Securing Theft and Vandal Proofing ebike ideas?

what do you guys do to protect your ebikes? i leave mine at school and havent had any issues but its occured to me that anyone for whatever reason could cut off some of the cables at the wheel, by the ECU throttle etc just for the hell of doing it and that would surely ruin our day, most people think the ECU is a radio amp and ask if i have sound on the bike, probably the same thing most thieves would figure, anyone know of some sort of steel covering for the cables? i think it would also pay off to cover most wires in black electric tape so they look like any other brake cabling

Write "SparkoMatic 20w" on the side of the controller!!! or scratch it all up and dirty. Another idea is to unplug the controller and take it with u!! The "drum brake" would likely not attract too much attention from thieves .
mike

The safest thing is probably to put it into the back of your SUV (a Lincoln Navigator should have plenty of room) and lock it.

Cameron

My 17lb battery gets lugged around with me if I'm going to be more than a few minutes. All the cables are covered with electrical tape to make them look a little more discreet. I leave the controller on the bike covered in a nylon case. To lock up I use a couple ulocks. There's also a paging alarm system waiting to be installed at some point. As of a couple days ago I had a garbage bag wrapped around my top tube covering all the wires for water protection. I would think it would also make the bike a less appealing target for vandalism or theft. I also park in places with high visibility and people around and or cameras etc.

What does everyone else do for security and vandalism deterrents?

There was a hack on VisforVoltage where you used a pay as you go cell-phone with GPS (and the ringer/vibrator disabled), and it was hidden in a compartment under the battery. If you noticed it missing, you call the hidden phone to get its GPS co-ordinates. I don't know how to do that.

Also there are motion-sensors that set off a loud screetching noise if the bike is moved (cutting the cable-lock, tossing into a truck). There are other motion-sensors that call your cell-phone with a text when the bike is moved...

I don't have any experience with these, but I remember there were discussions about them. I'd love to see some real examples posted using the latest stuff...

http://cgi.ebay.com/GPS-Tracker-Realtime-GPS-GSM-GPRS-GPS-TRACKING-SYSTEM-/230589898821?pt=GPS_Devices&hash=item35b03aa045

I have this one and you can program it on send you a message with gps coordinate if it is moving or on request. Later on you can use it to track your girlfriend, dog or employee. The mentioned 96hrs of battery life is BS it is more likely 24hrs (if good reception) or less but you can permanently charge it on your battery pack.
For cables, you may use flexible metal tube http://www.genuineart.ro/produseen.htm

Hmmm... for theft proofing, I got this lock brand new on ebay for $1.50:

http://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Mastiff-5020-Bicycle-Chain/dp/B000GOXBT2/ref=acc_glance_sg_ai_-2_t_4

It's pretty heavy but overall a pretty nice lock. I have not had a chance to try it "in the field" yet. Comes with 5 keys, one with an LED light

Be old and retired. Keep the bikes in the house! Never actually go anyplace except for exercise rides! Sorry but I couldn't resist although our trikes are so weird looking and so heavy if I stop at a local store to shop I just lock it and nobody goes near it! Small town stuff! In New York it would be gone in a heartbeat!
otherdoc

How is the software and support documentation that comes with the unit? I'd hate to get it and not be able to program/use it. It's not like I program GPS devices to send SMS messages often.

Katou

Not really any vandal-proofing, but just a not-truly-junk cable lock and making sure my bikes look like something you wouldn't want to ride, much less steal. Some of them look like you might not even want to stand too close to, in case parts fall off and hit you. :lol:

Homeliness is definitely a virtue when it comes to bike theft prevention.

How about a sign that says "Warning - Remote Control Bike - Steal me and become the star of the latest episode of "Bike Thief Pain". A movement alarm that plays different voice recordings, coupled with that sign, is sure to be a major deterrent. 8)

katou said:

How is the software and support documentation that comes with the unit? I'd hate to get it and not be able to program/use it. It's not like I program GPS devices to send SMS messages often.

Katou

Click to expand...

If the question is to me, you can program and reprogram it remotely by SMS. You will have booklet and CD (on the CD you will find more programming options/commands) it can also send direct google maps links (you only click it and have the point on the map, given you have internet). I actually have 2 units, upper one is from other pack, is just as reference how it looks in the front. There is also magnetic cover and waterproof bag.

