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How hard is it to remove the rims on a V7 II?

redge

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
May 5, 2013
Messages
31
Location
NYC
Paradoxically, the harder the better.

I want to know how much hassle a thief will have if I run a 16mm (.62 inch) chain through the rear or front rim rather than the frame.

If I recall correctly, it is not practical to remove a rim, when riding, to repair a flat to the tube tires of the Special and Racer.

A related question, how much hassle will a thief run into if I run the chain around the fork rather than the frame or a wheel?

I'm asking these questions because they have a bearing on security chain length.

Thanks for comments.
 
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The front rim comes off pretty easily. The back one is more work. The chain around, or through the fork would be a better bet, in my opinion.
 
Pretty much all these options just keep the honest people honest.
The rear wheel is harder to remove than the front. But the rim is likely no where as hard to cut as your chain, so if they really want the bike they will just cut the rim and remove the chain. The forks are pretty easy to get a chain out of, probably about as hard as the front wheel is to remove. Through the frame and engine would probably be the hardest to undo.
Sorry you have to think like this.
 
It would require a complete removal of the spokes to remove a rim
That's a lot of work.
 
Lets keep it simple. No pun intended,
security is only as strong as the weakest link. With cordless tools aplenty these days, within minutes it really doesn't matter in the end.
A friend recently linked video surveillance of his Ducati, in a gated underground garage, where his covered and locked to an anchored cleat in the ground bike disappeared within a minute and a half. The theives pulled in with an unplated van in masks, blocked the bike from the camera, loaded it in the side door and got out. Inside job, but there's always a way. If they want it, they'll get it no matter what.
Secure it best you can, and keep your full coverage insurance. Hopefully theives still largely shy away from Guzzi.
 
Spoke today with the main U.K. vendor of motorcycle security chains, and I think it's the route to go.

I mostly need temporary daytime security, since my bike is locked up at night in a retail establishment, on a major street, that is armed to the hilt with a security gate, locks, alarms monitored by a security agency, and both external and internal video cameras.

When it comes to daytime thieves, the people I'm worried about are the ones shipping bikes to countries that are less than rigorous about registration and/or who are selling stolen bikes to locals who are prepared to ride a hot bike.

These thieves need bikes that are intact or, if they need to damage one to steal it, can be quickly and cheaply repaired.

Replacing a rear spoked wheel on a Moto Guzzi is not cheap, and given the way Piaggio North America works, not quick :)

That said, obviously chaining the bike at the frame is preferable. Unfortunately, in many cases this may not be practical.

I think that these people will think twice about taking a portable angle grinder, in broad daylight, to a bike, made by an obscure company, that is secured by a 16mm/.62" chain and heavy-duty padlock, plus an alarmed disk lock with a 16mm/.62" bolt.

And I think that the joy-riding crowd will just move on.

The downside is that I think that I need 2 metres/6.5 feet of chain, which with the padlock will weigh about 10 kilos/22 pounds. But I think the peace of mind is worth it.

The vendor says that the chain and lock will fit in a 10 litre Kriega bag. Since I have a Kriega 20, looks like storage won't be an issue. By the way, the vendor recommends, as a matter of weight distribution, storing the chain/lock on the pillion seat rather than on a rear rack.

He also gave me an interesting tip. He says that with some fishing line and a couple of rare earth magnets, it's possible to make a trip wire that will set off the disk lock alarm before a thief touches the bike. Might try this, just out of curiosity.
 
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Follow-up e-mail from the vendor to a question I asked about using the forks:

"Normally we advise you to secure the back wheel, if that's a struggle then in a public place attach the front wheel or indeed forks to the street furniture. The object of the exercise is to lock it in a public place to a static object, they only have time to sling it in a van quickly and leave. If you force them to dismantle or attack street furniture in broad daylight in a public place it is usually too risky for the thieves and they will move on to an easier target."
 
For anyone considering going in this direction, I should point out that I overstated the weight of a 16mm/.62" diameter chain.

2m/6.5' chain: 6.8kg/15lbs
1.5m/4.9' chain: 5.1kg/11.25lbs

Lock adds an additional kilo/2.2lbs.
 
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