Keeping your pride and joy away from the prying eyes of criminals is proving harder and it’s not the prestige models that the thieves are after, according to one security accessory company.

Data from Tracker UK released last week revealed claimed that the company had helped police to recover £300,000 worth of stolen motorcycles in 2008, highlighting the problem that motorcycle thieves still pose.

Of course, the figure doesn’t tell the whole story. Tracking devices are fitted to only a small percentage of 1.26million motorcycles currently registered on British roads and although Tracker do boast an impressive recovery rate, there will invariably be some motorcycles which, even with a tracking device, are never seen again.

More interestingly, it seems that the criminal fraternity are taking a shine to models at the lower end of the price scale, with more and more low-value motorcycles and scooters being recovered by the police through Tracker.

It all puts the issue of bike security back into the spotlight. Crime has historically risen during economic recessions and so keeping your bike secure should be on your priorities list.

For those with high value models, tracking devices make sense. Spending anywhere between £200 and £400 on a tracker, not forgetting the annual subscription, to protect a £10,000 motorcycle would generally regarded as a decent investment. The chances of getting your bike recovered are good, saving you plenty of hassle and your bike insurance excess.

But for owners of lower value models, it’s a bit more difficult. By the time that you’ve added in the cost of the unit, a ‘duration of ownership’ description and installation, you could be facing a bill of anywhere between £680 and £1,074 – a significant outlay for any motorist.

So what are the alternatives? Well, the traditional security solutions of alarms, locks and chains still suffice for the majority, as does a bit of common sense.

Quite, poorly lit backstreets and secluded, unmanned multi-story car parks are the natural habitat of the car and motorcycle thief, so it won’t come as earth-shattering advice to read that you should think about where you should park up.

Locks and alarms come in various forms. Thatcham approved alarms benefit from the approval of the bike insurance industry but need to be professionally installed, whilst other alarms can either be installed by the owner. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, you can also benefit from features such as text message alerts, which alerts you by phone whenever your bike receives any unwanted attention.

As for locks, the most common of which tend to take the form of a brake disc lock, shackle lock or the tried and trusted “heavy duty chain and padlock”, although the latter can be more complicated to transport. That, coupled with a heavy duty anchor lock at home, provides a strong deterrent at the very least.

For more information on bike security products, visit the Insidebikes Product Reviews section.

For peace of mind, insure your bike with leading bike insurance provider Carole Nash. Get an online quote or call us on 0800 804 7952