Modern Vespa

A. lock it up to something?
B. throttle lock or other on board locking device?
C. scooter cover?
D. always park in view and "hawk eye" it?
E. nothing...imobilizer and insurance!

A, if not possible, B.

Basically, it depends on whether I'm familiar with the area and therefore more relaxed about leaving my scoot just protected only by the twist and lock or do I feel the need to use extra measures.

E and live in Bemidji. Done.

Seriously, unless you have some recent wave of scooter violence, no one ever messed with my scooter in Winona. Leaving it out overnight in a public area might be a different story, but daytime, I can't imagine a problem.

E.

Try not to go out after dark on my bike.
For some reason the darkness brings out the thieves..

Always park as close to the entry door as I can.
At big box stores, I nearly always park off the street and next to the trash
can by the automatic doors...

Either take my helmet with me, or put it in the top box or under the seat...
I am convinced that a visible helmet can also be an invitation for the theft of a bike....


Maniac

At home, nothing I can lock it to (townhouse parking lot), and when I'm running errands around my (pretty safe) town, I do the same -- just twist the handlebars and take the key.

At the Metro -- where it will be parked all day, and where I periodically hear of problems with car theft -- I lock it to something. Except the one day when I got distracted and forgot, and it was still there where I left it when I got back (phew!).

E - very occasionally B when I get the vibe that I'm in a dodgy area.

Only time i really lock it is when i ride it to the airport and leave it in their covered parking. I use a lock alarm to secure both mine and my friends scooter. Otherwise i just park it in a public place with the steering wheel lock on so people can't move it.

I have ridden coast to coast in the USA many times over the last 30+ years. Never anything but E for me. Perhaps half a dozen times I've thrown a cable lock around the bike securing it to a post. But only when I was overnighting in an area that seemed a bit sketchy. Never in MN. I love it there. Some of the friendliest people I've encountered on my rides.

I've been a full time year round rider since 1999. I never lock my bike and always leave my helmet hanging on the handlebars. Nobody has ever messed with any of it.

I did try a disc lock a few times. But after forgetting to remove it once, I tossed it.

-Craig

E. steering column is always locked, but otherwise just E.

If I moved to the UK, I'd probably try some security measures, but for the most part, modern Vespas (especially the big GTS frames) don't get nicked much in the US.

Just lock my bars and go...never give it a thought...trouble free since '08

Mostly E. and the steering column is always locked. Always A. when staying overnight somewhere on a road trip.

I admit I LOL'ed IRL at this, but Tom does have a point.


That said, a cable lock or a disc lock can't go wrong as a visual deterrent. And they're pretty cost effective for peace of mind.



I park downtown Minneapolis every weekday at a sort of unofficial scooter parking oasis. Nobody locks down, though everyone with steering lock uses it. After close of business I would not be comfortable parking there, but during the day there is safety in numbers and in the security guards of the property.

I just looked at crime stats.

Bemidji 2012 had
8,752 Thefts per 100,000/auto thefts 225/100,000 WTFudge?
Sacramento 2012 had
2,548 Thefts per 100,000/auto thefts 702/100,00.
Lower Lumpa 2012 had
1,370 Thefts per 100,000 /auto thefts 97/100,000 .

Seems like Norhern MN is really up here with theft! No stats on scooters.

Lower Lumpa is beginning to look like paradise. Maybe the OP should consider some London style protection in some environments!

My office is on the county campus, next to the cop shop, but I do work in social services and there is a large amount of foot traffic from those who might not have the intrinsic care and respect for others things...so...

I'm shocked, you obviously know better. WOW!

Quick run in somewhere - steering lock.
20+ mins - add grip lock
all day at work - add alarmed disc lock

E, I use a 'Bike Hut' at the back of my house. Great protection against the elements and prying eyes

Quick run in: steering lock
Beyond that: scooter cover

I've graduated to a Vespa from BMWs and Honda sportbikes.
I did the same on them and the cover seems to be a pretty effective deterrent.

Bobert

I've parked three scooters on the streets in New York City for about ten years. I generally cover my two vintage bikes, but that's about it.

