Alarm/Chain/lock/alarmed disc lock and Insurance!!

[Guest]

Hi!! I am new to all things bike and need some advice on a few things.

I have bought a Suzuki SV650S, my module 2 test is coming up REALLY soon, and I need to sort out the insurance.

The quotes I'm getting so far are quite high (most are around 1500+). A friend of mine (also female) has the same bike, no no claims discount and an open claim and is getting quotes almost half that...but she has locks etc. So I am hoping that buying some security equipment will help lower the cost?? Plus I need to buy it all anyway.

Please help with...

Alarm - Suzuki fitted 250...worth it?

Chain - what make/model/price and minimum thickness in mm? I've heard that having a chain less than (can't remember the width!) is pointless because they are so easy to cut

Lock - make/model/price

Disc-lock - alarmed or not? make/model/price

Also any advice on where I can get this stuff from would be great - websites? shops? I live in London

I am really excited about passing and being able to get my bike delivered!

Thanks for any help

H

[Guest]

The quotes I'm getting so far are quite high (most are around 1500+)

I live in London

 

I'd say thats your problem right there But yes, locks and such will lower that cost. Also, what type of insurance are you going for? I imagine Third Party Only cover will not be affected by locks and such, as the company won't have to pay out if your bike gets robbed. The best chain + lock you can get is Almax. They are impossible to cut with boltcutters. I know the most popular alarms seem to be datatool. Anything with a tracker will be good for you.

Chain and lock - Almax 1.5m chain and squire lock - You're looking at around £170 for those two, you can buy them together from their website i believe. And a bloody good visual deterent aswell, nice big thick chain to keep the chavs away.

Disk lock - Xena do one that is a movement sensor alarm that works quite well for £30. - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XENA-XZZ6-YELLOW-MOTORCYCLE-DISC-DISK-LOCK-WITH-ALARM_W0QQitemZ190369010749QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Motorcycle_Parts?hash=item2c52e0943d

Alarm - Well, the disk lock will do the job of a visual aid and a loud alarm... I'd say get ANYTHING with a tracker. Its the best way of retrieving your bike once stolen.

[scrowe]

This is going sound daft but you are looking to be spending a whole lot on security to get not alot of the insurance.

The only way to get the premium down that ive found is keep the bike in a locked brick garage and make sue you get those no claimes built up every year.

The amount you'll spend on locks and the like will be more than the dicount you'll get off the isurance company.

At the end of the day iff someone wants you're bike they'll get it!

or...

I had a mate with a cbr600, some theiving rat tried to get through the chains and couldn't instead he just kicked the bike over and smashed all the fairing and end can resulting in £000's of pounds of damage.

If the bike has an imobiliser thats the best thing other than that a big chain is more of a visual deterent. alarm disc locks just go off when they feel like it (normally about 3am). if the bikes outside all year than keep a cover over to stop random eyes clocking it. and possibly datatagging as well.

I did this exercise when i started riding and to get £150 of a policy meant i had to spend the best part of £225 on security.

you live in london so it's allways going to expensive.

[Gavskin]

this is just an idea why not put up a real or even a dummy cctv camera near your bike then put up a couple of big warning cctv in operation sign's...it may not help with your insurance but will put people off going near your bike,big bright security lights are also good

[Guest]

why don't you speak to some insurance companies and see what they suggest and give you a quote for with and without,

it could be your mates excess is higher, etc, etc, etc, etc....

[Guest]

generally look for Thatcham approved stuff....

some on here

http://www.elitesecuritysupplies.com/combo_deals.htm

but remember they may be a clause that if the vehicle is taken and the lock/alarm was not fitted/set, then you could have a high excess..

bets to chat with an insurer to see what effect it will have on the premium, and who/what they recommend.

[moviemanlo]

a shop that i would recomend in london is sondel sports . its near highbury and islington tube station so you might be better going by tube .

[Guest]

Thanks for all the advice. I have already asked some insurance co's for advice but they haven't been very helpful. And I don't want to spend a fortune on security as you're right its not going to effect my premium that much - but recommendations on locks/chains/disc locks etc is really appreciated as I'm going to need to get this stuff regardless of insurance.

[2fast2soon]

Hi,

Could it be that your friend's insurance is much lower than yours as she has a full license while you still don't. My premium halved the minute I got my license, I only wanted to insure the bike against theft and damage but without my license the premiums were ridiculously high.

Any locks with Sold Secure and Thatcham on them should be good, the best bet is to do an online insurance quote and see which locks appear in their list (they usually only list the ones they recognise) then go see which one is cheapest near you. I use Abus but they aren't cheap, they do however have a handy rating to show which of their range are the most secure.

Good luck with your mod 2.

[Guest]

Thanks ) unfortunately i've been putting full licence in the quotes as i cant have the bike until then anyway...oh well no cheaper insurance for me! Still want to prevent it getting stolen though!

[Ingah]

Still want to prevent it getting stolen though!

 

Almax (preferrably series 4 for home use - 80% of bike thefts from the home - and a series 3 for use out and about - although if budget is at all limited take the series 3 because it's more versatile) with squire padlock or better, through the frame of the bike, secured to an immovable object (good example: a lamp post/solid ground anchor - NOT a traffic/street sign). In sight/hearing distance of your window/house/sleeping quarters. Combine with motion sensing alarm and datatag/alpha dot to cause professionals to largely move on (unless you've got something exotic they're being paid handsomely to procure. Or if you annoy someone enough...). Cover your bike to reduce the chances of vandalism/anger related damage when Dave realises his junior hacksaw isn't working on your chain. Garaging the bike is a superior form of cover and insurance companies like it (but no substitute for other security - and in fact give thieves more privacy to work in).

Regarding chains - if you get a chain with less than 16mm width (Almax 3 is 16mm exactly), then it can almost certainly be bolt-cropped. Silently. And then loaded into the van.

TBH, i say stuff insurance for theft claims on any bike not worth a good few grand as they only get you back in the end with NCB loss / accident / theft history based price hikes. I have TPO because it was the cheapest cover to have for my 2 old bikes (CB500/CG125). Almax 3, motion sensing alarms, covers, datatags, and standard steering locks do the rest (yes it's overkill, and that's why it works).

[Roadtorque]

One of the best disk locks & is approved by insurance companies, this will get the price down a bit, As already said a garage will make the biggest saving,, but as a new inexperienced first time rider, sorry you'll have to bite the bullet, it will come down with no claims & a few years of accident free riding, you'll be home & dry (or not depending on the weather) good luck

http://www.sounddistribution.co.uk/prod ... number=134