a way of taking your pride and joy, and there is very little you can do about it.
Having a good insurance helps, but as we all know it's never a 100% of what she is worth.
I read somewhere recently that around 20.000 bikes are stolen in the UK alone, and only around 8000 is recovered. Scary, right?

always lock it to something else , if over a few minutes

I'm also "scared" by leaving the bike alone in a public place... But I try to say to myself : "if you worry that much, you'll just loose the pleasure to ride this amazing bike"
Like all of you, I don't use it everyday, so if it's stolen when parking in the street, it's by an opportunist thief...

The movies?

Where do you put your lid? Do you stick it to the floor covered in slurpee and popcorn?

I'm fortunate enough that my bike never has to be left outside. It's in the garage at home and in the garage at work, if I'm going out some where and can't park it where I can see it I'll just take my car. No one wants to steal that piece of shit.


Either way, if some one wants your bike bad enough they'll get it. That's why I have full coverage, my boss had a really nice 1958 Hydra-Glide it was parked at a popular bar. The thieves moved other bikes out of the way to get to his and load it into their van

ive left mine with the key in the ignition several times (by accident...heh, heh...) and no one has touched it! twice while i had lunch!! once in front of Busch Gardens, right at the entrance, with hundreds of people filing by to get into/out of the park

I'm pretty anal about leaving mine and usually use it for going to the twisties and back home, although I can easily join favorite rides together and easily manage 100 miles no problem. I have the rare White (superior) and have a couple of mates who go to the Assen Moto Gp each year and want me to go. But in the back of my mind it's either being nicked or my rare panels swiped whilst I'm away from my luverly bike. If I stop off at a country pub, its always in view, and I don't know if it's because mines the luverly white one or what, but it draws a crowd a lot of the time

I'm guessing that there is no combo of chains, cables and alarms that will prevent a group of good thieves from cutting your bike lose, throwing a big moving blanket over it and popping it into the back of a van quicker than snot. Glad I only live in a safe rural area and basically only take my bike out to play.

That said, I'll probably not sleep well tonight worrying about it going missing by morning.

It looks like I should probably invest in some anti-theft equipment. It's odd, Every single person I know or have ridden with didn't have any chains or disc-locks or anything, and I hardly ever see any on bikes when I go out

I NEVER DO THIS !,,,,,I ride where I can see it thats it,,,,,,,,,,,,,I once spent a couple of hours at the hospital,,parked my Guzzi in the shade,,quick appointment,,,I come out to find this clown sitting on my bike,,he scratched the tank,,put it in gear and had played around with every switch on the thing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,never again !

Thankfully live in an area where bike theft does occur but not on a large scale.
Leave the bike where ever and usually dont even bother locking it.
At home it just sits in a unlocked garage, even left the keys in for 8 days when I went away.
BTW none of you guys know where I live, right???

as little as possible and not everywhere.

but i don't usually take it when going to stay in somewhere for long periods of time.

take it for a ride, go for a coffee or lunch here is usually no problem.

I try not to let it out of my sight at all unless at work, where it has a secured parking lot. Asswipes will not only steal your beloved, hard earned dream bike but they will also steal parts and accessories off it. Some dick head recently stole a "KTM" reservoir sock/cover from my SDR while I was getting something to eat. Fooking low-life scum.

The longest I'll let mine out of sight is for a quick toilet break.

Really depends on how well armed I am, and how far away the bike is.

Most days it's parked on the walk in front of the office - all day - as often as not, with the key in the ignition.

Want it bad enough? Come and get it.

If did that on say, a GSX-R, it would be gone by the second day.