When I still owed money on my bike I didn't always lock it, Now that it is paid off, I lock it every where.

 

PKS hit it on the head. With the exceptions of clubs and group rides when you part ur bike at a event or whatever. Their is one (you) maybe two who know your bike. So, if someone is dressed to fit in, and acts confident; nobody else is going to question what there doing. An for the ones smart enough to events and watch bikes come in the odds go way, way down of getting caught.

 

I always lock my forks and, after having my bike switched on and left in ACC when parked out of site recently, I now lock ignition too. Annoying as hell coming back to a flat battery.
I can't lock Heritage bags but so far nothing gone from them.
And for sure I lock my bike at the HD stores. Probably the easiest place in the world to steal a bike. Who is going to guess that a guy starting a bike in a Harley parking lot is not leaving on his own bike?
I also lock forks and ignition in my own garage. Anything that deters or slows down a thief is worthwhile.

 

I generally don't lock anything during the day when I am riding out in the countryside and stopping in small towns. The exception is when I am stopping at a hotel for the night. Then everything gets locked.

When I am parking in a big city--NYC, Boston, DC, I lock the saddle bags, ignition and the forks.

 

Here's a bike theft vid with a happy ending.

 

For those who went to BBB this year. On the last night somebody stole an entire bike off a corner by Dickerson St. and the whole corner was filled with bikes, and hundreds of people milling around!

 

Lock everything! If I can't lock it, I am trying to figure out how to add one or make it very hard to remove... I grew up in a less than stellar neighborhood, the education and life skills learned have been beneficial...

 

I see they don't do paperwork there either...

 

Yep, lock it down when I can't see it unless it's a quick in and out. For the record, nobody has ever stole my booker rag I keep in my center windshield pouch or my GoPro remote underneath it.

I do fear someone stealing my helmet when I leave it on the seat.

 

I went and spent about $500 to have the FLHRC Saddlebag Lock Set Kit (P/N 46316-04) installed at the dealer (four hours labor was what killed me--although the kit was expensive to start with). It's the only thing I regret buying for the bike so far. I'm not even sure it's in the parts catalog anymore.

I didn't like the idea of having to leave the bike somewhere with something pricey that I'd otherwise have to carry around (like leathers) in the bags. If I had to do it over, I'd have skipped the saddlebag locks. They are fairly flimsy (the actual latch is plastic). There's a metal rail that gets installed on the inside of the bag which can bend in or out with enough pressure, and pushing in on the top center of the side of the bag (where the metal bar and latch is) pops the latch right open. I actually have to pull/bend outward on that part of the bag just to keep them latched sometimes, even when they are unlocked. They also take up a lot of space in the bag (mainly the metal "hood" that the plastic latch engages). The only time I use them is if I'll be away from the bike for a while. But they're only going to slightly slow somebody down, so most of the time I don't bother locking them.

It's the bags themselves that are fairly expensive. About $900 last I checked. Yeah, my insurance covers up to $3,000 worth of accessories if they are stolen, but having a bagger without any bags for even a short period of time would drive me nuts.

So I did install the Brukus SaddlebagSecure screws on the bags, so at least the bags themselves can't be too easily removed. I also got the SeatSecure screw for my Sundowner seat. One standard Phillips head screw between a thief and a $330 seat? C'mon.

I lock the ignition and forks, even in the garage, even though it has the security system (no siren or pager, though--maybe someday). Why make it easier to move/steal?

I also bought the locking gas cap (P/N 62803-97A). Way too easy to siphon gas (or for someone to throw some sugar in the tank if I upset them for some reason). Lock kits for the detachable backrest and luggage rack are a necessity, IMO.

I paid a lot of money for accessories just to make my bike rideable/usable. Why leave them so that anybody can just walk up to it and pull stuff off of it? That's probably why all the stock stuff isn't lockable. More money for the MoCo when you buy the lock kits (which, like the touring suspension air pump, should be included with the bike in the first place).

Next up for me is the Brukus ShieldShackle for the QD windshield. I hardly ever take the windshield off, but it pops off so quick and easy I'd be surprised if it's not one of the most commonly stolen accessories.

Other posters are correct that if someone wants something bad enough, they're going to take it regardless of little locks or security screws. Personally, I'm not going to make it easy for them. The extra minutes it would take just might get them caught, or maybe they might give up and move on to easier targets.