Too easy to vandalise a bike?

[Red Herring]

I guess you can get into the habit of a few basic security checks each time you come back to your bike, simple things like checking the dust caps are still on the rims, you've got pressure at the brake lever, etc etc. You could also take a few precautions like lockwire the filler plug (not such a bad idea anyhow) tippex the adjusters and make sure there is a security screw in the radiator cap. But like most have said I think you're worrying a little unnecessarily.

Originally Posted by ceeshaw

1. Someone spraying anything oily on my discs (I know, always test the brakes as soon as you pull away... but still)
2. Someone opening up the oil cap and pouring cr@p inside and closing it up again (I mean, how would you know until something went *pop*??)
3. Someone just plain nicking the oil cap -- where do you buy another at 6pm 20 miles from home? (Or the radiator cap... seriously, do you check yours is still there every time???)
4. Not to mention the damage someone could do with a pair of wire-cutters!
5. Someone placing a disk lock on (I dont use one, so would never think to look for one... would you?)

What else should I be looking for???

Nothing!

In 32 years of parking my bike in some very dodgy areas almost every day not one of the above things has ever been done to any of my bikes, and I don't know of anyone's who has been affected by any of them either. I've had 2 bikes pushed over and a tank dented by some idiot scooter-mong who parked too close, but that's about it... oh, someone once nicked the pedals off my FS1E when it was chained to the front fence at Arborfield Barracks right by the guardhouse - I have a suspicion that was one of the squaddies though.

A motorcycle cover is a bit of a deterrant, not much mind.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you...

"what vandal would even bother doing those things?" - exactly

In various places, at various times, various cars I have owned have suffered smashed wing mirror, kicked door, keyed door, broken ariel, scratches on roof from traffic cone, scratches from footprints on boot, scuffed bumper, snapped off winscreen wipers.

All of it very very very annoying, but I have never worried about someone cutting my brake lines, blocking up my washer hoses, potato in exhaust or any other such 'intelligent' vandalism designed to threated my life.

You start going down this line of thinking too much, you will end up dismantling your bike before every ride to check its OK. (Although I am not saying that a quick look over is not a sensible thing to do before any ride).

Originally Posted by sloppy joe

"what vandal would even bother doing those things?" - exactly

In various places, at various times, various cars I have owned have suffered smashed wing mirror, kicked door, keyed door, broken ariel, scratches on roof from traffic cone, scratches from footprints on boot, scuffed bumper, snapped off winscreen wipers.

All of it very very very annoying, but I have never worried about someone cutting my brake lines, blocking up my washer hoses, potato in exhaust or any other such 'intelligent' vandalism designed to threated my life.

You start going down this line of thinking too much, you will end up dismantling your bike before every ride to check its OK. (Although I am not saying that a quick look over is not a sensible thing to do before any ride).

Quick looks always worth it. I have a Loobman chain oiler, which is like a bodgson and sons Scottoiler, worked by squeezing a bottle! The bit that puts oil onto the sprocket, to distribute to the inside run of the chain had moved, and was lubricating the left-hand side on the tyre. Hence, dragging my toe round a rather sharp bend I found myself in a pant-staining RW slide. Luck was with me, but not checking could have cost me dear.

Interesting thread.

Seriously though, do you just go about annoying people ceeshaw? How many people hate your guts enough to deliberately sabotage your transport and thus endangering your life? Answer, probably not many if any at all. So stop bledy worrying and just ride the thing

Society is not as bad as you'd believe, I've left my tankbag on in many places and no ones ever unzipped it and had the contents away, or even walked off with it. I've been trying to get rid of a perfectly good mountain bike for over a month by leaving it outside my gate, do you think some chav will ride off on it?? No chance!

[ophic]

If someone wants to deliberately sabotage your vehicle, be it bike or car, they will. Granted it's a bit easier with a bike. But with a car you can do such things as cutting the brake lines fairly easily too.

Old minis don't have a bonnet lock. Just pull a lever and there's the engine. I was a bit paranoid as a teenager that someone would raid mine for spare parts.

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

Interesting thread.

Seriously though, do you just go about annoying people ceeshaw? How many people hate your guts enough to deliberately sabotage your transport and thus endangering your life?

Ha, Ha...! Do you know what I do for a living?
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I'm a Bank Manager...!
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I'm thinking of doing something more respectable... maybe Estate Agency or Politics?!!

Seriously, I don't really worry about this too much. Just thinking aloud.