Smooth Scooting

Best Scooter Locks: Scooting Security

There are plenty of jealous kids out there who would love to grab your slick lookin’ scooter!

Unfortunately, the truth is that if a thief is determined enough to take your scooter, he can and will. Every scooter security lock can be broken with enough time, patience, and persistence.

As a scooter owner who wants to protect his baby, your real goal should be deterrence. 

Most would-be thieves will be put off stealing anything that requires work to break into. The tougher the lock and the longer the lock-breaking process, the less likely thieves will be to put in the time and risk attracting attention.

Today we’re listing all the lock options at your disposal, from leasts secure (and cheapest) to most secure (and, as a result, most expensive).

Steering Wheel Lock

Many scooters have a built-in feature that allows you to turn your wheel and lock it in place when you park. To activate, you simply turn your wheel, move your key in the ignition to the “lock” position, and remove your key.

Anyone can still put up your kickstand and begin rolling your scooter away, but they won’t get very far since the scooter will simply move in circles since the wheel is locked at an angle.

A persistent thief will still be able to pick up your scooter and move it manually, but that’s a ton of work and scooters are fairly heavy.

[thrive_text_block color=”green” headline=””]PROS: If you have this feature built in to your scooter, it’s free! Any circumstance-driven thieves will quickly give up when they realize they can just roll your scooter down the street. [/thrive_text_block]

[thrive_text_block color=”red” headline=””]CONS: Your scooter can still be moved with enough determination, and in some cases thieves can break the steering column to bust the steering lock (a stupid move, but thieves aren’t always known for their smarts). Also, there is no visual deterrence to prevent someone from messing with your scooter – so they may be more likely to at least attempt to take it.[/thrive_text_block]

Grip Lock

Grip locks are mounted to one side of your bike’s handlebars, locking your throttle grip and break in place while applying the front break (which means your scooter can’t be simply rolled away).

[thrive_text_block color=”green” headline=””]PROS: Extremely lightweight, compact, and convienent. Very obvious visual deterrence.[/thrive_text_block]

[thrive_text_block color=”red” headline=””]CONS: Still won’t prevent someone from picking up your bike and putting it in a truck.[/thrive_text_block]

Our Top Pick: The Grip-Lock Scooter Security Lock. Grab it here.

Disc Lock

Disc locks are small padlock-like designs that hook into the holes of your rotor. The lock goes through the hole, and physically prevents the wheel from making a full rotation.

These locks come with a key that you must keep on hand. Since they aren’t super visible to the driver, it’s easy to forget that you have a disc lock on, which is why many disc lock kits also come with a “reminder” feature – a bright colored cord that you can wrap between the lock and your handlebar.

[thrive_text_block color=”green” headline=””]PROS: Relatively cheap, disc locks offer a step up from the wheel lock, as the wheel can’t make a full rotation with the disc lock in place. While the disc lock itself is not super visible, the reminder cord is quite noticeable and provided a degree of visual deterrence.[/thrive_text_block]

[thrive_text_block color=”red” headline=””]CONS: Cheaper disc locks have been known to break off, so it’s best to go with a name brand.[/thrive_text_block]

Best Scooter Disc Locks: Our Top Picks

Personal Opinion: I like that disc locks have the reminder cord, because I think it appears, at first glance, that touching or adjusting the cord could turn on an alarm. Of course that’s not true (although some models actually have have a motion sensor built in). ButI feel the more intimidating a lock looks, the better!

Cable Lock

Cable locks are similar to your standard bike lock, but the ones for scooters and motorcycles tend to be thicker. Braided cables do tend to be fairly hefty, but any thief with a decent set of cable cutters could make quick work of them.

[thrive_text_block color=”green” headline=””]PROS: Provide visual deterrence to put off opportunistic thieves and can’t be cut through on the spot without tools.[/thrive_text_block]

[thrive_text_block color=”red” headline=””]CONS: Most cable locks can be cut through easily with a pair of bolt cutters, so there’s still a fair bit of danger [/thrive_text_block]

Best Scooter Cable Locks: Our Top Pick

Chain Lock

Many scooter fans are solid supporters of the chain and U-Lock route.

Chain locks are made of chain link that is wrapped around your scooter’s tire, and around a physical structure (like a bike lock or telephone pole). Make sure you use the chain lock to attach your scooter to an immoveable object. This means avoiding sign posts (which can be removed) or shorter poles.

You can also go the DIY route if you’d like – you can use a garden house as a sleeve over chain. This why your bike finish won’t get scratched, the chain is a bit quieter. It won’t look pretty, but it will get the job done.

[thrive_text_block color=”green” headline=””]PROS: Any thieves will need some serious power tools to break your chain lock. Plus, a chain lock is a very outwardly visible and obvious deterrent.[/thrive_text_block]

[thrive_text_block color=”red” headline=””]CONS: Chain locks are kind of a pain and heavy. Totting a huge chain lock around certainly isn’t ideal as far as convenience goes.[/thrive_text_block]

Best Scooter Chain Locks: Our Top Picks

Note that where you position your chain lock will have a bit effect on security. While looping your chain lock through the front wheel seems like an obvious choice (and is commonly seen), it’s quite easy to remove the front wheel of your scooter and simply cart off the rest. Back wheel is a bit more difficult to remove, but your best bet is wrapping the chain lock around the scooter’s floorboard or through the frame.

Consider Where You Park Your Scoot

Parking your scooter in a safe location is another way to lower your chances of theft. Park your scooter somewhere that’s well lit and has plenty of footfall. If you can park by some kind of security booth or station, even better!

Also look to park your scooter under the safe gaze of CCTV cameras. You may also want to consider installing a fake one near your own home. Just seeing a security cam is enough to throw off thieves – it’s not worth the risk to them.

Do you have any additional tips for keeping your scooter safe? What is your favorite type of scooter lock? Share your thoughts in the comments below!