Securing your bike on a trailer at a hotel

[adayrider]

I park, have a few beers and go to bed.

ME too, lol
Half the time (no joke) I forget to take the key with me. If you see my bike, flop a leg and give it a try because it will probably go for ya. I have been wanting a new one anyhow. I'm not a salesman anyhow and would have taken a beaten on it no matter what. I figure I will call it a quick sale and a short ride.

[runamuck]

If I need to trailer anywhere I will undo trailer from truck at night and put a lock thru trailer latch .. maybe just cause them an extra step or two so they go on to someone else's ..I never leave trailer hooked to truck as vehicles can be swiped in seconds..I have insurance so I just try not to stress about it and never leave anything in truck or on bike..

[wavlovr1]

A small package attached to bike which appears to be plastic explosives with a blinking led light?

[truck]

Years ago someone posted a picture of an alligator chained to a bike. That could work.

[One4Tone]

..some good pointers here..bottom line.....plan trip..have insurance, never let even a minor incovenience distract you from taking the necessary steps....

[hardheaded]

i lost one to in 91 got off and locked bike up, walked in and bought a beer took one drink out of it while walking back to the door and it was gone, 70 seconds tops.only softail with a bunch of dressers.     

[sir_will_yum]

and  don't forget to change your alarm code from 1-2-3-4-5 to 5-4-3-2-1....  No Key or Fob needed to ride the new bikes.

[Clayster]

Camouflage is a good security measure.  Use a metric storage cover...

[PoorUB]

Camouflage is a good security measure.  Use a metric storage cover...

I figure a good layer of bugs and road grime is a good theft deterrent.

[99 EVO Fatboy Rider]

I've got a friend that planed his stops at motels. Ask for a ground room as far away from the office he could get. Then late at night he would bring his super glide in his room. Now he has an ultra I'm thinking he can't. 

[Mix01FLHT]

I've got a friend that planed his stops at motels. Ask for a ground room as far away from the office he could get. Then late at night he would bring his super glide in his room. Now he has an ultra I'm thinking he can't.

Ahhhhh.....  the good old dayz........

[Bill in OKC]

There was a way to make your own Lojack using a cheap Boost mobile phone.  A program (I used Mologogo) could be loaded into it and it would report its position every 5, 15 or 30 seconds and you could watch it on the internet.  If that is still possible you can find a hidden place for it and hook it up to the bikes battery.  If your bike goes missing you can track it to its last reported location until it goes under a metal roof or the phone/battery is removed.

[runamuck]

I like the metric cover idea. I think I'm going to buy a goldwing cover for my ultra..should be able to sleep well..

[Ohio HD]

I like the metric cover idea. I think I'm going to buy a goldwing cover for my ultra..should be able to sleep well..

Or a Victory cover!   

[splitting_lanes]

My bike is a sleeper, and I ride with a buddy who has a much nicer looking bike. 

They'll steal his

[FXDRYDR]

A lot of good ideas here.  I use a non-HD cover, brake rotor lock and stay at motels where I can get a first floor room with the bike right outside the window.  Big rallies and such are a whole other challenge.  Keep ins. paid, take what precautions I can, enjoy the rally.  They'll get it if they want it.

[kik]

My bike is a sleeper, and I ride with a buddy who has a much nicer looking bike. 

They'll steal his

Yeah, my BIL and his 2 friends went on a weekend trip up to Door County WI about 20 years ago. My BIL had a Honda night hawk, the other had an old 78 bagger really rough, the seat had duct tape holding it together and the youngest guy had a brand new sporty. He only bought it a week before. He had it alarmed, heck I sat on it not knowing and the alarm went off as soon as my butt touched the seat. They locked all 3 bikes together at the motel and used a case hardened lock. They woke up in the morning to find the lock in pieces and the sporty gone. So yeah if they want it they'll get it.

[cheetah]

You might like to purchase a wireless door bell from your local Home Depot of Lowes and using a tilt switch from a electrical dealer and wiring it to trigger the door bell switch. Then take the door bell alarm into the Motel room with you. If the bike is moved, you might not be able to stop the thieves, bur you might be able to get a tag number or at least the description which you can call in to alarm the police that your bike has just been stolen so they can be on the lookout for it and maybe catch them before it gets stripped.
C

[chopper]

I let it set, and sleep like a baby.  Hell, it's ensured. Most I've done to "protect"it, is put a padlock on the front rotor. This is the first bike I've had since the 70's I put full coverage on.  Steal it! I'll get another one. 

