Ducati Monster Forum

Not sure if this has been posted before but I read through the whole thing and there is some very interesting information from somebody on the inside.

It gives some good insight into how to avoid having your bike stolen.

Seems this should be a good read for those of you in more populated areas than I.

Read on.  [popcorn]

http://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/t5shp/ex_thief_chopshop_operator_ama/ (http://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/t5shp/ex_thief_chopshop_operator_ama/)

Whoa.  Is there a cliff's notes version?

It was posted before, but it's a good read.

Thanks Lazylightnin717.. Good reading.

Cliffs notes are, somebody that knows their shit will steal your bike no matter what you do.

Very impressive read, if a bit ungainly due to that sites version of a "forum"

You could browse thru and just pay attention to the original poster and his responses, "tremendousguilt" is the username

Chilling when he singled out Duc's being a "goldmine" of profit


The Highlights: Lockable bike cover, big-ass chain, disc lock-rear, in your personal garage = less likely stolen

The Lowlights: Lo-Jack can be disabled, cheap locks and chains are pointless, if they really want your bike, they're gonna get it

Having had a bike stolen from me, theft coverage works. I always keep good theft coverage on all of my bikes.

Another interesting highlight - for all the PITA it causes legitimate owners, the red-key system on Ducs does seem to make life harder on would-be thieves. Harder, but not impossible.

And, sadly, that my objects-of-extreme-bike-lust 748 & 916 are comparatively easy to boost.

Seems like our bikes are harder to steal, but not impossible (where there is a will there is a way). Guy says he would bring a duplicate ECU to bypass the immobilizer. I'm going to stop putting off buying that disc lock I've been looking at.

I have one that I dont even use. I need to get it out.

 I have been riding BMWs since '86, and no one ever steals them! Now that I have a Duck I'm starting to get a little paranoid. I just might get myself a disc lock!

This

Put the disk lock the the rear wheel, don't ask how I learned this...... [bang]

That was the biggest (and easiest) change I made after reading this thread.

i've been telling people this for 20 years... when they ask why, i just tell them to look at it until they figure it out.

Never worried about this with a BIG, heavy cruiser.  Now that i am buying a Duc, disc lock will be the first thing i buy.  Good read.

That really is a worthwhile read.  Thanks for sharing!  [thumbsup]

"There is this common misconception that a few guys load bikes into trucks and vans. The people who get CAUGHT load bikes into trucks and vans."

This is actually pretty common around here  Maybe we just have stupid criminals.  Maybe the difference is ease of highway access here.

The San Diego sheriff created a video a couple years ago showing how quickly they could steal a bike.  Some of them were ridiculously easy.  Video is gone now, but I think CBR's were hotwired in under 10 seconds.  Guy just reached into the wire harness, fiddled with it, and vroom.

on some motorcycles, the ignition key module is connected to the rest of the wiring harness with an easily sourced connector.

it's relatively trivial to build a pigtail with that connector (and many other security "features") to bypass the key altogether.

at that point, all you'd need is access to the connector and an unlocked (or broken) steering lock.