I'm not worried about my BIKE being stolen....I worried about my panniers being ransacked, and while camping, they are not coming off into a tent....

My bike is a used 2013 BMW F800gs - and I'm blacken it. On top of making it ugly. All the tech on the bike will be hidden or while camping off the bike. But I've been warned about panniers being stolen while camping.

That's the thought process here anyway.

...and covid still has the potential to change security situations or shall i name it crime levels negative in future. Time and travellers will tell you if the virus had enough power to mutate economic standards, well known social behavior and hospitality in foreign countries.

Don`t overengineer and get to techy. Use a trusted lock on the front and a heavier one on the rear if you want and if secure parking isn`t available. If the lock is to heavy or to complicated you won`t use it because over time you got annoyed by this precedure.

If you worry about your panniers, expand your panniers with bags you can easily take out. Unlock the panniers to show that nothing is in (and to guide the thief to your tent :) )
You can faster loose your tent when you go for a stroll if you stay longer than a night at one place. Happened to me with a MSR one incl. sleeping bag and pad.

You will loose something but mostly by your own stupidity than by theft. Calculate it to your budget. Trust your senses and self-confidence you gain during tavelling. And don`t forget that in generall people will take care about you if they recognize something against common social rules.

I know there is a 99% security everywhere and why of all things should the 1% hit me if I trust on my feelings and my mind? But if it does, I have to take it as the adventure I went for.

Not at all. I don't even think we disagree on anything.

Rapax - if you are into Raspberry - you are very advanced.

Have you instead considered using a phone. Jailbrake and customize or put an open source os and go from there.

A few hardware capabilities:

• battery
• camera front and back - as a motion sensor, light sensor, camera and more
• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• Thermometer
• Hygrometer
• Barometer
• GSM
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• NFC
• WiFi
• Two way audio
• Flash / light
• Screen
• Waterproof
• Built in harddrive
• Small

I can think of dosens of ways to use each of the features for security purposes. Combine it with Dropbox or similar... Used phones, i e. with a cracked screen, you can get for free. There is already a lot of security software for phones - but many have a subscription

Wheelie, I think you just confused me with member krtw who was talking about a rasp.

(Ok, I still use a rasp with Pi-hole for network protection and another older one as a mediacenter for my movie collection but that`s another case)

Back to phone and I don`t know if I got you right:

For sure you can use a phone - even without jailbraking or android os - for security measures on a bike. But all measures will only function if you have a permanent active network connection available. This will work at home but never fully if you are traveling.

We all love our bikes, we spend a lot money in and we want protect us against theft because it is our only mobility device on travels. In my opinion you have to keep security measures as simple and durable as possible. Also I think that too techy installations normally aren`t tough enough for stresses and strains on travels.

KISS solution if you have to take the seat off to remove luggage: make the main fuse accessible.

Easy enough to do in a robust way during overland prep, easy to remove/fix if it strands you and another inconvenience to the scratter who just screwdrivered the crappy OE ignition lock.

Andy

You could give your phone satphone connectivity...

I'm just saying, if you wanted to geek the hell out of this, you could use phone tech to create a security system that far surpasses anything you can buy.

Personally I would go for a monimoto and a disk lock with alarm and a bike cover. In addition, if paranoia got the better of me, maybe one of those personal dirt cheap alarms put on luggage with a simple trigger hack.

You know, the ECU on a bike is techy stuff, and works on gravel roads. You can't just "put this stuff on" and not take the wear and tear into consideration. I'm gonna have LOAD of tech on my bike and the test will be when I dump in in the river. And when it gets covered in mud. Just like everything, you have to plan it out, design it for its specific purpose - or yes - it will blow up in your face. Even then, there's no guarantees - and ain't it ALL a risk? Riding a bike, going to different environments....its a calculated risk I'll be taking - cause I want to.

I'm not talking specifically about security here - but all the tech on a bike. Video, audio, security, GPS, everything.....

I have spent time on material research seeking the BEST most modern anti vibration materials available. And they are impressive. How to harden electrical connections for moisture. I love doing this. Having a ball. And I'll have half of it or more on my bike this summer to test it in real world conditions and a on real difficult roads.

So to naysayers I say - its not about the tech. Its about doing MY thing, my way. Its my trip - and if I want to load my bike full of computers, I will. And if it all fails...who cares. I tried - and had a blast doing so - AND learned.

Security will be the same....I will cover the basics and be smart. Then I'll add tech, cause I LIKE it, and love the challenge - and maybe develop something that can be of use to others.

And if it fails - no failure - just learning.

Thanks for the post.

I agree. The simple security that you actually use is worth a lot more than the complicated high tech stuff that you don't because 'I'm only going into the shop for a couple of minutes'. For me it's been a 1m cable and a padlock that's left visible (with or without my helmet attached to it depending on whether it's a short stop or an overnight). It's been a cable rather than a U lock because it's easier to store. I occasionally back it up with a rape alarm velcroed somewhere awkward to get to with the lead clipped to a spoke to detect the bike being moved. None of that is going to stop anyone determined but it will put off the spur of the moment chancer.

I've occasionally thought it would be nice to have some tech that would tell me remotely if the bike has been moved but I'm not interested in anything that needs some long fragile network data connection to do it. The chances are the one time I'd need it would be the one time the connection had failed. A simple paired transmitter receiver set up would be far better even if it does mean another box to carry in my pocket. There's few around for bicycles that use bluetooth to your phone - like this one : B45H | The Cricket (sadly sold out). Short range but cheap and easy and fine for lunch stops / overnighting in hotels / campsites or even fuel stops (I've had bikes moved a few times by 'overeager' car drivers while I'm away paying so they could get to the pump a bit faster).

