GARAGED
AT THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
This is by far the best place to keep your bike. However ther are still many things that need to be done to ensure that the thieving scum go elsewhere.
Discretion must still be the first weapon in your arsenal so follow the tips from the previous page. A cover over the bike will help keep your secret especially when you are getting your meters read.
Your second line of defence will be the garage door. Most garages have an up and over metal door, the security value of these as standard is pants. If you are really serious you will replace it with a roller security door but the £1000 price tag is a bit rich for most so it's time to beef up the std door. The best way to do this is to fit an anti ramming post or a door stop in front of the door. Fit one of those fake alarm boxes and if your house has an alarm make sure that the garage is wired up. If you have a spare £150 you could set up a video camera. You can get CCTV cameras for as little as £45 and a recorder for £80. With a 5 hour tape and LP you get 10 hours of recording which should keep your bike covered while your at work. Don't leave the VCR in the garage though otherwise they'll nick that aswell. Make sure that any doors to the Garage other than the main one are really well secured. Locks at 1/3 and 2/3 the way up the door are good but the door must be solid enough so that the locks are the weakest link. Don't leave the keys to the bike or the garage anywhere obvious. If someone is determined enough to get your bike that they'll go into your house then leaving the keys on a rack that says keys is just giving it to them.
The final line of defence is the lock on the bike. Leaving the bike with the steering lock only is not not enough. Alarmed is good but if you're not there then who will come running? The only way is to lock your bike to something solid and this means a ground anchor and a pretty substantial lock & chain.