Top Safety & Security Tips For Hobby Bike Collectors

What’s better than owning a motorbike? How about owning two? For most of us motorcycle enthusiasts, purchasing our first ride usually just inspires us to add another to our collection. After all, really familiarising yourself with a motorcycle and how it rides and responds to a range of road conditions can feel like a pretty personal experience. It’s only natural to want to relive that familiarisation process with another bike down the line.

Of course, with additional motorbikes comes more responsibility with regards to maintenance and servicing, but also just generally protecting your investments. To help, we’ll be outlining our top safety and security tips for hobby bike collectors today, so read on to learn how you can safeguard your automotive investments with ease.

 

Secure motorcycle insurance

Naturally, one of the most effective methods for safeguarding your motorcycle is to secure suitable motorcycle insurance. And by ‘suitable’, we mean making sure that your insurance policy provides cover for the full value of your bike or bikes, as well as any modifications made. You should also make sure that your motorcycle insurance includes adequate liability cover in the event that you are found liable for a motor collision or that claims are made against you by other drivers/motorists.

And how can insurance be beneficial in the event that your motorbike is badly damaged in a collision? With adequate insurance cover, you can be rest assured that all costs associated with repairing your bike will be covered. If damage has been caused to a rare/vintage motorbike with limited parts availability and the bike must be written off as a result or even if the motorbike is stolen, vandalised, or damaged in a fire or natural disaster, then your insurance provider may be able to help you recoup the full cost value of the bike. Yes, you may lose a valuable bike in your collection, but at least you won’t have to bear greater financial loss on top of this tragedy! And of course, the same goes for classic car collections too.

Store your motorcycles in a private garage

Motorcycles offer convenience for those who live and work in the inner city, namely because it’s far easier to find bike parking than it is to find parking for cars. But there’s naturally a risk factor that must be considered when street parking your motorbike, namely that it may be vandalised, damaged by passersby, or even stolen.

To greatly reduce your chances of accruing damage, we strongly recommend that you establish a secure garage space for your motorbike, both at home as well as at your workplace, if you ride your motorbike to the office. For your work garage space, consider communicating with your employer to determine if there’s a space in or around your work premises where your bike can be stored securely. If you may ride different bikes to work everyday, then ensure that your parking space is large enough to accommodate your largest bike as well.

As for your home garage space, it’s well worth making sure that it’s free from any clutter – especially if you’re using the garage to store multiple bikes. The last thing you want is for a shelf to fall off the wall or a stack of boxes to topple over and damage multiple bikes in the process.

Invest in motorcycle covers

Even if your garage is clutter-free, you’d be surprised by just how much damage dust and residue build-up can do to your bikes – even if your bike’s air filters are built for typical dry and dusty Australian driving conditions. If left unchecked, dirt and residue build-up can wreak havoc on both your bike’s filtration system and potentially even its motor. So invest in covers for all of them rather than simply swapping your covers around every week or so. Yes, buying a cover for every bike in your collection is likely to be a big expense, but it’s nothing compared to the costs of mechanics fees to correct performance issues that are easily avoidable in the first place.

Motorcycle covers can actually also help keep your bike more secure when it’s street parked. Even though some passersby may sneak a peek under your bike cover here and there, covering up your bike can still greatly deter any third parties from touching it or tampering with it in any way.

Invest in ground or wall anchors

Even if your motorbikes are kept in a private garage, there’s still every chance that you could be the victim of a break-in. And unlike cars, motorbikes can be stolen by just wheeling them right out of their parking spaces. So why not anchor your motorbikes securely in place by installing some sturdy ground or wall anchors in your garage?

Like D-locks for bicycles, ground or wall anchors are considered to be amongst the ultimate security devices for motorcycle owners. These solid metal locks cannot be broken without heavy-duty chain or padlock cutters, making them a must-have accessory for all hobby bike collectors.

Alongside making it a lot harder for thieves to steal your bike, ground and wall anchors may also help reduce the risk of motorbikes being knocked over through mishandling. We’ve all at some point or another, either accidentally knocked a bike over ourselves or watched somebody else think they’ve got a handle on the weight of a bike and then just lose their grip, resulting in the bike clattering down on the concrete. With your bike firmly anchored down, however, you can reduce the likelihood of it being dropped by someone trying to move your bike without your permission.

Only carry pillion passengers with the right gear

Finally, if you are planning on taking any of your bikes out for a spin with a passenger or you’re planning to partake in particular moto sports (like motocross), then make sure that you have the right gear on-hand for both yourself and your fellow rider, and that your passenger is also well aware of the motorcycling safety tips that pertain to them. This means that your pillion passenger should have suitable head protection and be dressed in an armoured jacket and pants. This won’t just protect your passenger in the event that you are involved in a motor accident, but it may also help prevent accidents as well. 

How so? Well, a passenger who knows what’s required of them can help ensure that your ride is as safe as possible. If both yourself and your passenger are dressed in the right gear (and perhaps even some high-vis), surrounding drivers can act accordingly and do their part to keep both you, your passenger, and your motorbike safe on Aussie roadways.

As all bikes ride differently and have varying weight distributions, ensuring that you’re always riding with the right gear and safety tips in mind can help not just your bike, but also you and your well-informed and well-clad passenger stay safe with every ride.

Be a safe and responsible motorcycle owner

From securing the right insurance cover for your bike to investing in gear, storage and security essentials, and even parking and anchorage, securing your rare and older motorbikes can be achieved with minimal fuss. Just remember to routinely evaluate your security essentials and gear to make sure they stay up-to-date and perform optimally. With some due diligence, including regular cleaning and routine bike safety checks, you should be able to protect your investments as a hobby bike collector.