If a thief really wants your bike, they're gonna get it. Even nan champion motorcycle locks will yet autumn to an perspective grinder aliases a dedicated tactician. But we person a saying retired west: “You don't person to beryllium faster than nan bear. You conscionable person to outrun nan feline adjacent to you.” The champion motorcycle locks successful a caller procreation of grinder-resistant information devices will make your motorcycle profoundly unattractive prey, particularly compared to your neighbour pinch a cablegram fastener aliases a little blase U-lock.
Over months, we've tested nan apical caller options successful a wide assortment of styles and value points. This includes everything from nan biggest, baddest, safest, meanest angle-grinder-resistant U-locks for illustration nan Kryptonite New York Lock Diamond Standard ($350) to convenient folding locks for illustration nan Seatylock Foldylock ($90) that are easy to transportation and will support an honorable alien honest. You'll besides find tips connected information ratings and really to decently employment your caller fastener to thief support your thrust safe.
Be judge to cheque retired our related guides, including nan Best Electric Bicycles, Best Electric Cargo Bikes, Best Escooters, and Best Kids Bikes.
Updated May 2025: We've added Kryptonite's New York Lock Diamond Standard, arsenic good arsenic nan Hiplok Gold wearable lock, and nan OnGuard RockSolid U-Lock. We person removed respective locks nary longer for waste and updated prices throughout.
There are galore ways to fastener your motorcycle securely, immoderate of which will dangle connected nan type of fastener you’re utilizing and nan motorcycle you’re locking.
But 1 of nan main questions you should inquire youself is: How unafraid is nan spot you're locking your bike, and really overmuch don't you want to suffer it. Sold Secure, an English information group, issues information ratings for each motorcycle fastener based connected really difficult a thief will person to activity to bargain your bike. If you've sewage a highly valuable, charismatic motorcycle that thieves want, and it's retired of your show for prolonged periods successful a nationalist place? Look for a motorcycle fastener that's classed Sold Secure Diamond, then bring successful different considerations.
Most of nan highest-rated locks are U-locks, though these are of people a spot dense and whitethorn require a bracket connected your bicycle to transportation comfortably. For a regular-size U-lock, you’ll usually want to fastener nan motorcycle astir nan framework and nan backmost wheel, if abstraction allows. Some methods propose simply locking nan backmost wheel, but this tin time off nan remainder of your motorcycle vulnerable. You’ll want to support U-locks distant from nan ground, particularly pinch actual aliases asphalt, to forestall thieves from trying to smash it pinch a hammer aliases utilizing leverage devices for illustration a tyre jack aliases iron.
If you’ve sewage a quick-release wheel, you whitethorn want to see a dual-lock setup for illustration nan Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 With Flex Cable (though this is not a grinder-resistant lock). Alternatively, you could usage aggregate locks, for illustration a grinder-resistant fastener for nan framework and backmost instrumentality positive a concatenation aliases cablegram fastener for nan beforehand wheel.
And of course, nan champion fastener is nan fastener you that's on. If you find it difficult to tote a big, bulky, grinder-resistant fastener around? Consider a folding lock.
Chain locks tin activity good for securing some a framework and wheel, though they person their drawbacks. They’re usually rather heavy, particularly nan thicker ones that tin amended defy dense bolt cutters. They’re besides mostly not astir arsenic grinder-resistant arsenic our apical picks. Again, keeping nan concatenation disconnected nan crushed will thief ward disconnected bolt-cutting thieves.
What to Know About Security Tags and Trackers
One cardinal instrumentality to search your motorcycle is utilizing a Tile aliases Apple AirTag hidden location on nan framework aliases nether your spot truthful you tin support an oculus connected its position. Unfortunately, location are immoderate existent limitations to this method.
Both AirTags and Tile devices are constricted to nan scope of their Bluetooth antennae. Tile devices travel pinch a maximum 400-foot scope for nan Tile Pro, while nan Tile Mate and Slim connection 250 feet. Apple doesn’t specify its AirTag range, but it's besides constricted by Bluetooth, pinch astir testing putting it astatine astir 30 meters aliases 100 feet.
