When it comes to quick and easy security, a brake lever lock is somewhere near the top of the list.
While the security it offers isn’t great, they are a good visual deterrent and a decent addition to anyone’s security arsenal in low-risk environments.
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What is a brake lever lock?
A brake lever lock is a device that’s designed to locate around your handlebar grip and brake lever, pulling the brake lever on and keeping it in place, so that your motorcycle or scooter cannot easily be pushed away.
They are small enough to carry in a rucksack and they provide a quick and easy way of adding a layer of security to your motorcycle.
Due to the fact they are relatively easy to bypass, a brake lever lock is not a great option if you are leaving your bike for an extended period of time. However, if you are at a coffee stop or a service station, they’re a good visual deterrent which will put off opportunist thieves.
Brake Lever Locks: Positives
- Low price point makes them accessible
- Small enough to be carried at all times
- A good visual deterrent
- Quick and easy to use
- Alarmed versions provide another good layer of security
Brake Lever Locks: Negatives
- Relatively easy for thieves to disable, either by cutting your brake lever or by attacking the lock itself
- Hard to fit on bikes with hand guards or bark busters
Are they easily bypassed?
Check out the video below to show a Grip Lock being attacked with a hammer and screwdriver.
While the lock itself stands up to a good deal of abuse, you could argue that the thief would be better off smashing your brake lever and then sliding the lock along the throttle grip.
They’re definitely not the hardest bit of security to crack but they’re another layer, which means more tools and more time required to steal your bike.
Alarmed handlebar locks: the best option?
As discussed above; the level of security that even the best-quality motorcycle brake lever lock offers is not on par with a disc lock but they’re a good layer of security.
However there are some alarmed brake lever locks on the market which I think are well worth your attention.
A typical motorcycle alarm is costly and can go wrong (due to the fact it has to be spliced into your bike’s wiring loom which can cause all sorts of problems from short circuits to water ingress). However, an alarmed front brake lever lock will chirp into action the moment your bike is being messed with. They’re seriously noisy and they take some effort to smash off your handlebars.
Most thieves won’t want to be easily seen and they definitely won’t want a 100-decibel alarm blazing away.
If you park your bike outside of your house or within view of where you work, this alarm could act as a useful first-stage alert that something’s not quite right.
If you couple this with a decent motorcycle security chain or alarmed disc lock and a bike cover, then these scumbags will have a lot on their plate. And seeing as most of them don’t want to take any risks, they’ll eff off sharpish.
Combination brake lever lock
It struck me that for an item like a brake lever lock, you’re knowingly sacrificing top-level security for convenience and that’s fine because it’s the layers of security and not just the level of security that’s important.
One type of lock that’s convenient is a combination lock, due to the fact you don’t have to remember your keys (which might be on the fob of one of your bikes or in a rucksack, a different jacket pocket, etc).
I have a few combination locks and find them very handy.
I couldn’t find many brake lever locks with a combination lock built in but I did find this. It’s a Mitsuba Vice Guard. It appears to be a Japanese company. I couldn’t find any UK retailers but if you want one badly enough I’m sure you’ll be able to find one on Amazon or eBay.
Good brands to check out
One of the original brands was Grip Lock and they’re still going strong.
Another good brand is Kovix. They make a huge range of motorcycle security products and they sell an alarmed lever lock, which gets good reviews.
Another manufacturer that sells decent quality brake lever locks is Oxford, which sells a non-alarmed version and a slightly more expensive one with a built-in alarm.
Motorcycle Brake Lever Lock FAQ
Are lever locks good?
They’re a good layer of security in low-risk areas but I don’t recommend them as your primary means of physical theft prevention.
What is the best lock for motorcycle?
This depends on where you park your bike, the area risk, whether it needs to be portable, and so on. Check out our motorcycle security guide for a better idea of which lock is best for you.
Sources
Thanks to the following websites that helped us put together this motorcycle brake lever lock guide