Safeguard your motorcycle key

A worrying trend has arisen for thieves to break into houses just to steal car and motorcycle keys.
According to the Australian National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, car and motorcycle keys are the only property stolen in up to one in four reported burglaries in which a vehicle is taken.

The trend is exacerbated by the design of modern houses in which a locked garage is attached to the house, so motorists leave the keys in their vehicles. Offenders have been so brazen, they are even entering houses when the residents are home.
The NMVTRC has decided the trend is so worrying that they are creating a series of TV and cinema commercials to educate the community to safeguard their car and motorcycle keys. The ads will screen in late September.
The ads will be produced by Melbourne-based NiceBike who made the “I bought a Jeep” ads. They will use humour to get the point across and will recreate three famous “heist” scenes from popular movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mission Impossible and Entrapment.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BIKE FROM THIEVES

• Don’t leave your motorcycle key in your bike, even if it is in your locked garage.
• Use the steering lock if your bike has one and/or get some sort of brake lock. Bikes can still be picked up, so consider chaining it to an immovable object.
• Pull out a spark plug or fuse, or have an immobiliser fitted.
• Don’t park your bike in railway or shopping centre carparks as these are notorious for theft.
• Park in a locked carpark. If you have to park in the open, leave it where you can see your bike or in view of a security camera.
• If parking in a garage, block the bike with a car and ensure the garage is locked.
• When riding home, make sure you are not being followed.
• Stay alert for suspicious vans or trucks driving around late at night. These are used to transport stolen motorcycles.
• Put a cover over your bike. It might slow down thieves and prevent theft of accessories.