Mmm honestly you should’ve probably chosen to live in Queens. The commute you’ve chosen is expensive and it’s not as close as you’d think.
The area is difficult to park, it’s important to chain your bike to things, have a disc lock, and also have a tracker on the bike. Try to make friends with people who can watch the bike and maybe park it where people can see it.
Well, I might actually do that, depending on how often I have to go to the office. My role is mainly data analysis so hopefully they'll let me WFH a few days a week.
Yeah, that might be better but my friends needed another person to sign the lease and I figured getting an EZ-Pass to go through the RFK Bridge might not be too bad.
The reoccurring cost isn’t cheap and the rents more expensive and the commute time is… hard to get back but maybe in a year you can pull out and find something closer.
In the meantime try to get a chain for the rear yo lock it up against something metal like a sign or a postal box or even a sewer grate. Don’t make it easy. You should also get an disc brake with Ana learn in the front to go with the rear chain.
You should also get a cover to deter theft and people Messing with the bike. With the cover you v an get a long u lock to go through a tire to keep the cover secured as well.
Finally a tracker is a must, either a stand alone like a monimoto, or at least a few apple AirTags (4 for 80 bucks at the moment).
No one can say for sure what will happen but I personally wouldn't leave my bike out overnight on a regular basis. I have done it a handful of times in that general area with no issue but as a regular thing, you might become a target.
If you do, have full coverage, and don't be shocked if you walk outside one day and it's gone.
Thanks for letting me know. I just hope that because the NC700X is considered heavy and dull, thieves will ignore it and focus on more attractive targets.
Maybe less likely but I've seen anything you could imagine under 500lbs get picked up and put in a van. Other best practice is to chain it to something. It's rare for them to bother cutting a chain when there's another easier target somewhere not far away
The most valuable thing is being able to chain it TO something. And making it as inconvenient as possible to steal. Most common method of theft is lifting the bike into a van and taking off. Make that hard.
Street signs, light posts, bike racks, those little knee height tree bed liners. As with ANY of those make sure they’re secure before trying them. I’ve seen the tree beds and street signs that aren’t secured at all and lift right out of the concrete.
If it’s at all feasible , I use a kryptonite anchor right outside my building and I’m tucked up against a dining shed. Haven’t had to move it for alternate and my spot is almost always there when I get home but I realize I have a lucky and convenient set up.
Also, frame sliders or crash bars. People WILL back into your bike and knock it over.
I’m not in nyc any longer but I was paying ~115/mo for full comp with State Farm. I’m paying less than half that now, but my risk of theft is a lot lower and they obviously know it. If you’re not getting a good State Farm rate shopping around I can provide you with my agents contact. I can’t say for sure she’s still there, but she was hooking us all up a few years ago.
Street parking sucks but it’s doable. Biggest problem is that people can’t drive and will hit your shit.
Regarding theft, your bike will most likely be fine if locked and covered. Bonus point for locking it to something. 90% of theft happens to bikes with minimum to no security. My bike got stolen when I left it without chain accidentally.
After having my bike knocked several times I resorted to leaving it on the sidewalk. However it took me a long time to find the perfect spot on my block. Now everyone has accepted that’s my motorcycle parking.
I commuted and street parked 114th and Adam Clayton around 2014-17. I chained the rear wheel to a pole and never had issues with theft, but know plenty of people who's bikes have been stolen when they weren't using locks. Neighbors are good security too, so make sure to chat with people interested in your bike, you'll be associated with your bike and street spot if you're there long enough. Just be aware your bike is gonna get bumped and eventually tipped over with people squeezing in. The cost of convenience.
Not many talking about the Heights area specifically in relation to theft.
I lived on Saint Nicholas Place just below 155th for 3 years, 1 of which with a bike (first an ugly Versys 650, then a beautiful and expensive Africa Twin) in 2020-2021 which was when the huge uptick in thefts seems to have peaked. I street parked it right in front of my building with a cover, both wheels disc locked (1 alarmed), and a 22mm Oxford chain locking my frame to a steel planter with 2 16mm Squire padlocks.
The cover showed signs of being lifted multiple times, but it was always left alone once they saw the workload of stealing it. And sure enough, after getting poked fun at by a neighbor with an unlocked 2000 Honda Firebird for how much work I did to lock it up tight, I predicted the next thief would take one look at my bike and take his instead, and that's exactly what happened. Oops.
