Which Motorcycle Lock Should You Get as a Courier?

Let’s face it, a determined thief only needs a few seconds to steal an inadequately secured motorcycle.

Research shows that more than 9000 motorcycles are stolen in London each year and less than 14% of them are ever recovered by the police.

As a courier rider who spends each day on your scooter making multiple deliveries anywhere in the UK, such alarming statistics can be frightening.

Anti-theft solutions exist on the market to help protect scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles. The issue is that many of these motorcycle locks are tricky to carry around and too tedious to set up each time you need to make a delivery.

So, how can you make your motorcycle safe each time you need to hop off to drop off a parcel or food? 

In this article, we will cover the most common motorcycle security systems on the market and why they may be impractical for courier riders. We will then help you discover why the EasyBlock wheel lock is the perfect anti-theft system for your bike.

The Issue With Motorcycle Chain Locks

(A person cutting off a lock from a motorcycle - source)

Although no motorcycle lock offers unbreachable protection from theft, the protection offered by a quality chain lock is as good as it gets.

However, chain locks are heavy and not particularly portable. A delivery rider can spend more than six hours on a scooter making over 20 deliveries a day. It's not hard to imagine that it will be almost impossible to carve out time during each delivery to find the nearest railing or lampost onto which you can tie your motorcycle with your hefty chain link.

This is why chain links can be very impractical for courier riders. It's not worth having an expensive chain lock when you won’t have the time to use it as you rush from one building to another. Yet, you can’t afford to leave your scooter unprotected during deliveries. 

Are Alternative Motorcycle Security Systems Any Better?

Are there other alternatives to chain locks? Yes, there are. We have identified the most portable types of motorcycle locks that will be relevant to a courier rider. We will cover how each security system works and the flaws that may push you to look for a much better solution.

Disc Locks

A disc lock is more or less a motorcycle padlock that is used to bolt your disc rotor in place. Once it is properly locked, a thief will find it impossible to wheel your motorcycle away. The only way to steal the bike is to either destroy the lock or lift the whole bike and carry it away in a van. Both attempts will attract the attention of people passing by. Disc locks are also lighter and easier to carry around than chain locks.

The Flaws:

Disc locks share the same drawbacks as chain locks. It takes too much time to put on a disc lock every single time you stop to make a delivery. There is always the possibility that you might forget, and try to ride off with your disc lock still attached—leading to more wasted time.

Disc locks are also rarely small enough to be used on scooters. Another disadvantage is that the disc look will start to damage your brake discs the more you use it.

U-Locks

A u-lock is designed with a u-shaped shackle to be used to secure your front or rear wheel to something solid. You can also use it to bolt your motorcycle’s fork legs. U-locks are generally built to be strong enough to withstand minor sledgehammer attacks.

(A black and grey coloured U-lock on a motorcycle - source)

The Flaws:

U-locks are very awkward objects, and it can be very impractical to carry them around with you during delivery runs. What’s more, a U-lock is very vulnerable to a mean motorcycle thief holding a bolt cropper. 

Cable Locks

A cable lock is meant to be put through your motorcycle’s wheel, and it works similarly to a U-lock. The difference is that a cable lock is longer and it’s much easier to carry one around. You can hang it from your motorcycle and keep it coiled in its pack.

(A black-coloured cable lock on a motorcycle- source)

The Flaws:

The reason why cable locks are so cheap is that the cable is made from thin strands of steel. This makes them inherently easy to cut through. A cable lock won’t offer much protection from that well-prepared thief with a bolt cropper. It may seem that an armoured cable lock will provide some additional protection, but the reality is that the bolt cropper will only take a few more seconds to cut through it.

Croc Locks

A Croc lock is designed to be clamped on your handlebar and front brake lever. Once it's clamped, you will secure it by pressing the locking barrel. Croc locks are easy to use, and they are usually painted in bright colours to provide a visual deterrent to thieves. 

