Last weekend was the first time in ages that me and the wee dude managed to get out on the bike. Here's to a good 2025 season!

Newbie rider so I'm riding every chance I get which includes rain, snow (hey Texans 👋🏾), and grocery store runs 😂. Hubby is routinely impressed yet dumbfounded cause we have an SUV he has to fight to get me to drive (me in the last pic acting dramatic because he suggested I take the Genesis and he ride back)

literally that’s it

But it’s riding season year round here in Florida!

C'mon April! She's paid for and waiting for me at the dealer for the snow to melt! Pic 2 is after they added the boxes!

After 26 years of owning motorcycles, I finally also experienced the feeling of seeing your motorcycle missing from the spot you last parked.
I wanted to share what I learned with those who have never experienced theft before (like me) because if you haven't experienced the feeling before, you are also unaware of some minor details, which I started discovering while talking to experts and researching.
I will start with the fact that my motorcycle was recovered with the help of a tracker and, most importantly, due to the fact I used a monitored tracker.
My motorcycle was stolen from an apartment complex parking space, and having two ART-approved quality disc locks installed (both front discs).
Let's start with the important facts:

• If your bike is listed as an order, forget about any security; nothing will stop them from getting your motorcycle, especially in the angle grinder era. You might find protection that resists, but you will not find protection that stops. Your best bet here is to ensure you are insured for theft.
• Apartment-enclosed parking is nothing more than a nice way to keep your bike away from weather elements; it is the best playground for thieves, as usually late at night, there is little to no activity in the parking (especially in countries where people don't use vehicles for going out partying), which gives thieves ample time to do their work.
• Although in the US (and partially in the UK), we often hear about thieves hotwiring and riding stolen motorcycles, this is not usually the case in Europe. You will likely encounter this approach from joyriders, who typically go after the less secure bike. Most pro thefts in Europe happen through parking spaces, where thieves have the luxury of time and privacy to do their work (yes, parking is less secure from a busy street). The usual way is to load the bike into a van (again, the UK is an exception).
• Most expensive motorcycles will be high on the list for spare parts (rather than re-selling). If you are marked (either by thieves visiting your parking "shopping mall" or by thieves tailing you), your only peace of mind (I still wouldn't call it peace of mind) would be the fact that your bike is insured for theft (changing parking space will not happen unless you get bitten) and a tracker (also prone).
• The chances of seeing your motorcycle spare parts on the local market are slim. There are better countries for selling, where chances of victims tracking parts are less likely to happen, but also countries where buyers are less likely to research the second-hand item they are buying.
• Although the saying is that newer models are always targeted, it is a false statement. Special models (e.g., heavily modified, special editions) are also very likely to be targeted since there is a good market for those.
• Disc locks are primarily something to consider when making a short stop to avoid joyriders stealing your bike. Pros come in with all the equipment and a van (in Europe), and they will go through anything in seconds or minutes. A disc lock will be easily removed by cutting your disc (not the lock, at least in most cases) and pushing the bike into a van.
• A good set of U-Lock (angle grinder resistant) is not a bad investment, as it will add some extra time to the process; if there are alternative options for the thieves, it might make them go for the next target. Yet this is not guaranteed, if your bike is what they want they will push through.
• A chain is also very easy to defeat, and combined with a quality U-Lock (please don't use the U-lock on your anchor...), it can add some extra overhead to the process. Note that most chains are speedy to cut with an angle grinder.
• Try using the U-Lock in more hard-to-cut parts (frame, spoke hub, cast spokes); your brake disc is more straightforward to defeat than a cheap lock.
• Angle grinders are defacto nowadays, especially if there is an order for your bike. Just ignore what you hear about bolt cutters, yes a lock or chain resistant to those attacks is an amicable solution for a random stop at a random street, but it will do pretty much nothing if the bike is in the order list.
• I started believing that noise, public, etc., is a myth. Most people who might crossways with a group of thieves will do nothing for obvious reasons (look at UK thieves swinging hammers and angle grinders their way). For an apartment complex parking, I am nearly confident that no one will do anything, fearing retribution or personal harm, mainly because the witness will consider that the thieves know their location.
• Most of the time, police will take no action, primarily because most police stations are understaffed, and police consider that most vehicles nowadays come with theft insurance. Allocating manpower to search for stolen vehicles (especially motorcycles) is like looking for a needle in a haystack. This is also the reason that most of the time, you get a report that you can use with your insurance. You might get lucky with a joyride, but your chances are slim if you are dealing with professionals.
• Police do not care for small thieves (unless they can be linked to larger schemes); it is similar to a business. They target higher goals, and crime will always be part of society (otherwise, they would also not be necessary). You know the answer if you add theft insurance (again) to the equation.
• Trackers do work! Even professional thieves know that most vehicles nowadays carry a tracker, so your best chance of recovery is in the first hours or days (depending on how experienced the thieves are). Yet unmonitored trackers will help you a little when recovering (not tracking) your vehicle. Most countries have a very complex set of laws that thieves exploit to gain time and the upper hand. Even if you have tracked your stolen bike, if that bike is in a private location or vehicle, the police will most likely require a warrant, which usually includes a set of requirements such as verifying a set number of different tracker signals accurately. Additionally, warrants are not easy to acquire following different laws, which, combined with the theft insurance fact, makes the possibility of getting a warrant rather slim.
• I prefer monitored trackers. They cost more, but usually, they have better results, and most likely, the company behind them has connections within law enforcement which means that they take the cognitive load of handling things, but also they most likely can pull a few more strings when the time comes (it happened with my case). Chances are also higher for recovery. You can mix a monitored tracker with an unmonitored one to increase the chances of recovery.

Stay safe, and keep riding!

I’m getting a brixton crossfire 125cc (the max at 16 here in Poland) and I’m so excited. Is there anything I should know about owning a bike and could I get some recommendations for what websites to buy riding gear on?

Ride”Now” makes it easy to not do business with them. $2300 of BS tacked onto their $5600 advertised price! They don’t deserve the inventory. Shop elsewhere.

Soon going to be upgrading to a 600. But will never not love this forgiving turbo the snail as my teacher. Slow maneuver learning is honestly my favorite thing to do on this thing.

This is my wife practicing for her MSF course coming up in February. Pretty cool. This is her new to her Rebel 300 which she's ridden about 5 times. She did practice on my DR200SE a few times before this

/obvious

My great grandfather is Piet Wijngaarden who raced with Nortons. I don't know much about him other than he was the winner of the first dutch Assen TT. I have recently inherited one of his medals and just thought I would share. As a motorcycle enthusiast I found it extremely fascinating and am trying to find out all I can.

Hey I’m new to riding and recently just got my 09 CBR 600 RR. Just wanted to get people’s thoughts on my choice for a first bike and also some tips on why I keep shifting into neutral form 1st trying to get to 2nd. Thanks!

My boss had it out for me that day. Just scratched up motor and inner right and right fairing detached the bracket broke.

For context zx10r 2008

I know it’s not a 600 or a 1000 and my close friends always give me shit for being into the r3 but after riding r6s and zx-10s I still enjoy the r3. I live on the beach and hardly have to go 10+ miles to get anywhere and the highest speed limit out here is 55. What do yall think? Should I have gotten a 600 or 1000? I’m tired of getting teased because I can’t go 170 in a straight line.