Introducing the Squire Defiant Motorcycle Disc Lock

We are excited to announce the availability of the all-new Squire Defiant motorcycle brake disc lock. Read our latest post to learn more about this incredible addition to our range of high quality motorbike security products.

Sadly, more motorbikes are stolen in the UK, each year, than are bought new. Around 80% of bikes are stolen directly from the owners homes and most thefts take place in urban areas. Just four popular motorcycle makes account for over 85% of stolen motorbikes: Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki.

Experienced, organised motorcycle thieves will sometimes drive a van to where a valuable motorbike is parked and lift the bike into the van by passing scaffolding poles through the wheels. It can take them as little as 20 seconds to steal a bike worth £10,000 or more and only around 16% of motorbikes are ever recovered.

Police Recommendations for Motorbike Security

Police forces throughout the UK encourage motorcyclists to take sensible precautions to reduce the risk of becoming a crime victim. They recommend multi-layered security and promote their ‘lock, chain, cover’ approach.

Use a Disc Lock

A high quality motorcycle brake disc lock is a primary recommendation and the all-new Squire Defiant more than fulfils this requirement. Easily and quickly fitted, convenient to carry and resilient to all common forms of attack, a high quality motorcycle brake disc lock is an essential layer of motorbike security.

Use a Chain Lock

Police forces point out that motorbike thieves will often break a motorcycle’s steering lock, enabling them to easily wheel it away. They therefore recommend using a chain lock, threaded through the rear wheel and securely attached to an immovable anchor point, such as a robust piece of street furniture.

Keep it Covered

As noted, thieves are on the lookout for specific makes and models of popular motorbikes. This is why police forces recommend keeping bikes covered so that thieves, cruising the streets in search of viable targets, can’t see the bike. While a bike cover doesn’t present a formidable barrier it can be enough to prompt criminals to move on.

Additional Motorbike Security Recommendations from the Police

The ‘lock, chain, cover’ recommendation from police forces is easy to remember but its important to be aware of other essential motorbike security precautions which are sometimes overlooked.

Removing the keys is at the top of the list. Even if the motorbike is only left unattended for a few short minutes, that’s more than enough time for an opportunist criminal to recognise and seize the opportunity to steal a bike if the keys are in the ignition.

Police forces also recommend that bikers consider installing an alarm system with tracking capabilities, immobilisation, anti-grab and movement sensors.

Another important precaution recommended by all forces is to security mark the motorbike and all of the primary components. This makes bikes far more difficult for criminals to sell-on or break down for parts and the labelling can help police in recognising and returning stolen bikes.

As noted, most motorbikes are stolen from the owners homes. Police therefore strongly recommend that when at home valuable motorbikes should ideally be locked away inside a garage, shed or suitable motorbike storage container. These storage locations should be as secure as possible and ideally alarmed. If a secure storage location isn’t available and a motorbike needs to be parked outdoors the police recommend selecting a location that’s well lit, close to the home and overlooked.

How Motorcycle Disc Locks Work

Motorcycle brake disc locks are simply specially designed padlocks that fit through a motorbike’s brake disc. Basically, the shackle of the disc lock passes through the brake disc making it impossible for the bike wheel to rotate.

There are a wide range of motorcycle disc locks on the market today. The primary differences relate to the design of the locks, the materials used in manufacture and the complexity of the locking mechanism.

When assessing and comparing motorcycle disc locks its useful to look at their respective ‘Sold Secure’ ratings as these provide valuable assessment of how resistant various locks are to the most common forms of attack.

Are Motorcycle Disc Locks Effective?

The reason police forces recommend the use of motorcycle disc locks as a key element in a multi-layered security approach is because they are effective. Statistics show that as many as 7 out of 10 motorcyclists fail to lock their bikes when parking in metropolitan car parks. So simply using a disc lock significantly reduces the probability of a motorbike being stolen.

Crucially, for a disc lock to be effective it must be capable of withstanding the types of attack typically used by experienced motorcycle thieves. This is why its beneficial to pay attention to ‘Sold Secure’ ratings as the tests employed in their lock assessments mimic the attack methods used by criminals such as brute-force attacks with sledge hammers and lump hammers along with angle grinder attacks. You can be confident that locks rated by Sold Secure provide a high level of resistance against lock picking, lock manipulation, drilling, cutting and smashing as well as the use of bolt croppers and angle grinders.

Squire Defiant Disc Lock - Key Features

Described as one of the toughest disc locks you can buy the new Squire Defiant features an angle-grinder resistant construction with a one-piece, all-metal body along with a six-pin dimple key cylinder. The overall lock has a plastic cover and is 30mm thick with the metal body at around 25mm in thickness. It is notably heavy at 1.05kg but very compact at only 85mm by 77mm with an additional 12mm of the hardened boron steel shackle protruding.

Its supplied with a useful carry pouch that can be attached to keep the lock somewhere convenient. Its also supplied with useful reminder cable that helps ensure bikers don’t forget they have a disc lock in place.

Importantly, this super-tough disc lock is easy to attach and equally simple to unlock, thanks to the non-directional key that’s the same on both sides.

Squire Defiant Disc Lock - Key Features Summary

Here’s a summary of the key features of this incredible disc lock.

• Made in the UK.
• Manufactured from highly effective angle grinder resistant armouring material.
• Heavy-duty weather resistant protective cover.
• 25mm solid hardened steel body.
• 12mm 2-piece boron hardened steel shackle.
• High-security 6-pin dimple key cylinder.
• 470,000 key differs.
• Anti-drill, anti-pick and anti-bump technology.
  2 precision engineered 6-pin dimple keys included.
• Reminder cable included.
• Durable neoprene pouch included.
• Fits most brake disc rotors.
• Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond Approved.

When assessing and comparing motorcycle security products it makes sense to look at their respective Sold Secure ratings and grades. The new Squire Defiant disc lock has been tested to Sold Secure’s highest possible ‘Powered Cycle Diamond’ standard. This was previously referred to as their Motorcycle Diamond standard but has undergone an upgrade to acknowledge other forms of powered cycles entering the market.

To achieve this standard the Sold Secure labs subjected the lock to rigorous evaluation including a sustained five-minute manual attack test followed by a 90-second angle grinder attack using an 18V cordless power tool. And Squire’s own in- house testing went way beyond the requirements necessary to meet the Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond grade.

Bennetts Bike Social subjected this exceptional lock to their own range of potentially destructive assessments that included attacking the lock with a lump hammer and pry bars along with other forms of splitting attacks. These did nothing more than cause some superficial damage to the plastic cover and a few dents. The angle grinder resistant design, construction and materials meant that more than two abrasive discs were required to cut through the lock. Even using a diamond cutting disc was very time consuming.

How the Squire Defiant Disc Lock Compares

When considering the wide variety of motorcycle security products on the market today its always useful to make comparisons. A useful resource that can be used to compare products is the Sold Secure Approved Product search facility.

Selecting the ‘Power Cycle (Formerly Motorcycle) > Diamond’ standard along with ‘Disc Lock’ as the product type presents just two products, one of which is the new Squire Defiant Disc Lock.

Similarly, if you are searching for the best high security chain for motorbikes select the ‘Power Cycle (Formerly Motorcycle) > Diamond’ standard along with ‘Chain’ as the product type and enter ‘motorcycle security’ as the keyword. You will see two excellent chains, both of which are available from our store.

• Buy the all new Squire Defiant Disc Lock here. 
• Buy the Squire TC22 High Security Motorcycle Chain here. 
• Buy the Protector 22mm Titan High Security Chain here.

For more information on Introducing the Squire Defiant Motorcycle Disc Lock talk to Insight Security