College... What to do... what to do...

[Shreder]

So spring time is comin up (kind of...) but once this place gets around 40 degrees f average, im gonna bring the kat up to college. I live in dorms and will have to leave it in the "dead spaces" in the parking garages. I'm looking for some tips and/or stories about parking a bike on a college campus or in public for extended periods of time. This place isn't known to be a good town by any means either. I've seen things like rotor locks and alarms, but i want to get a better idea of things i could do/buy to prevent theft and vandalism. maybe ill just park next to the brand new gixxer so they're tempted to go after that one instead of my 98' haha. any help would be great!

[Devinjordan]

well lock the forks that will always help and take the keys out. I think viper makes an alarm for bikes or hell maybe even lojack makes sumthing idk just something to look into I guess

[xx2fast4uxx]

I used to have a gorilla bike alarm on my Ninja when I had it. Worked very well. They also have a remote you can purchase seperate or get the bundle that will page you when the alarm trips. I never had to leave in public for an extended time though.

[brentwoodkris]

I go to Mizzou and see bikes parked in the parking garages during the winter. Although your school may not do this, MU provides free parking for your bike in parking garages so long as you already pay for a parking pass that semester. I personally wouldn't do this, as I've seen a lot of people mess with bikes that clearly aren't their own, especially when they're drunk and on the way back to their car after a football game, etc. I lock all my gear to the bike's rear wheel with a cable lock, put my helmet on the helmet lock (under seat) and gloves inside the helmet. I have full coverage on the bike thankfully so I'll get a nice payday on my bike if it gets stolen so I've never bothered with alarms, etc. I can see where the rotor lock would come in handy though. However, think about this, Kats are f-ing heavy, which makes them a lot harder to steal in the first place. My SV1K could easily be picked up by a couple guys and put in a truck.

In fact, when I left our last home game around halftime, I saw these two horrendously ugly (and obese) women climbing up on a newer ZX-14 in one of the parking garages and taking pictures on it with their cell phones. I had on my boots and jacket (on the way to my bike, thankfully parked up a few floors) so I walked over to them and said, "WTF are you doing on my bike?" After a look of horror passed between them, they mumbled apologies and took off running. It was hilarious. I still do feel sorry for the chap that owns the bike though.

[airforceranger49]

my advice... dont do it, lol... let me explain

you can buy all the wheel locks, alarm systems, etc... in the world, but if someone wants your bike, and its in a parking lot, their going to get it. maybe contact lo jack, i know they make a kit for bikes... that way if it does get stolen, you can atleast find it... but as far as doing anything in a parking lot to keep it from getting lifted... its almost impossible... if they want it bad enough, they will get it

[vonrapier]

If you want to keep a nice bike leave it at home. College......rowdies.....kids that havent grown up...no offense....your bike could be a potential trophy.....it is all up to you......find someone off campus that has a closed garage you can rent a space in - that would be better...
Either way Good Luck with that one.......

[brentwoodkris]

If you want to keep a nice bike leave it at home. College......rowdies.....kids that havent grown up...no offense....your bike could be a potential trophy.....it is all up to you......find someone off campus that has a closed garage you can rent a space in - that would be better...
Either way Good Luck with that one.......

Agreed +1

[zuma]

I'm with AFR49 and VR totally, unless you can bring it into your dorm room...and that wouldn't make it 100% safe. If someone is tempted to steal it and sees it in the same space all the time...I just wouldn't be able to leave it parked out like that.

[PilotC150]

well lock the forks that will always help and take the keys out. I think viper makes an alarm for bikes or hell maybe even lojack makes sumthing idk just something to look into I guess

Don't you always do this?

[1FSTKAT]

From one college kid to another, don't do it.
My car broke down one weekend and I rode my bike down just for the week while it was in the shop. I was so sketched out the entire week, i kept going by the bike at all hours of the day just to make sure it was ok and make sure I had locked everything. The school would not let me put a cover over it because the parking decal had to be visible. I did manage to chain it up to a sign though so I felt a little better.

Let me put it like this, If you can chain it to a solid, immobile object and run a heavy gague stainless steel kevlar wrapped chain with a bullet proof masterlock, under a cover and with lo jack. You will always be on edge. Best to find someone who lives close and pay rent in their garage.

[Wild-Bill]

Or just park it between the brand new DucatiGSXRCBR and a wall with the steering locked. Give a thief/jerk/drunk an easier, more attractive target and they're liable to leave you alone.

[Fault]

Find someone with a garage, keep it there

[STULER]

my advice... dont do it, lol... let me explain

you can buy all the wheel locks, alarm systems, etc... in the world, but if someone wants your bike, and its in a parking lot, their going to get it. maybe contact lo jack, i know they make a kit for bikes... that way if it does get stolen, you can atleast find it... but as far as doing anything in a parking lot to keep it from getting lifted... its almost impossible... if they want it bad enough, they will get it

Heres something to consider. u put all the locks on it. cover it up. whats to say three guys dont pull up in a truck, pic the bike up and drop it in the bed. Trust me ive seen it dont. They will then part your bike out and make some money off it and dump it somewhere. I watched a special on tv about bike thefts. they dont care about keeping your bike mint. they will part what they can. and what others said about jelousy, kids get jelous. they dont have a cool bike so why not dump or trash yours. if i were you leave it at home unles this is a mostly girls college where they will find the bike hot and probably get you some. lol jk.... think tho if its worth the risk. i dont ever take my bike to school unless its day time and i park where there are cameras so in case any idiot is dumb enough to mess with my ****, i can catch them

[Shreder]

these are all fantastic ideas. ill look into the lojack products as well as storage units. i like the storage units idea but i definitely don't have the funds for something like that. I have relatives about 40 min away but i'd be riding almost every day because i commute to another local college. when i said extended period of time, i didn't mean that i wouldn't be riding it when it was parked here. the whole point of me having it here would be to save gas. my 94 ranger gets like 19 at best. I'm still bent on what to do. Maybe ill just get theft on my insurance and say "go ahead and take my bike"... ??? thanks for the advice fellow kat riders!

[vonrapier]

or.........you could just borrow your friends bike and let them worry about it........lol.

If you look at the majority of the replies here you will get the idea that you are taking your bike and playing russian roulette with it. Just to save some gas......either try to find a private garage close to campus or buy a junker bike to ride around for your short trips. But I think you already know that this is a risky undertaking.......I just hope 6 months down the road you are not posting here that you had your bike lifted.

It all boils down to how much you care for your bike......

Like I said before ...Good Luck!