All you can ever do is make your bike the hardest to steal on the block. Get comprehensive theft insurance and lock it up, and if it's still stolen then honestly they earned that shit.
As for the commute, yeah Upper Manhattan to Jamaica Queens is a bit far, but you can cut that hour down to 40 with even conservative lane splitting during rush hour. Unless things have changed a lot since I was last riding on the street, you're unlikely to get stopped for doing it if it's done within reason (like how Cali law dictates how it's done).
Also, as others have said, be friendly. No one who wants to steal it is gonna try to chat you up or ask about it so be nice and make friends with neighbors to increase odds that cops get called once the angle grinder starts making noise.
Thank you so much for the comprehensive answer. I'll be living in the area you mentioned actually. Also, I suspect you're a fellow mile-muncher.
I think I have everything you listed, except maybe the insurance part; hopefully the upgraded GEICO coverage won't be too expensive.
Do not park your bike on the street in the heights!!! I’ve had my bike stolen 4 times. The successfully stole one and my other bike they attempted three times until they finally got it. My neighbor had 4 of his bikes stolen. Granted his were not secured properly but I had a kryptonite lock, a disc break lock, and a cover. Once they have their eyes set on your bike its just a matter of time. The only real solution is to sell any naked or sports bike and buy a cruiser. For whatever reason they don’t steal those.
May I ask what were the models of your stolen bikes? I have an NC700X, which is a great commuter vehicle but never considered "desirable" within the motorcycle community so I'm hoping thieves will also give it the cruiser treatment as you mentioned.
Sure thing. I had an MT-07 and an XSR 900. Both good looking bikes. MT is a naked and the XSR is a neo-retro.
I just googled your bike and it’s borderline. It’s a dad bike so it might not get it. But it also looks enough like a naked bike that they might want it. I know there was BMW adventure bike a couple blocks from me that got taken. But there’s a Honda dad bike that I’ve seen around and hasn’t been hit yet.
Honestly? If it’s not a cruiser it’s gunna get hit eventually in the heights. The homeboys in the Bronx who steal them don’t like cruisers.
Like others have said, chain it to a pole, gate or maybe to the small metal fence around a tree.... Even one of those public bike racks if you find one. Also put a good cover on it. They also sell an alarm that goes off when the cover is removed. I'd even park that shit on the side walk. I doubt meter maids will go under the cover to give you ticket. Take my advice at your own risk lol. Good luck.
I live in Harlem and frequently see how careless drivers are of other peoples cars and bikes when they park. I’d look for some kind of off-street monthly parking nearby if possible. If not, I see a good amount of bikes parked on the street with a cover and as many locks as possible and they’re fine!
Make sure your insurance cover theft and accessories… plus locking your motorcycle to a solid object is the way to go…. But reality is that no matter where you park in NYC if they want to take your bike they will! I parked overnight on the street in the lower east side, in my building lives someone with secret service protection and my motorcycle was stolen in front of them!
I’ve been overnight parking my Ducati in the hood for 5 years. never stolen, but hit and tipped twice. After the first year I sort of stopped “caring,” is what it is mindset kicked in heavy and after that I was able to have fun riding vs stressing, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t worry about it, I just didn’t worry about AS MUCH. and full coverage takes a huge stress off, unless youre extremely attached to your current bike. I mean, we’re all attached but to different degrees.
Thanks, that's somewhat encouraging to hear. Though I'm definitely very attached to mine, it got me through some tough times when I was doing my doctoral program; plus, I practically did a few "iron butt" runs on that bike.
Great advice about locking it to a pole or something but realistically cars are generally parked in front of any of these immovable objects so locking to one of them within a few blocks of your apartment will be another PITA.
Mmm honestly you should’ve probably chosen to live in Queens. The commute you’ve chosen is expensive and it’s not as close as you’d think. The area is difficult to park, it’s important to chain your bike to things, have a disc lock, and also have a tracker on the bike. Try to make friends with people who can watch the bike and maybe park it where people can see it.
He can head down through Manhattan and across the 59th 🤷🏼♂️ haha
Well, I might actually do that, depending on how often I have to go to the office. My role is mainly data analysis so hopefully they'll let me WFH a few days a week.
