Motorbike theft

[davidmc]

I am wondering how many folks out there have had their bikes stolen while travelling, or know someone, or have heard of someone who has? How common is bike theft in Asia or Africa even if one takes the obvious precautions like securing and storing the bike at night, etc.

This issue is affecting my decision on which bike to buy for my trip across Asia. I really want an F650 Dakar, but I am pretty nervous about riding a $6-8000 bike without any theft insurance...insurance sounds cost prohibitive and not really an option.

Assuming I take the normal precautions, am I being overly paranoid, or should I just get the bike I really want? My other option is to just take a much cheaper bike that I can afford to lose...like a KLR650, which is a great bike also, and half the price of a F650.

Experiences, ideas???

-Dave