Theft.....

Some thieving, low-life scum has stolen the Bikers Friend bag from the back of my Silverwing. It was empty apart from a duster.

That I left it strapped on in the courtyard outside my flat is my fault; that people break the Law with impunity is Society's fault.

I shall buy another - I'm fortunate in having enough money so to do - and I will fit a Personal Alarm to it in order that a future thief's ears bleed if he tries to steal it.

I hope the b*st*rd rots in hell.

What is a duster?

One of those long oil cloth canvas coats as worn by Clint Eastwood, et al, in many western movies.

Hmm...Or could be one of those feathery things used to flick dust about in homes. Say, it must have been a very special clutch of feathers for someone to be upset at it going missing

Tim

Sometimes the long coats will even have a split down the middle of the back from the waste down,
and leg straps so that when a biker puts his leg over the bike the coat follows naturally.

One way of course to reduce the possibility of this happening is to go with a locking topcase.

As for an alarm,
I point out that many "bike" alarms are actually just repurposed car alarms, and as such have the same draw. (Approx 50ma base with another 20ma per led.)

50ma refers to a per hour draw. Which means in 20 hours the device would draw 1 amp.
Consider that we have as stock a 14 amp battery...14.2 if you use the upgraded Yuasa.
This means in about 3 days your car alarm will have drawn enough power that your bike will
no longer start.

I have used this alarm for my Silverwing: http://ridescorpio.com/
The alarm has a much lower constant draw and is very sophisticated.
They have monitored and unmonitored versions of the alarm.

I have a $15 eBay alarm on my Silverwing. It's unsophisticated!

Mike,

Sorry to hear someone stole your property.  Maybe you will be lucky and catch this person and report them.  I always thought the worst thing than a thief is a 'petty thief'.

A duster is a (usually) square piece of soft (usually bright yellow) cloth used for dusting. Often they are hemmed with bright red stitching.

I have a Givi top box but the bag was more for use as a backrest than a load-carrier.

The alarm I have in mind is a battery-powered personal attack alarm - if you pull on the cord, the pin comes out and the alarm sounds.
I thought I'd hide one under the bag and connect the ends to bike and bag. They are very small but very loud -140 decibels.

I blame myself for carelessness but Society for the theft.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

Link to yellow dusters:

http://www.east2eden.co.uk/shop/product/245/rochley-6-pack-cotton-yellow-duster-cloth

Hi Mike, Nothing any one can say will relive the pain, Maybe be happy you didnt have have a couple of fivers in it for gas along the route. People steal, it would be pleasant if one could wish up an imaginary human so unlike the most of us it would be easy to pass blame, Alas it was probably a neighbor or some one you know.

I love the alarm idea to bad you cant coat it with a horrible, washable dye too.

Mike,
Sorry to hear about your theft....and I also agree about your pull-pin alarm; I have one that I use when I cover my scoot, there is an underneath pocket for the alarm to fit in and I attach the end of the pull string to my brake line, so whenever anyone try`s to pull the cover off the alarm goes off, and I agree with you, it is VERY loud.

I imagine that a Smith & Wesson branded bike cover would give a petty thief pause for thought --assuming that the S & W logo were visible enough from a distance. That added to a pull-pin alarm, and you could follow the trail of $hit to the thieve'n bastard when the alarm were set off.

More thanks for thoughts, chaps.

Interested to read I've had the same idea as you, Pastor Ron, and am following your lead. My alarms (2) are in the post.

I intend replacing the bag, especially since the company now make a 'basic' version of the one I had, without backrest pads and other bits and pieces, all of which the thief didn't steal and which is much cheaper.

I've had it in mind that, since the plastic tube is 'naked' inside, I could write on it with a permanent marker words to the effect that if anyone sees the bag not on my scooter or with me, it's been stolen. I know it wouldn't show on the outside but it would identify it under certain circumstances and might put the thief off.

We shall see.