Do you remove the battery when you lock your bike?

[straggleyway]

Dear all,

I've owned a RadRhino for about 1 year. One key issue is carrying the battery around - its heavy. I am wondering how people approach this. Have you bought a seperate lock for the battery or do you trust the Rad Power lock?

Thanks

[tacomanatx]

If Im out and about with it I'll lock the bike but never thought to take the battery off.   Dont you need the key anyway in the right position to get it off?

[Tree]

If Im out and about with it I'll lock the bike but never thought to take the battery off.   Dont you need the key anyway in the right position to get it off?

i can't speak for EVERY Rad Bike, but I'm pretty sure most of them have a universal key - meaning anyone can buy that blank and take your battery off.

[JedidiahStolzfus]

If Im out and about with it I'll lock the bike but never thought to take the battery off.   Dont you need the key anyway in the right position to get it off?

i can't speak for EVERY Rad Bike, but I'm pretty sure most of them have a universal key - meaning anyone can buy that blank and take your battery off.

Just to clarify that.  You don't need to buy a blank and have it cut.  The blank will open the lock.  That's been known for 2 years, and they've done nothing about it.  That makes them slightly worse than the entire Masterlock Company, because at least you can't do the same thing with any Masterlock lock.

Since I live in such an area where crime is low and professional bike thieves are non-existent I don't take my battery with me, but I do turn it off and leave it locked.

I also have an alarm on my bike that's built into the horn, and the only place I leave it locked right now is the grocery store and the cart wranglers keep an eye on it for me.

[Fionn]

Nope!
Too heavy and bulky, I'd need a second bag to carry it if i was getting groceries, was thinking of getting cable ties, maybe metal ones, wouldn't be much of a solution really. Poor design a lock that anyone can open and a lock that won't disable the battery. I have a friend who's a locksmith, might ask him if theres any solutions that he can dream up.

[JimInPT]

This is what I did for my MiniST2 last year, but this solution only works on this frame; needs to be customized for different bike models and may not be possible on some.  I only carry a blank key now - it's also handy to have to warn other Rad owners with this style battery and show them if they don't believe me.

If your Rhino uses the same "shark style" battery like most of the previous generations, it's at least 95% likely your battery can be easily stolen with a blank key.  In my experience, it's 100% on other bikes I've tried, but I've heard people say the blank didn't unlock their particular battery.  I would imagine in big cities that don't care about crime that the pros have known this for some time and go out to harvest as many $600 batteries as they can carry.

[crorris]

@JimInPT Thanks for posting this photo. I hadn't thought of putting a piece of hose on my Kryptonite U lock to keep it from scratching the bike. Great idea!

[JimInPT]

I have a friend who's a locksmith, might ask him if theres any solutions that he can dream up.

That's a good idea; I thought about the same thing because there must be several alternative lock cylinders that would fit and work, but I don't have the connections to do the research and I managed to get happy with my own solution above for about 20 bucks or so.

[JimInPT]

@JimInPT Thanks for posting this photo. I hadn't thought of putting a piece of hose on my Kryptonite U lock to keep it from scratching the bike. Great idea!

You're welcome.  It's not just to prevent rattling and scuffing, it makes the diameter bigger and really locks the assembly in place rigidly (again, depends on bike frame and lock used).  This is the lock I bought for it; it's very hard to find a U-lock this small and short:  https://amzn.to/3c3m0Jz  It seems to be out of stock, but there are similar models shown on that page as alternatives.

I bought a length of hose at the hardware store, but it's reinforced-nylon to handle high-temp liquids and very stiff.  So I boiled it for about 10 minutes, then using insulated waterproof gloves slipped it up and onto the U-shackle in one hard push.  Once it started cooling, in 30 seconds it wouldn't budge even a little, so if you use that method, you have to commit and go!  Also, measure carefully and cut to length before installing - it would be a bear to do in place without nicking up the U-shackle finish. 

Afterwards I set it out in the sun with the open ends down to drain and warm up, then reversed it after a couple hours to finish evaporating the little bit left in the tube.  Worked out just fine.

[Eric7]

I think it is like owning a soft top convertible car or a motorcycle with soft saddle bags. By the way I've never owned a convertible in my life - just using it as a hypothetical.

You can't lock the car/motorcycle because someone who is motivated will just slice the top with a knife and open the car or saddlebag.

I think the idea there is never go somewhere where it is unsafe.  So no, I don't take my battery or helmet with me.  The helmet is locked on the cable.

[Rover]

i can't speak for EVERY Rad Bike, but I'm pretty sure most of them have a universal key - meaning anyone can buy that blank and take your battery off.
[/quote]

"Just to clarify that.  You don't need to buy a blank and have it cut.  The blank will open the lock.  That's been known for 2 years, and they've done nothing about it.  That makes them slightly worse than the entire Masterlock Company, because at least you can't do the same thing with any Masterlock lock." [quote}

I have a City 5 plus and a Rover 6 Plus. Both have the identical semi-integrated batteries and locking system. You cannot unlock them except with their own keys. I've tried it based on this thread. These are new generation RAD bikes. If it was true that even a blank would unlock most batteries in the past that theory is no longer true, at least with two current models.

[Altema]

I leave the battery on the bike, but I rarely lock the bike someplace where I cannot see it or hear the motion alarm for more than a few minutes. Only one store in our area has a secure bike rack, and I've locked the bike there twice for about ten minutes.

[Runningliner13]

We live in great country, but more locks and worries every Year....

[lukemike]

No, I don't need to do this as my battery is inside the bike and it is fully secured.

[jbfoster]

Not really any bike racks where I live. Well not at any of the stores I go to. So far I have never locked my bike up any where but if I did I would take the battery with me.

Jim