Discover MCN's comprehensive guide to motorcycle lever locks | A lightweight and practical deterrent

Unfortunately, when it comes to motorbike security there is no one-size-fits-all product that will keep your bike safe from thieves. Instead, I would recommend layering several different types of product to make a criminal’s life so difficult they just move onto someone else’s bike.

Lever locks can be used in two ways to secure your bike. They are easy to carry, quick to install, lightweight and visible – making them ideal for when you’ve nipped into the shop for five minutes on your way home.

Alternatively, I see a lever lock as yet another layer to add at home when you park up at night on the street or in your garage. Yes, they don’t take a proper bike thief long to defeat, but it could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back when combined with a lock and chain (or two), ground anchor, disc lock etc.

Jump to

• Benefits of lever locks 
• Why you should consider additional security measures
• The best motorcycle lever locks
• How MCN tests security products
• Frequently asked questions and tips

Benefits of lever locks

As mentioned above, lever locks aren’t the be all and end all of motorbike security, but there are a few reasons I would recommend using one.

They work by holding the front brake of your bike on, making it more difficult and awkward to move. Unlike a disc lock, which still allows most of a revolution of the front wheel before the lock hits one side of the brake caliper, there is no free play when a lever lock is fitted.

• Related: How motorbike security can affect your insurance

You also don’t need to touch any of your bike’s dirty components like the front disc to lock a lever lock in place, which is handy if you ride to an office job, for example, and there’s no risk of riding off without removing it or need to fit a reminder cable.

Lever locks are generally very light and often on the smaller side, so they are very easy to carry around with you. I’m a firm believer that the best motorbike security products are the ones you actually use and so portability and ease of use are crucial.

Finally, I’d recommend opting for a lever lock with an alarm included. No bike thief wants to draw attention to themselves and a 120dB siren is the last thing they want blaring in their ear as they work.

Why you should consider additional security measures

Having run through all the benefits, I should also mention that lever locks also have shortcomings. Because they rely on the brake pressure of you motorbike to work, simply loosening the bleed nipple on the caliper will defeat them.

If a bike thief is planning to load your bike into a van around the corner, they will not care about whether or not the front brake works. They may even just cut the front brake line to achieve the effect more quickly.

Also, as with disc locks, a couple of strong people can still lift your bike into a van and drive away whether or not a lever lock is fitted, so it’s still advisable to use a lock and chain looped through or around a fixed object or ground anchor.

Thieves will often stash a bike close to where they took it and keep an eye to see if it has a motorcycle tracker fitted, so if you do fit one then you may be able to tell the police where it is or (if they’re not interested) recover it yourself.

The best motorcycle lever locks

I would recommend looking for a lever lock with a metal body and an alarm and the Kovix KOL Brake Lever Lock looks like it fits the bill.

If the price tag of the KOL is little more than you were hoping for, then Oxford do a cheaper option called the Oxford LeverLock alarm.

How MCN tests lever locks

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction (on purpose); we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one.

So rather than dishing out angle grinders to our security product testers, we simply ask that they use the product for a few months to see if it has any snagging points. This also gives us an opportunity to feel the weight and get a sense of the quality.

If you can’t see a review against a lever lock on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve got hold of one to test.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

Frequently asked questions and tips

Are lever locks good?

Motorcycle lever locks offer a great additional layer of security when you’re leaving your bike for an extended period or a handy and practical deterrent when you’re nipping away. There are far more secure options out there for home use and we would recommend using a combination of security for the best results.

Are lever locks safe?

We’ve never heard of a lever lock doing any harm to a motorcycle or its braking system.

What is the best theft protection for motorcycles?

Combined layers of security are the best option when it comes to keeping your motorbike safe. Consider a good quality lock and chain with the highest Sold Secure rating you can afford. Put this through your bike’s frame if possible, rather than through a wheel and feed it through a ground anchor or some other immovable object. If you have more than one bike, you can chain them together.

As well as this, consider disc locks, a cover, security cameras and a motorcycle tracker should all the other measures fail. If you have the ability to lock you bike away inside, take it.

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