best storage and security solutions for apartment dwellers?

[zcypher]

So I just wanted to get my bike ASAP, did not want to wait until next season. I was able to get that done, but now I have to figure out the storage and security, no more putting it off. I don't have a designated parking spot, and there is no indoor parking to rent in my building.

I am waiting for my landlord to get back to me about renting an indoor spot in another building owned by the same company, but I've been shopping around in the mean time. Most places that are close by I have found $175-300/mo which is way more than I want to pay.

I found one of these self-storage places which would be $60-90/mo, more reasonable, but I'm not sure if I can really use that as a daily storage or what. For winter it's no problem, I can store the bike at my parents place. I just can't do that daily since they don't live close by.

So once I have nice secure indoor parking, I also want to have good security otherwise. What about disc locks and alarms, what is your take on all that good stuff?

 

[Anthony]

So I just wanted to get my bike ASAP, did not want to wait until next season. I was able to get that done, but now I have to figure out the storage and security, no more putting it off. I don't have a designated parking spot, and there is no indoor parking to rent in my building.

I am waiting for my landlord to get back to me about renting an indoor spot in another building owned by the same company, but I've been shopping around in the mean time. Most places that are close by I have found $175-300/mo which is way more than I want to pay.

I found one of these self-storage places which would be $60-90/mo, more reasonable, but I'm not sure if I can really use that as a daily storage or what. For winter it's no problem, I can store the bike at my parents place. I just can't do that daily since they don't live close by.

So once I have nice secure indoor parking, I also want to have good security otherwise. What about disc locks and alarms, what is your take on all that good stuff?

That is a lot of cash.... If you don't live on the first floor where you can wheel it into your apartment I say just get a decent bike lock & full coverage Insurance.... Can you see the parking lot from a window? spend 100.00 bucks & get an old camcorder & a DVR & record the parking lot 24/7.....

Those small investments mediagate the risk a bit...

By: Securing the bike to where several people would have to lift it to take it, With the camera maybe you could catch the thief amongst other things & if it did in fact get stolen, it is insured....


But to pay 1200-2500 a year to park it? :zombie:


PS, welcome to the forum from me............

 

[Deleted member 9794]

Unless you live in an area rampant with car theft, just parking in a well lit area and keeping a nondescript motorcycle cover over it should be good. If you are that worried about theft/vandalism then get the appropriate insurance to cover the loss - that's cheaper than those storage places you're quoting. I hate to say it but the FZ6R is a chic beginner bike, not an ultra-popular enough of a bike to attract most thieves that know how to ride a motorcycle.

 

[zcypher]

Unless you live in an area rampant with car theft, just parking in a well lit area and keeping a nondescript motorcycle cover over it should be good. If you are that worried about theft/vandalism then get the appropriate insurance to cover the loss - that's cheaper than those storage places you're quoting. I hate to say it but the FZ6R is a chic beginner bike, not an ultra-popular enough of a bike to attract most thieves that know how to ride a motorcycle.

I realize that! But it is all shiny and new. I do have full coverage on it including theft and vandalism of course. I have been parking it at the end of a short dead end street behind my place, behind a big cement thing. You can't really see it from the main road unless you're looking for it, and even then you just see the handle bars and the top of the tank really. I don't have a cover, but I definitely will be getting one.

However the other day I noticed a sketchy white pickup truck parked all the way up to the cement thing, facing the bike, parked half on top of the side walk. He was there for a good little while and just sitting there with engine still on, guy on his cell phone. I figured I must just be paranoid, and was going to just go to work and forget about it. But I didn't wanna take a chance, so I ran back in to my place and grabbed the key. As soon as I sat down on my bike, the guy pulled out pretty quickly, I dunno the whole thing just looked very suspicious to me. So I parked my bike elsewhere, and I haven't returned it to its usual spot since, and here I am shopping for storage.

I don't know. Seems a bit of piece of mind would be worth paying for storage, especially that it's only during nice months (winter months will be stored away at parents place).

 

[MichaelInVenice]

Parking it in a place where it is concealed is actually the wrong approach. Makes it easy for somebody to work on it out of sight. If I had to park mine outdoors it would be in the most visible area I could find, and I'd put alarm locks on both wheels.

 

[zcypher]

Parking it in a place where it is concealed is actually the wrong approach. Makes it easy for somebody to work on it out of sight. If I had to park mine outdoors it would be in the most visible area I could find, and I'd put alarm locks on both wheels.

i agree, but the spot i had was visible from my window, and from the entire back side of a few apartment buildings. one of my neighbours actually called the cops on a friend that was waiting for me, checking out my bike while he waited! I was reassured about leaving it outside when that happened. but after the truck thing, no longer want to take chance.

 

[RoadTrip]

 

[xJoshuaDrakex]

I moved into an apartment about six months ago and I was nervous about leaving my baby outside. I looked around for storage places and figured they weren't worth the money when I pay for full coverage insurance. So now I just park the bike in the parking spot right in front of my bedroom window with a cover and disc lock on it. No one has messed with it so far.

 

[JT]

one thing I do when visiting people at apartment is to park it up against a shade / cover support structure and lock my wheel to it

 

[zcypher]

I will definitely be getting disc lock and a lock to attach it to something, and a cover, at the very minimum.

Any other feedback for stuff to get? I guess if I make it enough of a pain in the butt to steal, then it will be less likely to happen. I would also like to set up a camera that watches it 24/7, but that could take a little doing too. I have a reasonably decent DSLR, no zoom lens yet, but I guess I could get a tripod and connect it to my computer, but then we're talking an insane amount of storage to continually save video...

What are the best disc locks?

 

[Deleted member 9794]

....
Any other feedback for stuff to get? I guess if I make it enough of a pain in the butt to steal, then it will be less likely to happen.

