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Project bike for New York City

By jchurch,
in WR400F/426F/450F

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Apprentice

jchurch

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So my new project is a bike for New York City. This means it can come off a light like a banshee, have long suspension, great visibility, obvious turn signals,runs great but looks like a dog's breakfast. ie nobody is going to steal it.

Starting with an 03 WR450,super motard wheels, painting the bike flat black, making it road legal,pipe is covered in heat wrap, lots of flat black parts, some electrical tape, some gaffer's tape,maybe some safety walk, huge chain for tying it up, etc, etc.

Any suggestions as to making it look like it's not worth stealing would be appreciated.

(One problem is the 320 wave rotor in the front). Looks good enough to steal

Will post pix in a few days.

Best

Jack

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Mentor

tweav

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sorry to tell you this but people will steal anything . It does not matter what it looks like . I would not leave a beat to death huffy bike sitting in NY city If I wanted to keep it. I think flat primered supermoto wr450 would real high on some theif's shopping list . I know I like the sounds of it. heck I will not leave my wr450 sit in front of my house here in downtown York Springs Pa . and this town only has like 600 people in it. I just don't think there is anyway to make it look so bad no one will steal it .

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Experienced

Vegemite_luva

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So my new project is a bike for New York City. This means it can come off a light like a banshee, have long suspension, great visibility, obvious turn signals,runs great but looks like a dog's breakfast. ie nobody is going to steal it.

Starting with an 03 WR450,super motard wheels, painting the bike flat black, making it road legal,pipe is covered in heat wrap, lots of flat black parts, some electrical tape, some gaffer's tape,maybe some safety walk, huge chain for tying it up, etc, etc.

Any suggestions as to making it look like it's not worth stealing would be appreciated.

(One problem is the 320 wave rotor in the front). Looks good enough to steal

Will post pix in a few days.

Best

Jack

How about putting a "Cannondale" decal on the tank:smirk: . But seriously, your best bet is to never leave the bike parked in the same spot day after day, change it up a bit. Plus chain the bike to something immovable. Without doing this then a thief can simply slip a rolling dolly under the bike and wheel it into a moving van.

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Grand Master

matt4x4

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replace all split pins with those little luggage locks.

replace all bolts with those triangular head units that you can't get screwdrivers for (like you find in McDonalds toys)

Depending on where you park it, just keep the appropriate gangsta stickers handy to slap on the tank as you go...better than any anti theft device.

Put a BIG "made in China" sticker on it - wait - scratch that - they wouldn't be able to read it anyways...

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Rising Star

dirtysouth

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I was thinkin chinese stickers, a 125 logo, razor to the seat, and an oil drip reservoir (maybe in the airbox) that drips a little at a time when you park. Then Charles DeMar hit the Jackpot...a Po-Po Moto. Do what you are doing then get red and blue lenses for the blinkers and an led flasher for the headlight. Put DEA or NYPD stickers in a couple of solid locations along with vehicle numbers using the NYPD car number font and you should be good. Don't forget the radio antennas.

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Apprentice

jchurch

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Wow....what a lot of ideas. The bike is for my son (he just got 2stroke.net as a site). First, he is living in the West Village so pink and purple would attract more folks then it would repel.

Love the idea of the oil slick...I think you can buy them in plastic. How about plastic barf on the seat? or a plastic turd.

The problem is still the front 320 wave rotor. Looks pretty cool...like jewelry.

Garaging a bike in NY is about $250 a month.

From a safety pov, I think a loud horn is a must.Big blinkers. 50 cal on the front.

How about a sign on the back. "I May be Slow, but I'm Ahead of You"

Or "Harley Davidson, Stupid Ain't Cheap"

Love all the suggestions.

Bring it on

Best

Jack

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Grand Master

bg10459

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First, he is living in the West Village so pink and purple would attract more folks then it would repel.
haha. I was thinking that, but I didn't know where in the city. West Village? Absolutely.

Anyway, here's something to consider. The WR is next to impossible to make street legal in New York. Ironically enough, though, I converted mine in Maine and currently regi there.

Also, my WR is pretty beat up; tank graphics worn away, fenders and side plates are heavily scratched and creased, frame paint is worn and the swingarm has taken some nice hits. Cover it all in mud and it still looks good enough to steal.

I think you'd have to do something about the shine on the engine. Maybe flat black with a light haze of rust and grease. I'd also try to paint a rusting look on the frame, pegs and bars and anything else that might be steel. Then maybe loose the headlight for something without a number plate and spill some latex paint on the bike.

I'll gladly trade you my trashed plastics for your reasonably good plastics if you want. :prof:

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Apprentice

jchurch

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We used to use a mud splatter gun on trucks around the wheel wells for Toyota commercials . Fill them with dirt and water and spray with a compressor.

Maybe mix with glue so it would be permanent.

Maybe just a sticker that says "Property of Waste Management Corp"

or "Beware of Spider".

Double sided sticky tape on the throttle.

Chain it too the bumper of a Saturn or an early 90's Ford Taurus.

Paint it in NJ Mets colors. Red Sox colors would stop it being stolen, but not destroyed.

Fast running out of ideas.

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