Triumphrat

bluesock943 · 01-21-2006

Living in New York City, I'm pretty paranoid about parking between cars as I see bikes knocked over all the time. Most often, I park on the sidewalk when I can.. Problem with that is risking a $135 ticket.. So last night, I found a pretty good spot as I was going out to meet a friend for a beer. A couple hours later as I'm walking up, I can't see my bike!! My heart drops as I come closer and see my bike halfway out in the street on it's side in a puddle of gas and oil... I could kill someone at this point..

I pick it up get it on the stand and assess the damage as best I could in the dark.. Apparantly someone tried to roll it off without noticing the Kryptonite chain I had through the rear wheel. Obviously when the chain hit the swingarm, the bike stopped so they dumped it. To make matters worse, they picked it up and dropped it on the other side too!!! Brand new CRG bar ends both scratched to hell, one of the mounts bent so out of shape that it was causing the throttle to stick. The left front footrest broke off completely thus putting all the weight onto the gear**** and bending it. Did I mention I could kill someone? I pulled off one of the rear pegs and put on the front so I could make it home. Shifting was a pain in the ass with the bent shifter but not the end of the world.

Looking at it this morning maybe it's not so bad. Put the shifter and the mirror mount in a vice and bent them back into shape. When I get home I'll see how well they work out or if they'll need to be replaced. Both sides of the engine case are damaged but it seems only cosmetic. Both pipes are scratched as well. I didn't have a chance to look at the wheel to see if there was any damage done by the chain through it yet.. I'm going to take it to a shop on Monday and have them put it on a lift.. I'd really like to kill someone.. Dead!!

So this got me to thinking about security. From now on, I'll be chancing the ticket by parking on the sidewalk and chain it to something stationary when at all possible. In the meanwhile, how I wish I had a degree in electrical engineering.. I'll pay good money for anyone who could devise a way to add some sort of stun gun to my bike's electrical system. Perhaps an added bonus would be to have pepper spray shoot out of the instument panel.. Oh how I'd love to find some thief lying unconscious next to my bike..

Sorry for the rant.. I'm really really angry today..

TonUpMike · 01-21-2006

sorry to hear about that, but atleast you say its not that bad, what a dick for trying to take it, then dropping it on the other side

GrandPaulZ · 01-21-2006

I devised a high-powered electromagnetic plunger with a very sharp iron shaft. It would be activated by a two minute timer if not de-activated with a hidden switch. You mount it under the seat and if the thief doesn't de-activate it within 2 minutes, it "wakes him up". I would keep the plunger nice and rusty, but very sharp. Of course, I would also affix the obligatory warning sticker to the face of the speedo so that any slimy lawyers could not use the "deadly man-trap" ploy.
Last line of safety for the owner is a flip-open cap for the keyswitch so that you NEVER forget to de-activate!

GrandPaulZ · 01-21-2006

P.S. I like your pepper spray idea!

bcohen · 01-21-2006

I grew up in NYC. Move.

Furbags · 01-21-2006

Hey Bluesock943

Here you go:http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Publi...Guns/dazer.htm

I've built one of these at a cost of about $15 (parts from local Radio Shack/Tandy) to use against a couple of local German Shephards who gang up on my placid Goldern Retreiver.

I've not had a chance to test it yet (how legal it is I'm unsure?) but my digital multi-meter registers 650m/amps at a voltage of close of 2000 volts DC (not AC - AC is very dangerous!) which should give you quite a jolt.

I'm sure a couple of 'hot wires' could be strategically placed along your brake or clutch level when you're away from your bike!

Sorry to hear about your ride.

Cheers

CYNCRZR · 01-22-2006

Quote:

Living in New York City, I'm pretty paranoid about...

Blues... Move! I leave the keys in my Truck & Bikes, in the garage, so I won't lose them. Haven't locked the doors to the house in the 15 years we've lived in it...

It's a big Country with lotsa nice places to live.

Sorry t'hear bout your Thrux !

bluesock943 · 01-22-2006

Thanks for the responses. I have many people in my life who can't understand why I'd want to live in New York City, but having grown up in a small town in New Mexico, I'm not sure I want that life again. I've come to make NYC my home and for all its faults, I do love it here. Thus, moving is out of the question..

However.... I do like the idea of Furbags' idea of putting 2000 volts onto the handlebar levers.. Unfortunately I'm not an electrical engineer of any sort. I know a guitar tech who wires up all sorts of stuff though.. I might try to get him involved.. Knowing my luck I'd shock some jackass who already had the stand up and the bike would fall anyway. Probably a lawsuit in the making..

In the meantime, I'll stick with locking the thing up to a signpost on the sidewalk and take my chances with the ticket.

Tarmac · 01-23-2006

Ok, I lived in D.C. for a long time, here's what I did.

1. a Kryptonite "U" lock through the rear tire, with a heavy Kryptonite cable securing the bike to a solid object (telephone pole, parking meter, etc)

2. a small Kryptonite brake lock on the front disks.

3. a ratty old bike cover locked onto the bike with a sturdy master lock.

4. I didn't wash the bike too much, the crappier it looked, the less likely to get stolen.

The cover prevented the cops from ticketing the bike, they couldn't see the plate, and those meter maids may be mean, but they are lazy too. I think it also prevented a lot of thieves. The pros tool around in vans and look for easy bikes to steal, if they can't see whats under the cover, or see what kind of shape it's in, they just move on to the next target. I allways tried to park near other bikes too.

DaBeav · 01-23-2006

FYI... the Kryptonite brand locks can be picked with a Bic pen.
You can google it and see for yourself.