Top Motorcycle Garage Security

Top Motorcycle Garage Security
Top Motorcycle Garage Security
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We all know that storing our bikes in the garage is by far the best solution – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider some extra motorcycle garage security.

A nice sturdy brick or stone-built garage is the ideal; tough, protective and should keep the bike warm and dry. However, sometimes your garage may not be quite as secure as you think. That up-and-over door might easily be jimmied open and then, thieves have a clear run at your bike.

There are plenty of ways you can give your bike extra layers of protection so that even if thieves do manage to get into your garage (past your extra security) they won’t have an easy time of it.

First and foremost, light. Thieves hate light and love the dark so install some security floodlights around the garage that come on when someone approaches.

    A security camera or two can act as a deterrent if you signpost their coverage (you don’t actually need to highlight where they are though) and can be useful if someone does manage to break into your garage and makes off with some tools, for example.

    Thieves hate noise as much as they do light, so an alarm that will sound if they attempt or gain entry will help scare them off and finally, if they do manage to get in, then additional security measures inside the garage to prevent them getting away with your bike will thwart them completely.

    Best motorcycle garage security products

    Here is a selection of great motorcycle garage security products that we would suggest will help.

    MCN Rated

    Rrp: £102.68

    Price: £75.32

    You might not instantly think of chaining your bike up when it's tucked away in your garage but if a thief does manage to get in, the last thing you want is them to be able to simply wheel it away through whatever door or hole they used to get in.

    Just like when you’re out and about, chaining the bike to something solid will prevent that and this ground anchor (it can also be fixed to a wall if the ground isn’t right) will be that something solid. It uses a 16mm diameter shackle with 65mm clearance, so should accommodate chains up to around 18mm link diameter.

    MCN says: “When not in use, the large D-ring folds down into the casing, so you can ride over it with impunity.”
    Sold Secure rating: Gold

    This docking station from Oxford can be mounted either to a wall or to the ground and allows a chain using links up to 16mm in size to be fitted quickly, easily and neatly - particularly useful if mounted on the wall to keep the chain off the ground, making attack even harder. The hardened steel pin slides into the housing and through the chain links to hold them secure.

    Sold Secure rating: Gold

    Dubbed 'ultimate home and industrial security applications', if you are serious about chaining your bike up in one location (garage or work - it's far too heavy to be portable) and leaving the chain there, then this might be for you.

    Using 25mm diameter wire for the links, it is a huge chain, weighing almost 24kg for a 1.85m length. It is paired with a Squire SS100CS Stronghold padlock with a 20mm diameter shackle and ten-year warranty. It’ll need a serious ground anchor to work with – the chain is 93mm across but Almax also sells a Defiant version for £50 more.
    Sold Secure rating: Diamond
    MCN Rated

    Rrp: £69.99

    Price: £68.00

    The premise of the Garage Defender is simple - it prevents up-and-over garage doors from being opened, so even if thieves do get in somehow like say through a window or side door, they can't get out with your bike.

    It uses a plate that is fixed to the floor and then, an upstand bar is locked to the plate with a hefty padlock, preventing the bottom of the door from moving forwards as it opens. The fixings are under the lock and behind the door in the garage and though this version is intended for concrete floors and driveways, there are also versions for tarmac and paving.

    MCN says: “This solid-steel Defender is a great initial barrier to prevent the crims getting your door open.”
    Sold Secure rating: Bronze (domestic)

    Rrp: £24.99

    Price: £22.99

    If your garage is wired for mains electricity and is close enough to the house to pick up your Wi-Fi (or it has its own Wi-Fi), then this indoor camera, which is Amazon's Choice for 'Security camera' will keep an eye on things.

    It can be set to detect motion and activate recording, as well as notify you via your smartphone and it records to a Micro SD card. You can control the view via smartphone or by voice control (with an appropriate screen control) and two-way audio allows you to scare thieves away.
    MCN Rated
    Price: £89.99

    If you want a discrete outdoor camera to monitor what's going on before thieves get into your garage, then this Blink camera from Amazon will do just that. It's totally wireless, using battery power and runs day or night.

    Like the indoor version, you can get motion detection alerts to your phone and two-way audio lets you make your presence and monitoring known. It’s easy to set up and use and gets great reviews online.

    MCN says: “If you’re looking for an affordable, discreet and simple way to keep an eye on your garage, Amazon’s Blink is a blinking good deal.”

    Rrp: £19.99

    Price: £16.00

    In the same way thieves hate light, they also hate noise and this standalone garage alarm - which is Amazon's Choice in 'Garage alarm' - is a simple, battery-powered motion-detecting alarm with a 100dB siren.

    If the correct code isn’t input within ten seconds of motion being detected, the siren sounds and not only should that scare any thieves away, it will also let you know someone is tampering with your bike.

    Yet another Amazon's Choice, this mains-powered security floodlight features a PIR sensor to detect intruders and this triggers a 100W/10,000-lumen LED lighting array to illuminate the thief and scare them away. Light is one of your best weapons against intruders and this should help eliminate the dark they love so much.

    If everything else fails and the thieves have managed to get into your garage, cut through whatever chain and lock combination you have in place, have ignored the alarm and floodlights and your voice over the camera telling them the police are on their way, then they still have to get your bike out of your garage.

    This barrier from Image4 Security will help prevent them from doing that. It’s a telescopic barrier that fits across the door to your garage and prevents them from riding the bike out – think a physically locked car-park barrier. Add anchor points for chains or a 130dB anti-tamper alarm that will ping your phone if triggered. There’s a smaller version for sheds too.

    MCN Says: “It’s a fantastic, simple first line of defence in your garage. It’s so easy to use, you can do it one-handed with your bike gloves on.”
    Price: £82.50

    Just like the Garage Defender prevents an up-and-over door from being opened, this lock prevents a roller-shutter garage door from doing the same, to prevent thieves from entering or wheeling your bike out.

    The lock is set into the ground in concrete and the locking plate fits to the door. When open, the system sits flush to the ground and when locked, holds the door securely shut – the mechanism has been pull-tested to six tons.

    The lock is set into the ground in concrete and the locking plate fits to the door. When open, the system sits flush to the ground and when locked, holds the door securely shut – the mechanism has been pull-tested to six tons.

    Sold secure rating: Silver (domestic)
    Sold Secure rating: Silver (domestic)

    About the author: After qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Jim Blackstock began working on magazines in the early 1990s. He remains passionate about product testing to ensure readers know what products offer good value and why. He relishes torrential rain to see if riding kit keeps water out and an hour or two to tinker on a project bike in his workshop.

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