Motor Cycle Ground Anchors

Choose the best security ground anchor for your motorcycle

A ground anchor can be one of the best security products that you can buy to protect and prevent the theft of your motorcycle. Even hardened thief's will usually walk away from trying to steal a motorcycle that is secured to a good ground anchor. 

When looking to buy a security ground anchor you will have a selection of options available to you, with products available that are in different sizes, of a different configuration, and of which sell as different prices. 

You can buy cheap motorcycle ground anchors from as little as around the £10.00 price point, with quality ones approaching up to £80-100.00 pounds for a really top-notch unit. Usually though a good strong motorbike ground anchor can be purchased for as little as £15.00 to to £30.00. 

How strong are motorcycle ground anchors?

Depending on the brand of the anchor and the way how it has been manufactured, a good quality ground anchor can be very strong and very resistant to attempted theft. A really determined thief will always get-around most forms of security measures but a good ground anchor can really slow them down and stop them stealing your bike unless they have a large amount of time available - and a good selection of power tools.

Strong high quality ground anchors will usually be manufactured from steel, whilst it doesn't have to be "Sheffield steel" - it does need to be steel that is of a good quality and helps any resistant to attack. The welds on a ground anchor need to be good and sound, and not just tack welds. A continuous seam of weld should be clear to see - even on the cheaper priced security ground anchors that are freely on sale. 

Weaknesses of motorcycle ground anchors are usually because of a poor design - or worse still, a bad installation and fixing. It is really important that a ground anchor or ground securing point is installed properly and by way of using good quality fixings - if not a motorbike thief may be able to get away with your pride and joy!

Can a ground anchor be used with any motorbike?

Yes, any brand or make of motor bike can be secured to a ground anchor. In addition a ground anchor can be used to secure and prevent the theft of push bikes, cycles, caravans, motor scooters and mopeds, trikes, quad bikes, and even larger items such as caravans, trailers, light aircraft, and even boats.
Of course this means that security ground anchors can be used with manufacturers of motorcycles that include AJS, BMW, DERBI, DUCATI, HONDA, ITALJET, KAWASAKI, KTM, LAMBRETTA, MOTO GUZZI, NORTON, SUZUKI, TRIUMPH, and many more...

How do you attach and secure your motorcycle to a ground anchor?

Your motorbike, scooter, or other item needs to be secured by way of a high quality chain or a theft-resistant wire rope and lock. This is passed through the aperture of the ground anchor and forms the first line of protection against your vehicles theft. The chain and lock that you use should be a high quality lock that offers a really strong level of security. Some brands to mention that you could consider for purchasing are those that carry the brand names of Yale, Abus, Oxford, and Mammoth.

When fastening your motorcycle to the security ground anchor try and keep the loop of chain to an absolute minimum, if need be buy a new chain that is just the right length. Make sure the chain is passed through a component on your bike that cannot simply be unbolted - such as around the swinging arm or better still, your bikes frame. We would avoid passing a chain through the front wheel as this can be simply removed by a thief that is equipped with the right tools. The rear wheel and swinging arm would be far more theft deterrent. 

How do you attach a security ground anchor to the floor?

This is usually by way of anchor bolts or rawl bolts. Providing the floor is concrete or stone these type of fixings are what are best to use. It is usual practice for a motorcycle security ground anchor to be supplied with some installation instructions, and the method featured on these should be clearly followed. 

Most anchor points are fixed to the floor by way of the drilling of several holes, into which the anchor is installed by the use of the anchor bolts. The anchor bolts are inserted into the ground first, the anchor "plate" is placed on top, and then the internal screws of the bolts are inserted and tightened-up. The overall result that is needed is for the security ground anchor to be firmly bolted-down onto the ground with absolutely no movement in it at all if side pressure is applied. The installation process of fitting a motorcycle security ground anchor is one that should be given the utmost of attention - for the maximum level of theft resistance to be obtained.  

Make sure the mounting holes are not drilled too deep or oversize to ensure a snug fit when inserting the fastener bolts. Also be careful that you don't over-tighten the fasteners when nipping them up with a spanner, socket set, or wrench.

Ball bearings - some security ground anchors are supplied with a quantity of ball bearings, these are used to prevent the ground anchor from being unbolted from your floor. They are used in-conjunction with mounting fasteners that have an "allen" profile head on them as supplied with the Triton 2, the Oxford Anchor Force, the Oxford Anchor Brute, and the popular security ground anchor from ABC Security of Sheffield.

Can a security ground anchor be used on a block paved drive?

Yes, one of these security devices can be fitted to a block paved (brick) drive, but extra work will be needed to achieve the required standard of theft protection. To securely mount a security ground anchor on a block paved drive you will need to install a suitable thickness of concrete below the area in which you want to install the anchor plate.

This job will involve you lifting several bricks up from your drive, digging a hole approximately 10" (250mm) deep and filling it with a dense mixture of hard setting concrete. This should be smoothed off at the level of the surrounding paving to create a strong structure for you to drill and mount the ground anchor. To help preserve the natural appearance of a block paved drive you could cut the removed bricks and relay them around the concrete section - it all depends on how you want the finished job to look!

When fitting a security anchor to a block paved drive you must ensure the fixings are securely fastened into a section of concrete, the paving bricks alone are not enough to secure one of these security devices.

What if the drive is a gravel or loose stone drive?

If the drive at your home is made-up of gravel or loose stones - you have several options:

• Install a section of tough concrete as described above and fix the anchor to it using suitable floor bolts
• Look to see if you can use a nearby wall to mount the anchor point to instead
• Consider the purchase of a ground anchor that is designed for applications on soft ground  

It goes without saying that for a ground anchor to be effective it must be strongly secured to the ground, and the better it is secured - the greater the theft deterrent is for your motorcycle to be stolen. The use of concrete is a great choice when it comes to using one of these anti-theft devices, and you can use a "soft ground anchor" along with a quantity of concrete. For properties that have a gravel drive this is a great way of helping prevent the theft of your valuable bike.