ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Richard230 on November 01, 2013, 03:21:35 AM
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At least not according to Ride Apart.com. They list any electric motorcycle as one of their "10 Motorcycles that will never be stolen" - apparently because no thief would know what to do with one. The Zero XU gets center stage as an example of an electric motorcycle. :(
http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-new-motorcycles-wont-ever-get-stolen/2/ (http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-new-motorcycles-wont-ever-get-stolen/2/)
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Perhaps for your average thief but there is such a thing as a theft-to-order, sometimes to be sent overseas where recovery is unlikely. There are also opportunistic thieves who may throw anything that looks valuable into the back of a truck and just discard it if it proves difficult. You may get your bike back but that's little consolation.
This is very much on my mind as I received my FX yesterday! Is there even a fork lock in the ignition switch? (Edit -- Yes, found it this morning.) I need to get a chain or lock I can easily carry around, and a disc lock. I feel safe at work and home, but not everywhere... (I have a D ring fixed to my garage floor with 5/8", 6" long anchors with the nuts welded to the studs. Paranoid much? I did have the gas siphoned from my truck a few weeks ago! Ah, East San Jose.)
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The newer XU models look a lot more worthy of the effort to steal than the old one in the article. Zero has made a lot of progress in the last few years.
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My assessment is similar. Parking in NYC all the time my friends ask if I'm concerned about it getting stolen. With the chargers mounted to the side, I figure a thief will look at it and not have any idea what the hell it is.
Also, these bikes are so rare that if anyone tried to sell a stolen bike, it would probably be easy to find.
I don't think of my bike being "steal-proof", just less likely to be stolen than a bike that has parts that are in higher demand.
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Since I looked how to switch on my Sevcon while the bike is off to use the line contactor towards the battery I had to understand how the bike will use the ignition key
Now I always use the "steering lock" position ;) (at least)
I believe it is not likely one plan to steal a Zero but I do fear stupid vandalism!
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My DS 2010 got stolen at home in Sweden before the summer! I could never dream of it but now I got a new S 2013 and has a big smile when I drive.
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They might steal it first, then figure out they don't know what to do with it later though, then just destroy it. I always lock mine when I'm out. Especially the smaller bikes are easiest to steal because they can pick it up and place it in a truck or van without even dealing with a lock too. If there were several thousand FXs around, I think you would find they would get stolen. There's a false sense of security in the low numbers in other words. My experience is that thieves steal anything not tied down. AF1 racing had a vintage e-bike stolen a couple years ago when someone broke out a window. It was light, electric, and I'm sure has never been run again both because the thief wouldn't know how to run it or fix it to run, and it would stand out like a sore thumb if you tried to sell it, get it fixed or ride it. Only thing they stole far as I know. It would have been the lightest bike in the store.....like an FX kind of.
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Plus, it would be easy to steal the FX battery and get some money for it.
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It's only a matter of time until they realize how much these batteries are worth.
When hang gliding was new we didn't have to cable lock our packed up gliders to the car top. It only took a couple of years until people started knowing what was in those long skinny bags, and they started getting stolen. >:(
Trikester
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+1 Trike
The battery is the target and there will be little link between battery recovery and motorcycle theft reports so the chance of getting a parted out Zero battery back is probably.... Zero.
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I remember this...
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/press-releases/nov-2009-missing.html (http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/press-releases/nov-2009-missing.html)
most stolen bikes get broken up for parts and sold that way
new battery pack for $1000 sir? ...
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My DS 2010 got stolen at home in Sweden before the summer! I could never dream of it but now I got a new S 2013 and has a big smile when I drive.
just how did they steal it ? did they kick start the motor, push the bike to start it ? Seems thiefs in Sweden are very intelligent about stealing and electric ... but no clue about resale ....
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Responding late but I thought it was funny at least for me. This is a Youtube video of a security camera and someone..one, two, three in the minivan with a motorcycle and off they go. Now this is in New York and the bike was a 600cc so about 600 to 800lbs. Quite easily stolen if you think about it.
Honda CBR600RR 2007 STOLEN! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D96QM-lzLM8#)
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Responding late but I thought it was funny at least for me. This is a Youtube video of a security camera and someone..one, two, three in the minivan with a motorcycle and off they go. Now this is in New York and the bike was a 600cc so about 600 to 800lbs. Quite easily stolen if you think about it.
More like 440 lbs.
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@nicktulloh Thanks for the correction I saw somewhere that it was about 600 lbs must be a 1000cc
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Since I looked how to switch on my Sevcon while the bike is off to use the line contactor towards the battery I had to understand how the bike will use the ignition key
Now I always use the "steering lock" position ;) (at least)
LOL, I just swapped it out with a button instead of an ignition after learning about that.
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@nicktulloh Thanks for the correction I saw somewhere that it was about 600 lbs must be a 1000cc
Naw, even a 1000 only weighs a bit more. Maybe the confusion is 600cc v 600 lbs?
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The 1300-1400 cc sport bikes tend to be quite a bit heavier. But the 600cc and 1000cc bikes are usually about the same weight, and relatively light.