If your electronics knowledge is good enough that you can knock up a Raspberry Pi based system in such a way that it doesn't look like a school science experiment and is easy to use and long term reliable on the road then you're operating at a different level to me. Usually these things hang together with a spaghetti nest of ad hoc wiring and a load of terminal clips (or at least the one on my desk does). It's not so much the making it work as making it work permanently that takes the time. The last DIY electronic bike gadget I made lasted one day of a 10 day trip before vibration started snapping bits off the circuit board. Easily fixed with a soldering iron and a bit of thought but only after I got back.

Yes, you can go techy as hell but also sat phones loose connections because of these flying issue over a turning planet.

I would be more interested to know where and how to carry and protect sensitive equipement like cameras, lenses, drones, laptops, etc?

I was thinking about a PELIcase, maybe attached removable to the rear rack but I really don`t know if this place is a good idea?
Talked to a guy who used this solution on his GS.
But maybe I am going to use singel case or pouches for each device and put them in my duffel. Haven`t found a final descission.

The 'in the tent paranoia thing' listening to every minute sound thinking someone is tampering and your lust for tech I kind of share. I've installed on my big travel bike a simple Hawk alarm and used the auxilary start facility via a fob to switch/activate a separate siren and blue flashing led light.
You could also use a trailing lead from your tent with a simple loop circuit that when 'open circuit' occurred would trigger an alarm working from rechargeable batteries and a DIY job using an adaptable box and low wattage relays.
I'm sure you'll find your happy sweet spot for security and as you stated it's a personnel thing. Always use a cover though and a couple of locks.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

And let's assume it does. Those are gonna be some local rough people with guns/machetes/large sticks. (People who know how to convert a foreigner's motorcycle into cash.)

The motion detector goes off, you wake up, get out of your tent, see the robbers... then what? You help them load your bike into their van?

Very good point.

I remember a few years back some guy parked outside his room in a motel in St Louis. In the night he discovered a couple of guys loading his bike into a truck.

He rushed outside yelling at them.

They panicked at being caught and someone shot at him. Killed him.

Not really worth it. Take your stuff inside, cover the bike, cable lock it, park it in a secure lot or where it's visible to passersby and hotel employees. Then go to sleep- odds are very, very good it'll still be there in the morning.

Live to ride another day.

...........shu

How to use an Apple Airtag (29$/35€) as a "silent" security tracking system for your MC if you are an iPhone XR/11/12 user!

This video shows how to remove the speaker from an airtag. So its possible to use an airtag as a silent gps tracker to show where your bike is located right now.

An airtag has a diameter of 31.9 mm (1.26 in) and a thickness of 8 mm (0.31 in), so it is easy to hide anywhere on your MC!

https://youtu.be/2bozWzHQdVs

Thoughts to procedure:
I would not use a screwdriver as shown in the video. Think its better to use a sharp knife like a scalpel or a thin, sharp cutter knife to cut in the slit between case and inside ring.
After removement of battery I would wrap the airtag in a thin plastic foil to prevent it against moisture.


If you are an iphone (XR,11,12) user and you would like to have silent tracking device in case of a theft, this cheap device can provide it in all areas where enough people are around to ensure that the iPhone network will work.(see note!)

Android users can read only Apple Airtag but they cannot use the Find my option because Apples U1 chip acts as a link to iCloud. Thats also the reason why Android users cannot pair it to their device.


Pls Note:
Airtags are NFC chips which use Bluetooth. They are water resist up to 1m and battery life is about one year. You can change batteries (CR2032) easily by yourself.

If your airtag is out of bluetooth range of your iPhone than the airtag connects to the bluetooth of others iPhones around to send the exact location data to you. This works anonymous and encrypted and other iPhones will not get a notification that they act as a relay.

That means the Finding my option will only work 100% every where were enough iPhones are around!

Apple don`t want that airtags can be used as a tracking device for people e.g. through hiding an airtag in bag to get information about their location.
Thats why an airtag measures the distance and loose of connection time to an iPhone to which they are paired.
If an airtag recognizes long time connection lost to its paired iphone it will begin playing a sound and sending out a notification to others iPhone nearyby.
Through removing the speaker it wil be silent, notification sending cannot be prevented due to closed hardware coding.



Ok, i am aware of that some people might now got an idea how to track their spouse but I think that most people in this forum here may have a quite similar relation and intention with their bike ;):)

Where to camp/park and what bike to use
 

Places:

Best (most secure places are) as I see it

A) Places where there are a lot of people. That see what is happening. And anyone with bad intentions knows that he/they are watched.
I prefer to use official camp site. That locks the entry during night.

B) Places so remote that the probability that someone comes there is very low.
Wild camping far from any normal road. You need an off road capable bike or walking to get there. And it is a place that is very seldom visited. No truck gets there. And no gang of drunk people.


Worst place.

A place the is little bit of the main area. Inside or close to a village. But still were people come and go. And were they can operate rather "free"

Bike:

Best is a bike that is not worth much as parts. Local, cheap bike model. Or an unusual bike. For witch there is no market for parts.

Worst is and expensive bike with a lot of extras.
Harley Davidsons is such an example. They have a great probably to get stolen. And the % that never get found is highest. They are taken apart. And the parts are sold. They are not stolen to be used. I guess that new “Adventure bikes” (whatever that is) with half the Touratech catalogue mounted, are almost in that group.

But it is all about probability. You can rise or lower the risk. But the risk will never be zero.