Addressing security
Jake, In my opinion there's just no beating physical security over gimmicky motion alarms or electrical cutoffs. The standard (but the better $25 type) of coated bike cables with tubular locks or vinyl jacketed padlocks to me is still the best prevention especially if you enhance it with the following :
1. For overnight parking at your home if you can't bring your bike inside, be certain your cable is secured to something totally immobile ... I've seen bike's corded to patio umbrellas that REMOVE, to cement blocks, as if the owner has never considered the thief will arrive in a truck and not just try to ride it away.
2. Threadlock comes in colors to denote its strength ... RED needs 500 degrees to remove bolts ... not only assures the end of engine mount loosening problems, but is a fix that isn't apparant until a thief trys to unbolt your engine and even then most will not think the problem is threadlock or how to overcome it.
3. My favorite on a HOME cable (I don't use it on my traveling cable lock) is jingle bells .. regular christmas type bells that can be found at any craft shop or around the christmas season full strings of them attached to strapping ,ribbon, or cord is easy to find. Nylon tie your home night cable with at least 10 of these, and park your bike within earshot inside.
you can't even begin to think about cutting a bike cable with jingle bells attached,they make a **** of a racket and I've used this trick on my touring cycle for years.
Thiefs would more likely try cutting the cable padlock rather than the cable itself which 'gives' and moves too much especially with the thick cable protection of the outer vinyl jackt, so be certain the padlock is under the frame bar, chainguard, or anywhere they would need to move it to cut it, thus activating the jingle bells.
Kryptonite locks seem more appealing but are too short to secure to anything when your traveling, but if used as the cable coupler is well over the cutting resistance of any regular padlock
Lastly, your best defense against AWAY or traveling lockups is to trust nothing including all the tips above so much that you stay away too long. locking up your bike to go into a theatre especially when others see you do that is just asking for trouble as your almost announcing you'll be away for at least an hour and a half. Going into a mall for 2 hours of shopping is bad because if they want the engine bad enough ,some would literally hacksaw thru the bike frame which takes only seconds to do.