That inexpensive gps unit sounds like a great option for security. The only problem I can see with the gps unit is what if someone is tampering with your bike, maybe trying to take the battery or something but the bike isn't moving so you don't get any indication. I guess you could integrate the gps with your battery somehow and solve that issue easy enough.

I went out and got one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Automotive-8017-Motorcycle-Paging/dp/B003QJF12O It's a 2 way paging alarm system. It's got a tilt sensor, shock sensor and current drain sensor. Sensitivity is adjustable. The alarm can be disabled and kept silent with only the paging function.

Another option that I think is pretty cool is this ulock alarm with a paging system if it's tampered with it pages you right away and has an alarm.
http://www.amazon.com/Bully-Locks-A...1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298807373&sr=1-2-fkmr0

I'm about to get a battery upgrade and I'm probably going to go with a 60v 15ah ping, or possibly two 36v 15ah pings. I'm thinking I don't want to be dragging those bulky, heavy batteries around with me anymore. I want to get a hardcase bike trunk to house the controller, batteries and alarm system. Any ideas on good locking trunk cases?

Do most of you take your batteries with you? So far my biggest issue with my ebike is probably having to carry the battery around with me. It makes using the bike a lot more awkward. I could go out and get lighter batteries but for the performance I want that would be expensive. A second option was to get a backpack with wheels on the bottom so I can put my batteries in there and wheel them around with me but that's also kind of awkward and dorky.

I have an idea, it's kind of stupid though... You could have a magnet with two conductors on it, connected to a wire/cable, connected to your bike. Whenever you parked your bike, you could stick it to something ferromagnetic and pull out the key... if someone tried to move your bike with the key out, the magnet would get yanked off of the nearby metal object, breaking the connection and set off a really loud alarm / spray of acid / explosive charge. It would only work if you parked near pipes or chain link fences or something. I guess it's a last-ditch thing only for if the other security devices you had were disabled.

Public Parking:
Overtly park it where it can be seen by dozens of people all the time, such as at the entrance to a building. I find this to be quite useful. Although on the flip-side you’ll have every Tom, Dick, & Harry playing with it in a non-malicious manner. It does however give pause to consider if this is how my throttle broke down: The spin return failed. Recently at an REI store I observed a kid walk past my bike, stop – then fiddle with the throttle – cranking on it hard (it was already goofed up by this time). Wouldn’t that been a great deterrent: Bike takes off with the kid caught in the wiring. Fortunately the On/Off switch is concealed deep within, which brings up a good point…

Hide the Bling:
With my latest configuration most of my wiring is now hidden; accessible – yes, but well covered up. Body moldings & bike bags work best to hide crucial wiring. Nylon or steel mesh might be the next step to protect motor & signal wiring from more than just the natural elements.
Lastly, anything that is RED, such as an APP connector is painted BLACK; they are keyed-pairs anyway. All red wiring is covered in black heat shrink. For some reason black nylon mesh works well to obscure wiring – possibly because our brains are used to seeing it in conjunction with auto & motorcycles.

In short: The best deterrent to vandalism is to reduce the magpie effect.
Publically stealthy, KF

Shotgun slug shell down the seat-tube with the primer pried out, and a model rocket igniter stuck in it's place hooked up to a switch that says, "main power ON" or something would likely be pretty effective.


*note, this is just a joke, I realize the strong chance of it killing a curious kid etc).

liveforphysics said:

Shotgun slug shell down the seat-tube with the primer pried out, and a model rocket igniter stuck in it's place hooked up to a switch that says, "main power ON" or something would likely be pretty effective.


*note, this is just a joke, I realize the strong chance of it killing a curious kid etc).

Click to expand...

Just take out the shot, replace with rock salt, or just pot ash or something really nasty smelling! Better yet, dye like they use for ATM cassettes so thieves can't use the money!

Then the cops won't have too much trouble finding the culprit!

I would make it sort of the "last resort" option, have a motorcycle alarm as the first line, and then if they still do something serious (maybe some how attach it to a cable lock, and unless they brake the cable by cutting the lock or something, some kind of current sensing switch that would go off after the cable had been cut, but gotta have a safe way for it not to go off on you when you just unlock it , that way you don't have just a curious kid pushing a button, but a criminal trying to steal your bike)

parabellum said:

http://cgi.ebay.com/GPS-Tracker-Realtime-GPS-GSM-GPRS-GPS-TRACKING-SYSTEM-/230589898821?pt=GPS_Devices&hash=item35b03aa045

I have this one and you can program it on send you a message with gps coordinate if it is moving or on request. Later on you can use it to track your girlfriend, dog or employee. The mentioned 96hrs of battery life is BS it is more likely 24hrs (if good reception) or less but you can permanently charge it on your battery pack.
For cables, you may use flexible metal tube http://www.genuineart.ro/produseen.htm

Click to expand...

