French magazine Moto et Motards puts disc-locks to the test... XENA emerges the clear winner.

by David Robert

Another Monday morning and outside your apartment, your new motorbike awaits. You have sacrificed a lot to afford this marvelous machine! Expecting to see it on the street corner, you feel a small hint of apprehension followed by a full on rush of panic... the bike is gone!

Waking from this nightmare in full sweat, you rush to the window. Phew! Only dreaming again. Unfortunately, for many motorbike riders this is hard reality. But even a small effort on your part can help avoid theft or at least discourage it. Here we test the most obvious: locks that mix common sense with high-tech.

XENA XN15
Resistance Time: 2 minutes 23 seconds
Satisfaction: *** (3 stars)
The best surprise of this test. Compact, easy to transport in its carry case and especially difficult for thieves. One special attribute of this disc-lock is its ability to trigger its siren as soon as the wheel is moved (unforgettable!). XENA's unusual & original shape gave our test thief a lot of trouble over and above the huge headache brought on by the piercingly dissuasive siren! Waterproof, it comes with batteries (6x LR44 on this and most other models) and a 6-month battery life.

Abus Quick 37/60HB70
Resistance Time: 55 seconds
Satisfaction: ** (2 stars)
A clever disc-lock, bright fluorescent in colour to attract your eye to limit the risk of forgetting it.

France Antivol: Maxi Block
Resistance Time: 57 seconds
Satisfaction: ** (2 stars)
Impressive looking, the Maxi Block did resist the attack of our test thief, but did not fare much better than the Abus before it.

Test Conditions
Warning! This test was carried out in our secret lab and without any pity for the locks. You may be shocked by the resistance time, but you have to keep in mind that we simulate extreme cases, in the worst conditions. To focus your attention on the importance to use your lock properly, we have also chosen to attach them incorrectly way with the assistance of very well-equipped & experienced experts. We obviously have also not taken into account the "sound nuisance" factor of certain operations, which would have certainly attracted attention in a street situation.

On Disc Locks...
Disc-locks have many advantages. Their small size makes them easy to transport and, while they will not prevent three strong guys from stealing your motorbike by heaving it into a waiting lorry (what would?), it will slow down less-equipped and experimental thieves. The proof is in the test: they made us suffer! On the other hand, do not forget to take it off, otherwise... disaster!

www.xenasecurity.com