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How to Choose Best ATV UTV Anti-Theft Devices
9 September 2022
You’ve invested a lot in your ATV or UTV, with the cost of the vehicle itself, gear, gas, and aftermarket upgrades. What’s a little more money to keep your ride from being stolen? It’s a very real concern because four wheelers are targeted for theft. This post will help you select the best UTV and ATV anti theft devices.
Image from www.atvillustrated.com
ATV Theft Lock
A lock is a quad anti theft device that makes it much harder for someone to steal your vehicle because they have to remove the lock before they can drive or pull it. There are many different kinds of locks for UTVs and ATVs. If you are concerned about accumulating a lot of keys and having to keep up with which keys go to what, you can mark the keys and locks to make it easier.
Cable and Lock
You hook these locks through your vehicle’s frame and onto something sturdy like a tree. A thief won’t want to cut through the vehicle’s frame because it’s hard and they’ll have a hard time to replacing it without alerting someone to a potential theft because the frame has the VIN number written on it.
Before choosing this ATV anti theft lock, consider if you will usually be riding in a place where you will have something like a tree to lock your ATV to. When you ride somewhere flatter, you’ll need a backup anti-theft plan.
Disc Locks
Disc locks attach through disc brake holes so that no one can roll or ride your vehicle away without damaging the brakes. No one wants to do that, so they’ll move on to another target.
You have to have disc brakes to use these UTV anti theft locks. You also want to be sure you won’t forget they’re there and accidentally ruin your disc brakes yourself. Most disc locks come with a strap that you attach to your handlebars so you won’t forget, but you have to remember to attach the strap for it to work.
Handlebar Brake Locks (for ATVs only)
These ATV anti theft devices fit over your handlebar and front brake level so no one can use the throttle without removing it. If you choose this type of lock, make sure you are buying one that will fit your handlebars and that it fits snuggly enough that a thief can’t wiggle the lock loose.
Wheel Locks
These locks attach to the wheels to keep them from moving, and they come in recognizable yellow and orange designs to alert thieves that you’re protecting your vehicle before they even attempt to steal it. Wheel locks are the best ATV and UTV anti theft devices when your ATV is stored on a trailer.
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Alarms
Alarms don’t do anything physically to prevent theft; they alert you and others that someone is trying to steal your UTV or ATV. The sound should also scare the thief away. You arm it, then all it takes is a little movement to set them off. You disarm it before you want to ride it. While many of the best UTV anti theft devices benefit from being seen, alarms are not one of them. If the thief sees it, they might be able to remove or damage it, so you’ll want to hide it.
ATV Anti Theft GPS
GPS trackers help you and the police find your ATV or UTV if it has been stolen. Because there is no way to 100% guarantee that someone determined enough won’t be able to steal your ATV, it’s a good idea to install one of these in conjunction with other UTV or ATV anti theft devices. Should someone steal your vehicle, the tracker will send alerts to your phone or email about exactly where it’s moving. You’ll need to make sure it’s hidden.
Some models have a separate alert if the tracker is removed and will tell you if it has a low battery.
GPS trackers only work with a paid subscription, but those subscriptions may be as low as $6-9 a month.
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