Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I own a condo and I really want to buy a bike but I am a little leary of storing it in my parking lot. How do I securely store it in a parking lot and protect it from the elements, thieves, and vandalism?

If you have a carport, park it under there and chain it to a post. I also recommend buying a cover for it. For added deterrence, you can nail up a sign near the bike that says something like "Parking lot under video surveilance". Some people think that part is a bit over the top, but hey, whatever makes you feel safe. I do recommend you get a paging alarm system like Scorpio sells, and keep the pager in your room at night so if someone starts touching your bike while you're asleep you will know right away.

if you have a hammer drill you can get some Eye bolts that hammer into the driveway and chain the bike.

NorthernPete wrote:if you have a hammer drill you can get some Eye bolts that hammer into the driveway and chain the bike.

+1 on that idea. That and the cover is a good idea. Make it hard to move the bike and hard to even get to it - and it will likely not be worth the effort to a thief. But as always, if they want your bike specifically, there is little you could do to stop them.

I live in an apartment building and am battling with the same question. Haven't figured it out yet. I think I am going to park my bike in front of my car, in the same space. That way it is harder to get to.

I have a buddy who lives in another apartment building who noticed that all the kids park their scooters with the bicycles on the bike rack. So he was just gonna drive his sv650 up on the sidewalk and park it next to the scooters. I wonder how long it will last there...

I'm lucky, my apartment has a nice big garage. Plus I get to park in it for free, too, since I own a small motorcycle. Saves me $40 Cdn every month!

I have a fenced-in patio with a gate. I park the bike there and padlock the gate. I put a hasp lock on the outside of the gate so I can lock from the outside when I pull the bike out. My motorcycle insurance covers theft.

I pull it behind the house, out of view of the street, mostly, put a cover on it and use the fork lock.

Depending on the association for the condo, I would consider building a storage unit for the bike. You could also bike a biker barn for your parking space. Otherwise, your only option is a cover with the suggested ground bolt or other security device such as chains or cable around permanent poles and objects. The paging alarm is a good idea as well. If someone walks within the perimeter of your bike, it'll page you inside and you'll have the opportunity to see who's doing what.

When I was renting, I bought an enclosed trailer with ramp and used it as my garage.

spinner wrote: I do recommend you get a paging alarm system like Scorpio sells, and keep the pager in your room at night

I have the same dilemma. I'm renting in a townhouse community and we have a fairly large lot. I do have my own assigned space in front of my place and right now, my bike is in the visitor parking directly across from my car spot. How much and where can I find the Scorpio thingy?