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Quote from: BSDThw on November 01, 2013, 07:16:02 PM
Since I looked how to switch on my Sevcon while the bike is off to use the line contactor towards the battery I had to understand how the bike will use the ignition key
Now I always use the "steering lock" position ;) (at least)
LOL, I just swapped it out with a button instead of an ignition after learning about that.
Are you sandbagging? didn't you install a RFID and not a button ;)
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I think for an RFID to be viable you have to remove the ability to simply bridge the terminal to bypass it. Outside encasing all the wires and connectors in epoxy I imagine it would be neat to have the controller have a built in RFID reader requiring a dongle to run. I imagine it would be harder then to jump start the bike but nothing will save it from being lifted, literally. I have seen people chop trees down to steal a bike / scooter that was chained to it and I have seen cut chains.
The point is if someone wants your ride they will get it. And, unless an RFID component is integrated into both the sevcon and battery I don't see limiting the risk of the bike being stolen for being a bike.
Even with the aforementioned methods thieves could steal your bike and then strip out the Lio cells to sell on the black market.
So the key isn't making it steal proof it is making it less convenient to make it worth stealing.
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I disagree with the author on this one - a few years ago someone was caught in the act stealing a Vectrix (reported on a different forum).
But mostly - as electric bikes get more popular and well-known - and as people hear more about Tesla and how cool EVs are in general - I think they will be an increased target for theft. For the value of the batteries, yes, but also for the bikes themselves. The author of the article sounds a bit biased against electrics, with the attitude of, "why would anyone want to steal one?" Ha!
From another perspective: some thieves base their decision, not on how to sell something on the black market later, but simply on how easy it is to steal. I had a beat-up old Ford Escort that I used for commuting that was stolen in broad daylight. Why? Because a couple of high teenagers wanted to go for a joyride and it was the easiest car to steal. It had no value on the black market, indeed it turned up a few weeks later, destroyed, and had to be towed to the junkyard.
Zeros are lighter than their gasoline counterparts - therefore easier to steal. Maybe time to install a "LoJack" or some such :-)
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First time post here...
This topic has me concerned. I have never been a bike guy but have recently been looking into getting a Zero. I've gotten my license and ridden the bike and love it but what concerns me is:
How do I secure this bike when I take it to run errands and such? How can I park it on the street to ensure it does not get stolen? I can't imagine you guys ride your bikes around town and park them and just hope that nobody takes it. I'm assuming there are some preventative measures in place.
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Part of it is picking where and when you leave your bike.
You can use disc brake alarms and chains to keep the bike from walking away.
http://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-prevent-your-motorcycle-being-stolen/ (http://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-prevent-your-motorcycle-being-stolen/)
Part of it is accepting that no matter the precautions, if a suitably prepared thief really wants your bike, then he can probably get it.
Just like any other aspect of riding: mitigate the risks you can, accept the risks you cannot, and ride on.
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I have owned 41 motorcycles over the past 52 years and have never had one stolen yet. My solution is to buy motorcycles that are kind of bland and best used for transportation. Thieves and joy riders just aren't interested in those, when so many other hot bikes exist. I put the Zero in that category. Who is going to steal a Zero? What would they do with it? Joy ride? Maybe, but most joy riders wouldn't know what it was or how to start it and any type of security device (such as a chain and lock, old fabric or nylon cover, or a disc lock) is going to throw them off and convince them to move on to something else.
Professional thieves can take anything, no matter how secure, to resell or part out. But there is no market for Zero parts and Zero's have a poor resale value. Plus, the thieves have only IC dismantling experience and wouldn't have a clue how to take a Zero apart, much less finding a buyer for the parts (well, maybe the motor might have some slight value to someone). My feeling is that no one is going to get rich, or anything else, from stealing a Zero and therefore I figure that your Zero will be pretty safe being parked anywhere that it won't get run over by a backing up truck or car. If you really want to keep people away from it, place a "High Voltage" warning sticker on both sides of the battery pack.
:o ;)
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anyone already thought about installing a tracking device on the zero (with gprs)?
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anyone already thought about installing a tracking device on the zero (with gprs)?
Yup, I've thought about this. My bike (which I've been waiting two months for!) should finally be here next week, and I expect to hook up a simple GPS tracker some time this summer.
Haven't yet looked at the SR yet to see where the best place to stick one would be, but GPS trackers can be pretty cheap:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Gps-Tracker-Alarma-Rastreo-Satelital-Para_742372031.html (http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Gps-Tracker-Alarma-Rastreo-Satelital-Para_742372031.html)
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We've found several potential solutions, the question being how much dis-assembly is warranted to theft-proof the bikes. Not as simple as clipping the battery wire, not on a Zero. Anyone lifts or attempts to move our bikes we've immediate alerts with Google Maps tracking. Ideally a micro-GPS w/GSM might be integrated into the battery pack(s). No shorting them to steal the bike.
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you would still have to pay for a service plan for the tracking device, no? Going along with Richard's idea of "High Voltage" warning stickers, how about
decal warning that "micro GPS on board " or something like that (without actually having one.)
Personally, I am partial to the biohazard symbol. It has a V-twin "tribal art"look to it. :)