If this thing had an actual motion/vibration sensor, and not just a movement sensor I'd be really excited about it. That's what I really want. None of this fancy GPS tracking, just something that will call my cellphone if my bike is getting jostled around, and then I can go check on it. I feel like my 2 dollar motion sensor bike alarm plus all the weird wiring is enough to make 95% of thieves leave it alone. Main problem is the motion sensor is too sensitive to have on if it's locked up to something that other bikes are locked up to.

Wasn't there an idea somewhere about shorting out the phase leads to lock up the hub motor?

I seem to remember something about that, but I don't recall seeing anyone actually doing it.

Seems like an awesome way to improve security. Anyone know how to do that?

Katou

Several ways. Simplest is a 3-pole double throw (and for extra feature, make it center-off) toggle switch, but it has to be big enough to handle the full DC current of the phases during regular motor operation, and that could be a big switch. Since you'd never be switching it while power was on, it can be smaller, but still not a tiny thing.

Wire one set of poles to the controller phases.
Wire up the center pins to the motor phases.
Wire up the other set of poles shorted across each other.

Toggle the switch to the controller and you have normal operation.
Toggle it to the shorted poles and now it's a heavy load on the motor with teh controller disconnected from it, making it really hard to rotate the motor at anything above hand-rotation speeds, so you couldn't ride it away.

The active antitheft in controllers is "better" in that it actively fights the motor rotation at any speed, but it uses a lot of power to do that. This method uses no power.


You could also do it with relays, so that when the bike is off, the relays are shorting the phases. But it's possible for vibration to close a relay contact sometimes, which could be bad. Or for you to be riding along and have the BMS cut out for whatever reason, or you otherwise lose power, relays close, motor actively stops rotation, and bad stuff happens (especially on a front wheel).

I just put a "Danger Explosives" label on my battery box. Now, every time I leave it, a s.w.a.t. team drops in from helicoptors just to guard it for me.

It's expensive, but another option for protecting the wires is to use two layers of cable sleeving..one stainless steel and one PTFE (teflon). It's gonna take a lot to get through both those layers.

Both on McMaster here (PTFE top left, SS one up from bottom right):
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/117/802/=b9gnz8

Expensive (up to almost $9/ft for 1.5" of both), but it you're only doing one or two wire bundles, you wouldn't need a lot of it.

How does the Teflon protect? I'm not following.

So, AW, it is that simple then? Short the phases for wheel lockup? Or at least major wheel pain-in-the-ass rotation?

Cool!!

I'm with you on the downside of the controller doing it. The idea of losing power and locking the hub..... (shiver)...

Katou

katou said:

How does the Teflon protect? I'm not following.

Click to expand...

Depending on what they're using to cut the cable, it could foul them up. Should hold well for a while against a cut-off disk, for example, due to its high temperature and abrasion resistance. Might make it harder for them to get through with one tool at least. Heheh...just had a thought...alternately, you could run a layer of teflon (or some other insulating material), a layer of the tinned copper, a layer of teflon, another layer of copper, and a final layer of teflon. Then, hook up the output leads from your battery pack to the copper layers with a high-current breaker or fuse. As soon as they make first contact between the two layers it would blow the fuse/breaker (so as to not harm the pack), so it'd be a one-time thing, but they don't know that..it should give them some incentive to not try again.

katou said:

So, AW, it is that simple then? Short the phases for wheel lockup? Or at least major wheel pain-in-the-ass rotation?

Click to expand...

Pretty much. I mean, how many reports have you read from people that either blew their controller with shorted FETs, or laid down the bike and shorted phase wires at the axle exit, and couldn't pedal hard enough to ride it.

Try just plugging any two phase wires together on a motor with andersons, and see how hard it is to turn. Now short all three and try that again. :lol:

I'm with you on the downside of the controller doing it. The idea of losing power and locking the hub..... (shiver)...

Click to expand...

Well, losing power wouldn't lock the hub if the controller provides the anti-theft lock. Only if you have a relay setup that is held "open" or in "controller" position by pack power, such that when you take the pack off or disconnect it or turn off the bike, it automatically locks the wheel. THEN it would be bad if you hit LVC on a ride.