[Ohio HD]

The problem with insurance and saying I'll get another one, a lot of us have a bunch of money in the motor, paint, chrome, wheels, etc, etc. And unless you have insurance covering those specific items, for the cost to replace it all, your screwed when the insurance hands you a check for the lowest value of your "stock" bike. And if you do have insurance covering all that, you probably have a huge insurance premium.

An alarm with a remote and a hand gun are your best bet.

[harleyjt]

You might like to purchase a wireless door bell from your local Home Depot of Lowes and using a tilt switch from a electrical dealer and wiring it to trigger the door bell switch. Then take the door bell alarm into the Motel room with you. If the bike is moved, you might not be able to stop the thieves, bur you might be able to get a tag number or at least the description which you can call in to alarm the police that your bike has just been stolen so they can be on the lookout for it and maybe catch them before it gets stripped.
C

Great idea, but my experience with those doorbells is they have a very limited range.  I can barely get one to work 25 ft.  Very unreliable.  Might work if you are able to park the bike right square in front of your room but other than that I doubt it.
jt

[Ohio HD]

You might like to purchase a wireless door bell from your local Home Depot of Lowes and using a tilt switch from a electrical dealer and wiring it to trigger the door bell switch. Then take the door bell alarm into the Motel room with you. If the bike is moved, you might not be able to stop the thieves, bur you might be able to get a tag number or at least the description which you can call in to alarm the police that your bike has just been stolen so they can be on the lookout for it and maybe catch them before it gets stripped.
C

Great idea, but my experience with those doorbells is they have a very limited range.  I can barely get one to work 25 ft.  Very unreliable.  Might work if you are able to park the bike right square in front of your room but other than that I doubt it.
jt

  Yep, they have a short range, and the more walls they need to go through, limits them more.

[ezeemotorcycle]

I have parked my bike(s) at 100 or more hotels all over the country last couple years. Inside trailer, inside full size van outside without chain lock of any sort. Selection of hotel in area where there are no bars in nearby windows is a good start, then park it in wel lighted area near the lobby is possible, have it insured with reputable company and enjoy your night with your favorite lady. Lucky me, never had a problem with any of it. The rest is out of yer control.   

[koko3052]

You might like to purchase a wireless door bell from your local Home Depot of Lowes and using a tilt switch from a electrical dealer and wiring it to trigger the door bell switch. Then take the door bell alarm into the Motel room with you. If the bike is moved, you might not be able to stop the thieves, bur you might be able to get a tag number or at least the description which you can call in to alarm the police that your bike has just been stolen so they can be on the lookout for it and maybe catch them before it gets stripped.
C

Purchase a S&W 357 mag also, fire a couple rounds just below shoulder level & follow the red to your bike.
First question a cop will ask "was it insured?" End of story!!

[dunbarton]

You might like to purchase a wireless door bell from your local Home Depot of Lowes and using a tilt switch from a electrical dealer and wiring it to trigger the door bell switch. Then take the door bell alarm into the Motel room with you. If the bike is moved, you might not be able to stop the thieves, bur you might be able to get a tag number or at least the description which you can call in to alarm the police that your bike has just been stolen so they can be on the lookout for it and maybe catch them before it gets stripped.
C

Great idea, but my experience with those doorbells is they have a very limited range.  I can barely get one to work 25 ft.  Very unreliable.  Might work if you are able to park the bike right square in front of your room but other than that I doubt it.
jt

No. Use mercury switch from an old heating/furnace thermostat wired between battery and bike's horn. Add an "on/off" toggle switch in same line. Set the mercury switch to close the circuit when the bike is moved to vertical ... taken off side stand. That honks the bike's horn as long as bike is in a vertical position which keeps the mercury switch closed.  The "on/off" toggle switch either activates or deactivates the system. You only have to set the mercury switch up once so it closes when the bike is straightened to vertical rather than resting on it's jiffy stand.
The mercury switch is readily available for free from used home temperature thermostats .. just remove it from the housing. The on/off toggle switch costs a few $ at any automotive supply.. so it's a dead cheap solution that works. Each bike model is a bit different but there's usually a convenient obscure place for the on/off switch on the frame in front of the battery box ,and another place that's protected under a side cover near the battery box for the mercury switch.
Bike thieves are cowards who don't want to attract attention to themselves, and a continuous honking horn does that so usually they will run rather than be seen. The horn on most bikes is loud enough to awaken sleepers in rooms near the bike.
A thinking thief would probably pull the wire to the horn to stop it from honking but it usually startles everyone around immediately.
A few friends and I used this system for years when were doing a lot of traveling. It only takes a second to arm/disarm so I got into the habit of locking the bike and arming it whenever the bike was going to be out of eye-shot.
For bikes without a factory alarm system, this could work for you.