If you "own" a space at your complex and really want to go all out then get a cycle shell: CycleShell Enclosure - Outdoor Motorcycle Cover - Protection

Now, of course if several people come along and slice it open they could still carry off the bike, but if they are that brazen then there's no stopping them (bolt cutters for any chain you got, then pick it up and put it in a van).

... I would also like to set up a camera that watches it 24/7, but that could take a little doing too. I have a reasonably decent DSLR, no zoom lens yet, but I guess I could get a tripod and connect it to my computer, but then we're talking an insane amount of storage to continually save video...

I saw this at Sam's Club, maybe it fits the bill: Q-see 4 Channel Security System with 500GB Hard Drive, 4 x 480TVL Cameras, and 50' Night Vision - Sam's Club


This is still all overkill IMHO but peace of mind is priceless so :zombie:

 

[yillbs]

beh

Take off the rear wheels every night haha. In all seriousness, if it's going to make YOU feel better to park the bike in a storage and pay for it, then do it. I would if I had to, but I have a home, with a garage. I just picked up my brand new fz6r, regardless of price, i'd protect it, if that requires me putting it in storage, than so be it. Same goes for you!

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

I have a reasonably decent DSLR, no zoom lens yet, but I guess I could get a tripod and connect it to my computer, but then we're talking an insane amount of storage to continually save video...

If you're going to go that route, check out dropcam. The camera is $149 (US anyway) and for $99/yr, they save a week or two of video on their servers for you.

 

[BoneJj]

If you're going to go that route, check out dropcam. The camera is $149 (US anyway) and for $99/yr, they save a week or two of video on their servers for you.

not a bad little device but I cold honestly do that with a simple webcam. I have a few of them laying around right now and even an old netbook that I could hook one to and have it record and put video up in a manner that would allow me to view it anywhere.

Hell, a friend of mine found a 4 camera system (has room for expansion) that he bought that connects right to his router and uploads video right to site and allows him to view all cameras at anytime and it only cost him 100 and it came with 4 cameras with IR emitters and a few other features. There are plenty of other units out there that will do the same as well and are priced around the same points also. he uses them for his family business to keep tabs on the shop at all times. He's got 6-8 cameras on that place at all times and even has it setup that if there is movement he gets a text as to what is going on.

But then again he's really good with computers and did a lot of the changes right in his router to handle a lot of it.

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

not a bad little device but I cold honestly do that with a simple webcam. I have a few of them laying around right now and even an old netbook that I could hook one to and have it record and put video up in a manner that would allow me to view it anywhere.

I could too, but why bother when someone else is going to do it for me and maintain the software and hardware. It's the same decision I made when I switched from my own Windows-based HTPC to a TiVo. Do I really want to sit there for hours and apply Windows updates and then reconfigure the recording software because someone at Comcast moved a channel, or do I want to just give someone some money and let it become their headache.

 

[BoneJj]

I could too, but why bother when someone else is going to do it for me and maintain the software and hardware. It's the same decision I made when I switched from my own Windows-based HTPC to a TiVo. Do I really want to sit there for hours and apply Windows updates and then reconfigure the recording software because someone at Comcast moved a channel, or do I want to just give someone some money and let it become their headache.

That's your problem... comcast....

LOL, but yeah, I've actually had comcast for a while but they don't screw with my ports or anything because I run my own modems and router, dd-wrt, it makes life simple and I can remote access anything I need at anytime. It's really easy to do once you learn it and it's really not hard to learn it. Plus it really is fun when you screw with people and start playing creepy music on your computer when you left your friends at the house watching some scary movies and you "left to get some more snack". lol, I've done it a few times and I swear I gave my sister inlaw a damn heart attack... I had turned up the speakers on my laptop and tower and left them on on separate ends of the house. My brother new what I was doing and he said he still even jumped when I set them off while I was at the store.

One was a screaming woman like she was being gutted and the other was a chainsaw.

I got a pretty mean welcome when I got back home with the chips and salsa and other stuff. I still laugh about it. Next time I'm going to setup a night vision camera to get the results recorded. It should be be quite hilarious.

 

[Neme]

I've heard good things about the spy 5000m motorcycle alarm. It's ~100 bucks so its relatively cheap and from what I've heard it works really well and loud. But, its not really 5000m, more like 300m which is still plenty for us apartment dwellers. I'll be picking one up soon.

 

[dirtysocks]

I have a disk lock + a cable lock with the cable running around a post in our parking lot. And of course use the steering lock too. The idea was to make it harder/more work for someone to steal it. A professional thief who wants the bike, will get it anyways...no matter what you have.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

LOL, but yeah, I've actually had comcast for a while but they don't screw with my ports or anything because I run my own modems and router...

Minor clarification - when I said channels, I was referring to the various unencrypted QAM channels that I was recording with my HTPC, not the channels that my wifi router uses, nor any of its ports. Sorry for the confusion.

Next time I'm going to setup a night vision camera to get the results recorded. It should be be quite hilarious.

Dropcam uses IR for night vision

 

[BoneJj]

Minor clarification - when I said channels, I was referring to the various unencrypted QAM channels that I was recording with my HTPC, not the channels that my wifi router uses, nor any of its ports. Sorry for the confusion.



Dropcam uses IR for night vision

aaaahhhhh, I understand. Yeah, I don't use them for TV... I haven't had "cable" or even Sat in the last 8 years....

I have some friends that let comcast put in their modem/router. worst choice ever, seriously. they constantly screwed up the settings and they would have to come back out and reflash their setup, it was pretty stupid. I would never use their products.

As for night vision cams, I have a few security cams sitting around that I could use. I just haven't bothered with it in some time now.