Stolen Motorbikes

[tropo]

we've had a few bikes stolen directly on sukumvit road - middle of the day in plain sight of everyone.

"We've had a few bikes stolen"?

Who's we? A dealership?

[dsfbrit]

Sorry to hear of your bad eperiences with stolen bikes. Here is our tale from last week. Its a very unpleasant experience to have something stolen and until it happens to you it cannot really be appreciated just how upsetting it is.

My wife's Honda Wave 125 had a lock and chain, a hidden switch under the seat and when parked she put her helmet in the box we had fitted on the back.

Sadly it did not stop two **** Thais on a bike riding up next to her in the early hours of the morning, telling her to stop her bike and when she ignored them they tore out her ignition key and then kicked her bike over with her still on it

My wife was 'lucky' she ran off unhurt, but they stole the bike and her personal belongings, mobile phone etc..., in the box on the back.

Trouble is, I reckon them getting the bike is better than her 'defending' the bike and them 'getting' her instead!!!

I have now bought her a new bike. I am in the process of fitting a switch under the seat that stops it starting when parked. Will buy an alarm disk lock and maybe fit an alarm.

She now carries her new mobile phone on her body on a belt in a pouch around her waste - so she can at least call the police promptly if this happens again.

This thread offers some useful tips, but really there is little we can do to prevent bike theft - maybe slow the thief down a bit or make it more awkward. The trouble is, it may be better the thief gets what they want - the alternative in situation like ours could be a lot worse than a bike being stolen. The new bike is insured. Its a Yamaha Nana -110 CC and the theft cover is 2500 baht for 2 years. If stolen in the first year the payment is 80 percent. In the second year its 60 percent.

I have also bought her a new pair of running shoes!

A cautionary tale indeed. There's not a lot more you can do to protect your bike safely. Personally I always take the insurance for 2 years, risk it for one then trade the bike in for a new one and repeat the process. Keeps my potential losses to a minimum and if I do get unlucky I won't be tempted to risk injury by resisting too much.

Sounds like a good plan. Trouble is that her new bike is being taken to the Temple to be blessed next week (for luck etc...) and then she will give it a name and it will become part of the family - I would have as much success getting her to sell her bike after a year that I would have if I suggested we sold our pet dog

I dont think it helps security having that blazing red number plate either - it seems to be screaming out 'I am new steal me' !

Edited August 15, 2009 by dsfbrit

[farangpattaya]

The best assurance to avoid theft is to drive a ratty 15-year-old, smoke belching, non-plated rusting Suzuki Smash. Nobody will steal it.

I am not so sure about this, they will steal anything here

Not in Pattaya, but up-country this time: 2 old guys (70+) went out fishing at a lake near Sanam Chaikhet.

One guy had an old bicycle but was in pretty good shape, the other had an old rusty bicycle with nothing on it anymore apart from wheels, a saddle and the paddles.

The latter was stolen at the lake

[Johnnie Walker]

on the new Yamaha Nouvo's the steering lock has a sliding plate over it to stop instruments being inserted .

That sliding plate over the key hole is a feature on alot of different models. I am sure it works to stop most attempts to steal. My problem is trying to move that plate myself and especially in the dark. I get so frustrated and dont like them. Pick your posion.

Stay off the piss mate, makes all these problems go away ...Pick your poison....beer Chang please

How you doing Tripod, not seen you around for a long time ?

[threelegcowboy]

on the new Yamaha Nouvo's the steering lock has a sliding plate over it to stop instruments being inserted .

That sliding plate over the key hole is a feature on alot of different models. I am sure it works to stop most attempts to steal. My problem is trying to move that plate myself and especially in the dark. I get so frustrated and dont like them. Pick your posion.

Stay off the piss mate, makes all these problems go away ...Pick your poison....beer Chang please

How you doing Tripod, not seen you around for a long time ?

JW,

Thanks and hope to see you.

[threelegcowboy]

Well after 5 1/2 months the insurance paid off everything they should have. Because of my mistake it should have taken 4 months.

One other detail that I never got over was:

The police never took a statement from the eye witness. I had more info than the police. Yet the police stated that the bike probally ended up in Cambodia. They do have alot of those models in Cambodia I have seen.

[lometogo]

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times.... The person who comes up with an GPS alarm system which rings the cell phone when the bike is moved will make a mint. As long as they keep the monthly charge at less than 200~300 baht and the system is hard to disconnect, that person would be rolling in cash.

I like that idea...thanks.

[JimsKnight]

Mosthly they stealing only this typical Thai "Ladybikes", like Mio, Nuovo, Fino, Pinto, or whatever. Buy a "real" Bike and no Local wil steal it.

Yes and no.

Up in Chiang Mai big bikes were occasionally targetted BUT typical thai lads are not that handy at big 200 kilo bikes, they tend to avoid them.

That's coming from a thai bike mechanic...

The disc locks are nice but if they really want a light dooky little bike then they'll just hoy it onto the back of a pickup and away they go!

[Tokay]

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times.... The person who comes up with an GPS alarm system which rings the cell phone when the bike is moved will make a mint. As long as they keep the monthly charge at less than 200~300 baht and the system is hard to disconnect, that person would be rolling in cash.

Or... a remote detonator that will make your bike explode when you punch in a serious of numbers on your mobile. Sure, you lose the bike, but it would bring a smile to my face knowing the criminal was lost too.

BOOM!!!

[neverdie]

^

Your from the south of Thailand, right?

Edited November 13, 2009 by neverdie

[neverdie]

I keep my bike inside the house at night, its a pain in the @ss but it pays off. The other nite a young thai chap down the road, he locks his bike in a cage, well they operated on his bike from outside the cage and removed his carby and some fairing parts, the seat and a few other bits......the new replacement parts are worth more than his bike, poor bugger.