And did you know that England and Wales currently suffer from more motorcycle theft than any other European Country? In fact, London has a higher percentage of bike theft than any other European City.

   So what can you do to keep your bike safe short of curling up next to it in a sleeping bag at night? It seems that the three main methods are:

• MARK
• LOCK
• ALARM

MARK YOUR BIKE

   Bikes that have been marked are more likely to be recovered and the bastard that nicked it is more likely to be successfully prosecuted. This is because marking makes it easier for PC Plod to identify the bike - or more likely the bits that it has been broken in to - as stolen. Of the stolen bikes that are recovered, 6 out of 10 are marked. Professional marking can be provided by either Datatag (01932 358000) or Alphadot (0845 7573329). Both of these systems are recognised by the major motorcycle insurance companies. But any form of marking is better than none. Get yourself an ultra violet pen and mark the body panels, seats and engine components with your postcode.

LOCK IT UP

   It may be obvious but ignition and steering locks fitted by the manufacturer are useless and can be overcome in seconds. A good lock and chain is essential. When you are out on the bike you can anchor your machine to something solid such as another vehicle, a lamp post or a fence. It may not prevent a theft but it makes it more difficult and buys you some times. Besides - bike thieves are lazy bastards and if you make yours too difficult to pinch they will move on to more easy meat. At home, use your lock and chain with a ground anchor. These can be either concreted or held in with security bolts. Lucan says that you can also buy special kits from a builder's merchant to secure them permanently. These are two glass tubes with chemicals that bond together when broken in the holes dug for your ground anchor.

   A good quality disc locks is an essential extra to any lock and chain. Used on their own they are useless because the professional thief will either break the lock off at the scene or load your bike into a van and deal with the disc lock at his leisure.

FIT AN ALARM

   The choice is a DIY fit at a low cost or a professional installation at fairly high prices. But you get what you pay for and professionally installed units can now get you a reduction on your insurance premiums. If in any doubt about what to buy look for a "Sold Secure" recommendation.

   If you have any tips on bike security share them with the Wrecking Crew click here to send your story ( ). The prize for the best entry is that you get to keep your bike and you won't se sitting it out this summer while the rest of us are out riding the roads of UK & Europe.

   A great website for bike security stuff is : http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/lists/Security.html