Stolen Forza 750 in London and what bike should I now buy
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 7:41 pm
So after a long time riding an old Burgman (work spell abroad/lockdowns etc), which has never tempted anyone, I got a 2 year old Honda Forza 750, only to be stolen 10 days after.
The person I got it from had advised me it was a sought after item, so I was aware of criminal interest. I still did not anticipate what would happen. It was stolen from an MC parking bay in a super central London location , steps away from a busy restaurant. It had Almax Series III chain around the back wheel, which took the thieves over 10 minutes to cut through according to the multiple witnesses, plus extra time to hammer out the immobilizer and push the bike away from the spot. The police arrived late, around the same time as myself and told me the bike had little chance of being recovered.
I understand I could have delayed the thieves by adding more locks. I was also going to add datatag markings, just did not manage to do it within the first 10 days of ownership. Still, if it was stolen from a supercentral spot full of people, it would have been stolen later anyway despite any number of locks. I use bikes as my main transport, so may park in more desolate places at less busy times.
So my question is, with this kind of usage what make/model/age bike can I buy without developing a full-blown paranoia? Despite my preferred bike still being the Forza, I am too scared to have another go. Is the DCT Honda NC750X significantly safer? How about Tmax 530? Insurance premia are more or less the same for these, with the more expensive Tmax slightly cheaper to insure.
I was advised by my trusty mechanic against BMWs, but would any one suggest considering BMW C650?
Or is going geared the only way to reduce the theft hazard (I can ride geared but would prefer not to as often have to weave through heavy traffic)
And also what kind of security devices would you consider a must in addition to chain and disc locks -- a GPS tracker, Datatag?
Thanks for any suggestions and advise.
The person I got it from had advised me it was a sought after item, so I was aware of criminal interest. I still did not anticipate what would happen. It was stolen from an MC parking bay in a super central London location , steps away from a busy restaurant. It had Almax Series III chain around the back wheel, which took the thieves over 10 minutes to cut through according to the multiple witnesses, plus extra time to hammer out the immobilizer and push the bike away from the spot. The police arrived late, around the same time as myself and told me the bike had little chance of being recovered.
I understand I could have delayed the thieves by adding more locks. I was also going to add datatag markings, just did not manage to do it within the first 10 days of ownership. Still, if it was stolen from a supercentral spot full of people, it would have been stolen later anyway despite any number of locks. I use bikes as my main transport, so may park in more desolate places at less busy times.
So my question is, with this kind of usage what make/model/age bike can I buy without developing a full-blown paranoia? Despite my preferred bike still being the Forza, I am too scared to have another go. Is the DCT Honda NC750X significantly safer? How about Tmax 530? Insurance premia are more or less the same for these, with the more expensive Tmax slightly cheaper to insure.
I was advised by my trusty mechanic against BMWs, but would any one suggest considering BMW C650?
Or is going geared the only way to reduce the theft hazard (I can ride geared but would prefer not to as often have to weave through heavy traffic)
And also what kind of security devices would you consider a must in addition to chain and disc locks -- a GPS tracker, Datatag?
Thanks for any suggestions and advise.