Brendan

I think the steering lock and immobilizer will do their job; I have never seen another Vespa up here, mostly Ruckuses and Zumas, so police will know it is mine. Thanks for the input everyone!!

E. No problems yet.

Disc lock, immobilizer, hidden GPS-tracker.

E. For me. I live in an extremely safe area, only ever travel to safe areas. Even when I used my scooter on a work trip up north in the central valley and parked it in an open hotel parking lot overnight everyday for a month no one messed with it.

I usually leave at least one of them outside on the driveway as well, and I don't lock the steering unless I'm away from home. Never a problem.

But yes I do carry full coverage with ultra low deductibles on all of my scooters.

e mainly

or a disc lock if im leaving it somwere i dont know for any lenth of time

Home: locked garage
Work: locked garage
Running errands around town: e
Overnight rides: a combination of d & e

I don't own a lock of any kind, and living next door to a popular restaurant and its parking customers, I have grown to hate alarms.

B.My Girls bought me a griplock (http://www.grip-lock.com/) and I use this quite often, unless it's a well known dodgy area, in which case, I use a large heavy duty lock. My Scooter is datatagged with microdots all over, etched in visible area's and transponders hidden through the scooter. Plus it has warning stickers all over the place, informing this. Cost only £44 ( $74.11) and it's worth it, and a plus point when I eventually sell the old girl!
Graham

A, B, and C.

at home is it parked beneath a window at the top of a short flight of stairs, chained to the foundations of the house, locked, and covered, with a camera trained on it. no, i'm not kidding. 250 and 300cc Vespas are the vehicle of choice for scooter thieves in London.

I'm lucky enough to have extremely secure parking at work, so there, it's just a disc lock.

2 X A

Mine are locked up at home 99% of the time, with a locked gate and a cover.

Sometimes if I know we're leaving I'll park it in view of my window and just steering lock it.

Haven't had anyone really mess with them at work, but I lock them to a bike rack when possible.

After having a scooter stolen many years ago and a campervan lifted up onto a truck in the middle of the night (I kid you not) I tend to lock every wheel. This is my old 250, I did the same to the fuoco and now the SH300 gets the same treatment. The only time I cut down on security is when I go to the gym or pop into a shop, then one D-lock on the front wheel works, with a pretty blue ribbon tied to the lock and throttle reminds me to remove it.
I know of one guy who just buys another scooter when his latest one get stolen, I think he's on number 4. Push bikes are almost regarded as a throw away item the way they vanish.
I'm sure those of you that have had scooters stolen will never forget the gut feeling you get when you return to find an empty space where your pride and joy used to be. LOCK IT darlings

I don't think I've ever used more than the immobilized and handlebar lock on the GTS or bigger scoots. I have done A on the Buddy in an area I wasn't sue if when the scoot would be out of sight but if I had to go to the same area now I'd just take the Scarabeo at well over 500lbs I'm not terribly concerned with someone putting it in the back of a truck. Unlike the 220lb Buddy.

you have to make it hard to move..whether chained to something or wheels immobilized, these things are so small a couple of guys just pick one up, toss it in a pickup and be gone before even 'hawk eying' it react...

Parking where they can't get a truck helps that situation. Many of the big shops here have areas behind bollads that scoots and shopping carts can get through but trucks cannot. When possible I park in such area, not just to keep the scoot safe from theft but from careless drivers who think they see an empty parking space and head in too fast to react quickly enough not to knock over the scoot/bike already there. Seen it a few times with a variety of PTW.

After reading all the replies I thought I was being over cautious and could relax a little...then my friend just sent me a text saying both his scoots were stolen last night. So for me it's LOCK ALL THE THINGS!

Was waiting for the London contingent. So for London A, B, and C. Everywhere else E.

E
John W

T5 A
MP3 E

E for Both.

Seldom do I even lock the steering. I guess I put too much trust in human beings but in the 7 months or ownership no problems. One good thing about my Suzuki Burgman is the parking brake. The handle is so not noticeable and I always use it even on flat ground. Good luck to all of us for never needing to use our locking devices.