For any motorcyclist, protecting your bike is a priority, and with the increase in bike thefts, people are becoming more vigilant. Any insurance company will tell you, keeping your bike in a locked garage overnight reduces the risk of theft. To up the security measures, investing in an alarm system is a great choice.
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The basics that you need to know
Installing an alarm system used to be a job and a half due to the fact they are all wired systems. The advantage of improved technology has seen an increase in wireless alarms that do not require any wiring and operate with batteries.
PIR alarms (Passive Infrared) are fitted with heat sensors to detect any movement nearby. There are plenty of PIRs available; the cheaper devices tend to have a shorter range and movement capturing angle.
Remember if you use cheap batteries the sensor will have a shorter life; something to remember if you forget to check the batteries regularly!
More expensive alarms have a larger range and additional sensor features such as the speed of movement and size of the object (which will help if you have wandering pets or local wildlife)
To help you get an idea of what you can buy for your budget, we’ve picked some top choices that get great owner reviews.
£10.99
With a 105 degrees scanning range to ensure a large area is protected, the TRIXES is for use in doorways, sheds, and garages. Battery operated, this alarm is easy to install because you have no wires. The adjustable wall mount allows you to place the alarm sensor in optimum position while the sound itself is 105dB. Including two portable remote controls, these can be used to arm and disarm the device. If you choose this option, its best to fit with long-lasting, reliable batteries, or you may find they stop working, leaving you unprotected.
£49.99
An essential kit including an alarm unit, two window, and two door sensors, one PIR motion sensor plus two remote controls. Easily change the position of the sensors thanks to its wireless system. The alarm siren is a whopping 120dB to provide enough sound to alert you from a reasonable distance away or when you’re sleeping. Battery operated and batteries not included.
£99.99
Designed as a driveway alarm but the Guardline has many uses. It can be mounted high up and out of reach to alert you if there’s any activity in your driveway for example. You could also mount it on your property and aim it at your shed to alert you if there’s any activity around that area. Finally, you could mount it in your shed to alert you if there’s a break-in – although we’d prefer to know before rather than after. The sensor has a 12-metre range and the receiver up to 150 metres, making it ideal if your bike store is located away from the house. It gets fantastic owner reviews.
A Properly Secure Motorcycle Shed
Having a shed alarm or motion detector is a great way to maintain peace of mind. If the shed is broken into, an alarm will sound or if there’s anyone near the shed, you can also get an alert that notifies you but not the thief, meaning you can go and tackle the problem.
However, the average garden shed isn’t that secure. A shed bar like this one and pictured above will make it much harder for a thief to quickly lever the door open and if you mount it lower down, even if they do get access to the shed, they’ll need to bypass the bar in order to get your bike out.
Obviously, the shed door in our example above is fairly narrow but you can get longer bars for double-doors, which keep them secure. The bolts are carriage-bolts, meaning no tools can be used to quickly undo them and they’re secured from the inside.
Other good options to improve your shed security
- Fit a ground anchor
- Use a disc lock alarm
- Use a quality motorcycle security chain and keep it off the ground
- Fit a floodlight that covers activity around the shed
- Buy a decent padlock
- Use hasps to further secure the door
When it comes to breaking into a shed, a thief’s enemy is time and if you use security like a shed door bar, coupled with a wireless PIR alarm and you properly secure your bike with a disc lock or security chain, you’re going to make their life much harder.
Shed Alarm FAQs
Does anyone do a shed alarm with a mobile-phone app?
You can buy a wireless home alarm that comes with GSM functionality, meaning that you can use a SIM card which will enable the alarm to call or send you an SMS when it is activated. This is a good example of a GSM shed alarm.
What’s the best shed security?
Layers of security work best. If you have windows in your shed, that’s an easy access point, so make sure they are covered up when you’re mot using the shed, to keep prying eyes from seeing what’s inside. If you can, fit a ground anchor or if you have multiple bikes, chain them together. Always use a quality security chain to lock your bike and an alarmed disc lock. If you can use a floodlight to illuminate your shed or garage as thieves hate these. A cheap PIR alarm is a good way to create noise which is a great deterrent. Secure your shed with a shed door bar and use a quality padlock.
Sources
Thanks to the following websites which helped us research and write this motorcycle shed security guide.