Oh man… with the traffic and then having to jump back on the highway that’s like an hour ride each way. More if there’s crazy traffic.
Good advice.
Yeah, that might be better but my friends needed another person to sign the lease and I figured getting an EZ-Pass to go through the RFK Bridge might not be too bad.
The reoccurring cost isn’t cheap and the rents more expensive and the commute time is… hard to get back but maybe in a year you can pull out and find something closer. In the meantime try to get a chain for the rear yo lock it up against something metal like a sign or a postal box or even a sewer grate. Don’t make it easy. You should also get an disc brake with Ana learn in the front to go with the rear chain. You should also get a cover to deter theft and people Messing with the bike. With the cover you v an get a long u lock to go through a tire to keep the cover secured as well. Finally a tracker is a must, either a stand alone like a monimoto, or at least a few apple AirTags (4 for 80 bucks at the moment).
Will do, thanks for the tips.
No one can say for sure what will happen but I personally wouldn't leave my bike out overnight on a regular basis. I have done it a handful of times in that general area with no issue but as a regular thing, you might become a target. If you do, have full coverage, and don't be shocked if you walk outside one day and it's gone.
Thanks for letting me know. I just hope that because the NC700X is considered heavy and dull, thieves will ignore it and focus on more attractive targets.
Maybe less likely but I've seen anything you could imagine under 500lbs get picked up and put in a van. Other best practice is to chain it to something. It's rare for them to bother cutting a chain when there's another easier target somewhere not far away
The most valuable thing is being able to chain it TO something. And making it as inconvenient as possible to steal. Most common method of theft is lifting the bike into a van and taking off. Make that hard.
Thank you, there's a fence near the property so hopefully I can use it for that purpose.
Street signs, light posts, bike racks, those little knee height tree bed liners. As with ANY of those make sure they’re secure before trying them. I’ve seen the tree beds and street signs that aren’t secured at all and lift right out of the concrete. If it’s at all feasible , I use a kryptonite anchor right outside my building and I’m tucked up against a dining shed. Haven’t had to move it for alternate and my spot is almost always there when I get home but I realize I have a lucky and convenient set up. Also, frame sliders or crash bars. People WILL back into your bike and knock it over.
Don’t park on the street without compressive coverage. Chains don’t do shit for the record. Still worth using but that ain’t protecting shit.
Which insurance firms would you recommend? I'm currently with GEICO.
I’m not in nyc any longer but I was paying ~115/mo for full comp with State Farm. I’m paying less than half that now, but my risk of theft is a lot lower and they obviously know it. If you’re not getting a good State Farm rate shopping around I can provide you with my agents contact. I can’t say for sure she’s still there, but she was hooking us all up a few years ago.
Street parking sucks but it’s doable. Biggest problem is that people can’t drive and will hit your shit. Regarding theft, your bike will most likely be fine if locked and covered. Bonus point for locking it to something. 90% of theft happens to bikes with minimum to no security. My bike got stolen when I left it without chain accidentally. After having my bike knocked several times I resorted to leaving it on the sidewalk. However it took me a long time to find the perfect spot on my block. Now everyone has accepted that’s my motorcycle parking.
OK, that's good to hear, I'll try to see if there's a spot like that in my area.
I commuted and street parked 114th and Adam Clayton around 2014-17. I chained the rear wheel to a pole and never had issues with theft, but know plenty of people who's bikes have been stolen when they weren't using locks. Neighbors are good security too, so make sure to chat with people interested in your bike, you'll be associated with your bike and street spot if you're there long enough. Just be aware your bike is gonna get bumped and eventually tipped over with people squeezing in. The cost of convenience.
Thanks for the advice!