(A close-up of a yellow-coloured croc lock on a motorcycle - source)

The Flaws:

Croc locks are lightweight, and you won’t have to bend over to fix them in place. However, they are made of plastic, and it won’t take too much of an effort to hacksaw one open. Putting on the Croc lock may also take some time that you may not be able to spare when in a hurry. 

Steering Locks

All you have got to do is turn the engines off, turn the bars all the way to the left or right, re-insert the key, and then turn it counterclockwise to lock it. It's that easy, and that simple sequence will pin the bars to stop anyone from wheeling the motorcycle away.

(A close-up of a black-coloured steering lock on a motorcycle)

The Flaws

Steering locks only offer flimsy protection from theft. A hard kick to the bars will break the steering lock. Within a few seconds, the thief may be wheeling away with your motorcycle. That probably explains why any self-respecting security expert will recommend using a steering lock together with another viable anti-theft system.

Why the EasyBlock Motorcycle Lock Offers the Perfect Solution

The EasyBlock wheel lock is a safe and convenient solution to all the issues that made the motorcycle locks covered in the preceding section impractical for delivery riders.

The secret is in how the EasyBlock wheel lock is designed. It is built to be pre-installed on your motorcycle. And once it's installed, you need just two seconds to lock and unlock it anytime you stop for a delivery. When it is activated, the metal bar pushes through the rim of the wheel to sit rigidly on the swingarm, making it impossible for anyone to rotate the rear wheel and move your scooter.

Here is a step-by-step rundown of how the process works:

Step 1: Buy the EasyBlock Wheel Lock 

You can place an order on the EasyBlock website and the wheel lock built specifically for your motorcycle model will be shipped to you. You may also be able to get it from your local mechanic, with over 35 EasyBlock dealers now in London.

Step 2: Fit EasyBlock to your motorcycle

EasyBlock has installation videos for every motorcycle model covered by our products. You can watch the video that is relevant to your bike brand on the company’s website or YouTube channel. Installing your wheel lock will only take a few minutes, and you won’t need to bend over to put a lock-in at every stop ever again. 

Step 3: Start Activating and Unlocking the Wheel Lock With Ease

You can activate the EasyBlock lock by simply pushing it in with your foot. To unlock it, insert the key, turn the knob, and you are ready to get on with the next delivery. This simplicity is perfect for courier riders who will never be away from their scooter for more than 10 minutes.

The simple process described above explains why EasyBlock is the top scooter lock choice for the majority of courier riders in London and other major UK cities. Another factor that sets EasyBlock products apart is that each wheel lock is designed to fit a specific motorcycle or scooter model. 

EasyBlock conducts extensive research to craft the perfect wheel lock for each individual bike, and to ensure each lock is engineered to not only match, but exceed the expectations of the bike rider. 

Motorcycle brands release new versions each year, but major modifications only occur every 3-5 years. EasyBlock products are designed to remain a perfect fit throughout each three-year design cycle. When a major refresh occurs, EasyBlock also releases a new wheel lock that is designed to work seamlessly with the new model. 

The Bottom Line

The priority of every courier rider is to get the right type of motorcycle lock that will give you the peace of mind that your motorcycle is safe every single time you stop to make a delivery. 

EasyBlock ensures the safety of your bike with just one touch. Nothing else  on the market provides such stress-free security. There is nothing left for you to deliberate. Check out the EasyBlock website to select your bike brand and see how the EasyBlock for your bike looks like.

FAQs

What is the motorcycle crime situation in the UK?

There is a reason why the London Metropolitan Police department dedicated a whole webpage to providing crime prevention advice to motorcycle owners. It’s because motorcycle theft is a big problem, especially in major cities like London and Manchester. If you don’t ever want to be in a situation where you are filling out a police report instead of rushing to the next delivery, get your bike protected as soon as possible. 

You have insurance. Do you still need to spend on an EasyBlock lock?

Yes, you definitely should still get the EasyBlock lock. Your insurance company will indeed reimburse you if your bike ever gets stolen. However, you should know that you are much better off avoiding all that hassle. Besides, if you work in London, it’s likely your insurance provider will insist you use a security system to protect your bike.