As an FYI my 2015 1200 GSA in Matt Green was stolen around midday on the 7th of August from the 'dedicated' bike parking in Dolphin Street, behind the Bentalls Centre in Kingston. The bike was locked (keyless ignition) and alarmed but the chain was left at home as I was just 'popping out to get some Euro's' for the trip to France the next morning. The area is covered in CCTV which recorded the theft and the removal of the bike for a good half mile into the Hampton / Twickenham direction. I don't normally park there - total opportunist theft. It was also witnessed by security at the loading bay for Bentalls.
Two lowlife on a scooter arrived shortly after I had left the bike, broke the steering lock and towed/pushed the bike all the way out of Kingston using the scooter (with no legible number plate). Police arrived 4 minutes later but are 'unable to pursue' for risk of prosecution if there was an accident.
Anyway, after 25 years of riding its a first for me and I am gutted. I know I'm about to have a battle with insurance to get a value which is reasonable; and it will never match the value of the bike to me.
Lesson learnt - disc locks, chains and anything other than relying on your bikes standard security are a must - anything to make your bike the less easy target. Nowhere is safe from this scum. At least I didn't get dragged off it, or worse as is happening.
I'm firmly of the view that unless something is changed and we allow the police (certainly in the first instance) and courts, or whoever else needs it, the ability to make these w*nkers realise the risks outweigh the benefits, we'll never see the end of this. Bike manufacturers also need to be improving their '5 second' security engineering - its just crap.
Anyway, whatever your thoughts on this, just have a think about whether you've really done all you can to stop your bike being the next - it really, really ruins the day.
Two lowlife on a scooter arrived shortly after I had left the bike, broke the steering lock and towed/pushed the bike all the way out of Kingston using the scooter (with no legible number plate). Police arrived 4 minutes later but are 'unable to pursue' for risk of prosecution if there was an accident.
Anyway, after 25 years of riding its a first for me and I am gutted. I know I'm about to have a battle with insurance to get a value which is reasonable; and it will never match the value of the bike to me.
Lesson learnt - disc locks, chains and anything other than relying on your bikes standard security are a must - anything to make your bike the less easy target. Nowhere is safe from this scum. At least I didn't get dragged off it, or worse as is happening.
I'm firmly of the view that unless something is changed and we allow the police (certainly in the first instance) and courts, or whoever else needs it, the ability to make these w*nkers realise the risks outweigh the benefits, we'll never see the end of this. Bike manufacturers also need to be improving their '5 second' security engineering - its just crap.
Anyway, whatever your thoughts on this, just have a think about whether you've really done all you can to stop your bike being the next - it really, really ruins the day.