AirTags and Tiles some connection immoderate search features erstwhile retired of range. AirTags tin link complete nan Find My Network, utilizing different people’s Apple devices to anonymously track, while Tile devices tin likewise way nan device's past known location complete Android phones, but this is acold from perfect. Neither offers real-time GPS tracking, and some systems require different devices to track.
AirTags support ultra-wideband exertion for Precision Finding (supported by iPhone 11 aliases higher) that tin pinpoint nan instrumentality much accurately than Tile trackers. On nan downside, AirTags will chime erstwhile moved distant from your telephone arsenic a information precaution, which whitethorn alert thieves to their presence.
There are besides real-time GPS trackers, specified arsenic nan Invoxia, which charges a yearly subscription fee. These devices are pricier but perchance much effective since they don’t trust connected Bluetooth, alternatively utilizing real-time GPS location tracking. They’re mostly larger and tougher to conceal than AirTags aliases Tiles.
Smart locks are an emerging abstraction successful nan motorcycle fastener scene, but are really still successful their infancy. Smart locks for illustration nan I Lock It Plus (which we person not tested) tin connection conveniences for illustration keyless unlocking via your phone, and moreover a smart siren pinch up to 110 decibels of shrieking sound. Some besides committedness to alert your telephone erstwhile someones' trying to tamper pinch nan lock, though astir run connected short-range Bluetooth. And alarms tin spell disconnected accidentally, of course, causing arsenic galore problems than they solve.
For now, we person not recovered a grinder-resistant smart fastener that's been certified by Sold Secure aliases ART, which intends for now these connectivity features travel astatine nan disbursal of security, As noted successful our Security Ratings section, we urge making judge immoderate fastener you take is independently rated by Sold Secure and/or ART to guarantee nonsubjective testing for nan champion protection.
What to Know About Security Ratings
Some motorcycle fastener makers supply their ain soul information ratings for guidance. Those tin beryllium helpful, but nan astir unafraid locks we've tested usage modular ratings from nonsubjective sources, including Sold Secure, which offers ratings of aggregate conveyance types betwixt Bronze and Diamond, and ART, which uses a number standard from 1 to 5.
So what do these ratings really mean? Here's a guideline to 2 of nan apical lock-security firms and their standing systems:
Sold Secure was established successful 1992 by Northumbria and Essex constabulary successful nan UK. The marque is now owned and operated by nan Master Locksmiths Association, a not-for-profit waste and acquisition group. It uses a four-level standing system, arsenic listed below.
Sold Secure Rating Levels: Bronze (lowest, unafraid against basal tools); Silver (midrange, unafraid against enhanced tools/determined attacks); Gold (second best, resistant against dedicated tools/attacks); Diamond (highest, resistant against destructive attacks and “special tools”).
The patient besides uses abstracted ratings for different conveyance types, for illustration bikes versus motorcycles (which it now calls pedal cycles and powered cycles, respectively). For example, nan Hiplok DX has a Sold Secure Pedal Cycle Diamond standing and a Sold Secure Powered Cycle Gold rating. It's a bully score, but it isn't arsenic unafraid arsenic apical grinder-resistant options for illustration nan Litelok X1 aliases tougher locks for illustration nan Litelock X3 and Hiplock D1000, each 3 of which get Diamond ratings successful some categories. Grinder-resistant locks will usually opportunity truthful straight connected nan brand's tract arsenic well. When successful doubt, you tin ever spell to nan Sold Secure website to cheque whether your fastener is rated.
ART is simply a Dutch independent information patient that uses a five-star information strategy centered connected conveyance type, durability, weather, biology resistance, and guidance to attacks.
ART Rating Levels: 1/5 (minimum information rating, fresh for a 2nd motorcycle fastener only); 2/5 (higher information standing that represents bully theft protection for bicycles, nan minimum for astir security companies); 3/5 (bicycle information for precocious consequence of theft, besides suitable for mopeds and scooters for security purposes); 4/5 (very precocious information standing for bicycles, bully theft protection for motorcycles while traveling); 5/5 (highest information rating, sometimes required to insure motorcycles stored astatine home).