I’ve been using the LiteLok X3 Moto for the past year and now I don’t want to test other security

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The LiteLok X3 Moto is a D-shackle type portable security device that is designed to repel angle grinder attack. It’s got the highest Sold Secure rating of Diamond for powered cycles (which is their new motorbike category), something only five other D-locks can boast – including another version of the LiteLok. So how does is perform as motorcycle security?

It may look simple, much like any number of other products on the market, but it’s got a secret weapon that sets it apart: a compound called Barronium. This fused ceramic composite of LiteLok’s own invention is made to repel angle grinder attacks and there is plenty of evidence from independent testers online that it works.

Is the LiteLok X3 Moto easy to use?

In practical terms, the X3 is incredibly easy to use and has a lot of classy design touches that help to justify the price. The rubberised finish on the metalwork to protect your wheels and fairings from scratches, the self-sealing silicone keyhole cover and even the neoprene carrying pouch to keep the other contents of your motorcycle backpack clean are all beautifully thought through.

The X3’s large internal measurements (100mm x 190mm) also mean that it can fit to lots of bikes and in several configurations; either through spokes and brake discs, around fork legs or – as a last resort – around a wheel rim and tyre (this option leaves the most free movement but will stop your wheel turning eventually).

On my Triumph Scrambler 400 X long-term test bike, the lock can go around a spoke and one fork leg easily due to the small single brake disc. It’s worth having a think about how it would work on your bike before you take the plunge, of course.

Is the LiteLok X3 Moto secure?

Pushing a D-lock through your wheel like this can’t be beaten by cutting a weaker point in the security (like chopping the disc to remove a disc lock or cutting a bike chain instead of a ground anchor) and will stop your bike being freewheeled away. You are still susceptible to a couple of big blokes lifting the whole lot into a van, though, unless you add a chain to the equation.

If an impossibly determined thief managed to cut through it with an angle grinder (which would take several cutting discs and probably more than one battery) they would discover that the anti-twist design of the shackle means they need to cut through it again to get anywhere and I’d bet my house (or my bike at least) that they’d give up at that point.

Is the LiteLok X3 Moto portable?

At 2.1kg, the X3 is sort of on the cusp of what I would consider portable, but it definitely is. If you’re used to carrying a chain then you won’t blink at the weight and if you have a set of panniers or top box rather than a backpack then even better. I typically carry an alarmed disc lock in the external pocket of a rucksack and the LiteLok is less convenient than that set up, but not by much.

Is the LiteLok X3 Moto good value?

It’s only fair to compare the X3 Moto to other D-locks that have managed to meet the Sold Secure Diamond rating for motorbikes and like I said before, there aren’t many. Of the six, the LiteLok is the third cheapest behind the Squire Stronghold and LiteLok’s own X1 Moto.

£250 seems like a lot of money, you’ve probably found this review by Googling motorbike security and found disc locks on Amazon for a tenth of the price. While those products have a place in the market, it’s not the same place as the X3.

Keeping a motorbike safe is about making it harder to steal than the one parked next to it – harsh but true. A disc lock that can be dispatched with a swift hammer blow is better than nothing, but if you can afford better, then buy better.

It’s also designed and built in the UK, in a solar-powered factory and comes with an impressive 7-year warranty – not to mention all the quality details I mentioned earlier. I personally think it’s very good value indeed.

The verdict

I haven’t personally attacked the LiteLok with an angle grinder, but plenty of independent sources I trust have done so and reported that it is incredibly tough to cut through. I’d be happy to spend my own money on one and it’s become my security of choice whether I’m out and about or at home.

Be careful what you believe online

It’s fair to say that if you stick the word ‘LiteLok’ into your search engine of choice, you’ll get a mixed bag of results. The British firm set about tackling motorcycle theft with the very best of intentions and fell foul of certain corners of the internet who either didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand the point.

There are still far too many bikes left parked up with no security whatsoever beyond the steering lock. If you go looking, you can find lots of videos of bike thefts on the internet that required the thieves to do nothing more than force the steering lock and then push it away.

LiteLok set out to build security kit that was lightweight and convenient enough that you’d always take it with you – because the most secure kit is the stuff you actually use. A heavy duty lock and chain in your garage does you no good at all when you’re parked in a city centre (an angle grinder will also go through said chain like butter, try it).

And whatever you read on the internet or watch on YouTube, the idea that any of the little bastards out there nicking bikes would have the first idea how to pick a lock is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!