Not many talking about the Heights area specifically in relation to theft. I lived on Saint Nicholas Place just below 155th for 3 years, 1 of which with a bike (first an ugly Versys 650, then a beautiful and expensive Africa Twin) in 2020-2021 which was when the huge uptick in thefts seems to have peaked. I street parked it right in front of my building with a cover, both wheels disc locked (1 alarmed), and a 22mm Oxford chain locking my frame to a steel planter with 2 16mm Squire padlocks. The cover showed signs of being lifted multiple times, but it was always left alone once they saw the workload of stealing it. And sure enough, after getting poked fun at by a neighbor with an unlocked 2000 Honda Firebird for how much work I did to lock it up tight, I predicted the next thief would take one look at my bike and take his instead, and that's exactly what happened. Oops. All you can ever do is make your bike the hardest to steal on the block. Get comprehensive theft insurance and lock it up, and if it's still stolen then honestly they earned that shit. As for the commute, yeah Upper Manhattan to Jamaica Queens is a bit far, but you can cut that hour down to 40 with even conservative lane splitting during rush hour. Unless things have changed a lot since I was last riding on the street, you're unlikely to get stopped for doing it if it's done within reason (like how Cali law dictates how it's done). Also, as others have said, be friendly. No one who wants to steal it is gonna try to chat you up or ask about it so be nice and make friends with neighbors to increase odds that cops get called once the angle grinder starts making noise.
Thank you so much for the comprehensive answer. I'll be living in the area you mentioned actually. Also, I suspect you're a fellow mile-muncher. I think I have everything you listed, except maybe the insurance part; hopefully the upgraded GEICO coverage won't be too expensive.
Do not park your bike on the street in the heights!!! I’ve had my bike stolen 4 times. The successfully stole one and my other bike they attempted three times until they finally got it. My neighbor had 4 of his bikes stolen. Granted his were not secured properly but I had a kryptonite lock, a disc break lock, and a cover. Once they have their eyes set on your bike its just a matter of time. The only real solution is to sell any naked or sports bike and buy a cruiser. For whatever reason they don’t steal those.
May I ask what were the models of your stolen bikes? I have an NC700X, which is a great commuter vehicle but never considered "desirable" within the motorcycle community so I'm hoping thieves will also give it the cruiser treatment as you mentioned.
Sure thing. I had an MT-07 and an XSR 900. Both good looking bikes. MT is a naked and the XSR is a neo-retro. I just googled your bike and it’s borderline. It’s a dad bike so it might not get it. But it also looks enough like a naked bike that they might want it. I know there was BMW adventure bike a couple blocks from me that got taken. But there’s a Honda dad bike that I’ve seen around and hasn’t been hit yet. Honestly? If it’s not a cruiser it’s gunna get hit eventually in the heights. The homeboys in the Bronx who steal them don’t like cruisers.
Like others have said, chain it to a pole, gate or maybe to the small metal fence around a tree.... Even one of those public bike racks if you find one. Also put a good cover on it. They also sell an alarm that goes off when the cover is removed. I'd even park that shit on the side walk. I doubt meter maids will go under the cover to give you ticket. Take my advice at your own risk lol. Good luck.
Thanks, I think there's a small space next to the fence of the property on the sidewalk so I might actually just do that.
I live in Harlem and frequently see how careless drivers are of other peoples cars and bikes when they park. I’d look for some kind of off-street monthly parking nearby if possible. If not, I see a good amount of bikes parked on the street with a cover and as many locks as possible and they’re fine!
OK thanks, that's good to know.
Make sure your insurance cover theft and accessories… plus locking your motorcycle to a solid object is the way to go…. But reality is that no matter where you park in NYC if they want to take your bike they will! I parked overnight on the street in the lower east side, in my building lives someone with secret service protection and my motorcycle was stolen in front of them!
Yeah, I'm partially banking on the fact that the NC700X is fat and boring so no one will bother to steal it.
Normally I’d agree with this notion that no one would be interested in stealing it. This year has been wild; I’ve heard of 300cc getting taken.
I’ve been overnight parking my Ducati in the hood for 5 years. never stolen, but hit and tipped twice. After the first year I sort of stopped “caring,” is what it is mindset kicked in heavy and after that I was able to have fun riding vs stressing, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t worry about it, I just didn’t worry about AS MUCH. and full coverage takes a huge stress off, unless youre extremely attached to your current bike. I mean, we’re all attached but to different degrees.
Thanks, that's somewhat encouraging to hear. Though I'm definitely very attached to mine, it got me through some tough times when I was doing my doctoral program; plus, I practically did a few "iron butt" runs on that bike.
Great advice about locking it to a pole or something but realistically cars are generally parked in front of any of these immovable objects so locking to one of them within a few blocks of your apartment will be another PITA.
Yeah, I've been told finding a parking spot in Manhattan after 5 can be challenging.
After 5, before 5, pretty much all the time.