[singhg5]

The steering lock mechanism is working but the handlbar can freely turn the front wheel - essentially the lock is ineffective.

The reason is that the lock bolt (which moves up and down when key is turned) barely reaches the strike plate. The tip of bolt barely touches the edge of hole. I think the hole in plate has chipped away.

Any ideas on how to fix this problem ? Some way to either elongate the bolt or make the plate thicker ? Or should I just buy a chain and lock the front wheel with frame, when bike is parked.

[mattsz]

I remember a video awhile back - security camera footage of thieves stealing an Enfield.  They simply turned the handlebars with a good tug and broke the steering lock like it was a candy cane.  I guess it's a deterrent, but in a dark, quiet back alley it isn't going to stop someone who wants your bike.

Anyone use one of those brake disc locks?  Small and easy to manage, but a lock and chain is a lot more obvious!

[boggy]

Removed mine.  Bike is much faster now, and I can finally turn in the other direction. 

[gashousegorilla]

The steering lock mechanism is working but the handlbar can freely turn the front wheel - essentially the lock is ineffective.

The reason is that the lock bolt (which moves up and down when key is turned) barely reaches the strike plate. The tip of bolt barely touches the edge of hole. I think the hole in plate has chipped away.

Any ideas on how to fix this problem ? Some way to either elongate the bolt or make the plate thicker ? Or should I just buy a chain and lock the front wheel with frame, when bike is parked.

 Singh, how much space is in there ?  Where your arrow is.... More then 3/16 of an inch?

[GreenMachine]

I forgot if I have one...

[singhg5]

Singh, how much space is in there ?  Where your arrow is.... More then 3/16 of an inch?

It is fairly small space between the strike plate and the body-of-lock. The lock-bolt moves a fairly small distance when key is turned. Have not measured it but your guess seems about right.

The bike is outside in the rain in the parking lot. It will not stop raining till tomorrow. What is your creative mind thinking ?

Boggy - I was wondering why am I going in circles - thanks for clarifying that the bike is turning in only one direction . 

Matt - This thing is like a candy cane. But I still like the idea of having a steering lock because when bike is on side-stand on a slope, the steering lock keeps the front wheel tied in one direction. If the side stand looses grip or someone knocks the bike, it will stay right there as if going in a circle.

It is the same reason we turn the wheels of car towards the curb when parked downhill and away from curb when parked uphill - because if the car wheels roll, the front tyres will hit the curb and stop it from going more than a few inches.

[Arizoni]

As a point of information, the locking rod on my G5's front end extends totally thru the frame mounted plate when the lock is applied.

I would suggest trying to bend the plate the lock is attached to upward but it looks like it is pretty stout and short.  This probably makes bending it very difficult.
Also, making it difficult to bend is the lock body is covering up almost all of the steel bracket it's attached to.  I'm sure a good stout whack on the lock body will break it.

At the moment, I'm using the steering lock plus a Kryptonite cable lock thru the front wheel and around one fork leg. 
Then again, my motorcycle is parked in my fenced back yard which hopefully is a "low crime rate" place.

[singhg5]

As a point of information, the locking rod on my G5's front end extends totally thru the frame mounted plate when the lock is applied.

I would suggest trying to bend the plate the lock is attached to upward but it looks like it is pretty stout and short.  This probably makes bending it very difficult.
Also, making it difficult to bend is the lock body is covering up almost all of the steel bracket it's attached to.  I'm sure a good stout whack on the lock body will break it.

At the moment, I'm using the steering lock plus a Kryptonite cable lock thru the front wheel and around one fork leg. 
Then again, my motorcycle is parked in my fenced back yard which hopefully is a "low crime rate" place.

Is the plate on the frame almost touching the lock on your bike or there is space betwen the two, as in picture ?

[Arizoni]

There is a bit of clearance between the two plates.

[singhg5]

There is a bit of clearance between the two plates.

Thanks for the picture. On your bike, the two plates (one attached to the frame and other on the steering stem to which the lock is screwed) are closer than on my G5. That is why the lock-bolt on your bike goes completely through the hole in strike plate mounted on the frame, even when bolt of your bike moves the same distance as on my G5 when the key is turned.

Could this be an indication that the steering stem has somehow shifted downward, consequently its plate and lock attached to it have shifted away from strike plate in my G5 ?

[gashousegorilla]

It is fairly small space between the strike plate and the body-of-lock. The lock-bolt moves a fairly small distance when key is turned. Have not measured it but your guess seems about right.

The bike is outside in the rain in the parking lot. It will not stop raining till tomorrow. What is your creative mind thinking ?

  Horrible weather for sure !....  What I was thinking before, was to just use a piece of 3/16 steal. A piece of say ,1x 3/16  flat bar.  Cut it to length, and do a little shaping and copy the shape of the top piece. Drill a hole in it for the bolt, then sister it ( weld along the edges) to the existing top piece. That would allow the bolt to go into the newly thickend, and lowered top piece.... and be much stronger then the original.  You wouldn't need a new lock, and if you were to use a new lock, it would be that much stronger then before .... Probably take a few minutes to zap it on there for ya. Little black spray paint, and good as new.....

[Craig McClure]

I dislike fork locks. I have seen unpleasant things occur with them: Stiff lock-breaking key off, Snagging while in motion, Thieves simply carry bike away. I use a nice Master Cable Lock from Home Depot. Thieves don't normally carry a large enough cable cutter to use in a public place. Always best to keep bikes indoors.
  I once had a heavy Harley Pan Head Fat Bob stolen with the fork locked, attached to a phone pole with a big logging chain, underneath my bedroom window. The thieves were no doubt pros & had to lift it with the fork locked, to make off with it. Hope it made their life miserable as mine.

[Royalista]

I went to look at mine and it has a little more space than Arizoni's but is still long enough.
It may be the angle of the picture but it seems to me the center has sagged out a bit. 

[suitcasejefferson]

I have seen a lot of threads on a lot of forums about bike locks. If a professional thief wants your bike, they are going to get it, no matter what kind of lock/alarms you use. Fortunately, I doubt most professional thieves are looking for Enfields.

I rarely ever use bikes for transportation, they are more of a recreational thing to me. I did ride my bike to work for a couple of years a long time ago, right after buying my house, for financial reasons. The parking lot was completely fenced, with electric gates, which only employees had cards for. Still a few vehicles were stolen. My answer to both possible theft, and the AZ sun was a bike cover. People, including thieves, tend to not notice what they can't see.

A few years ago, someone brought in one of those Kryptonite U locks that was missing the key. We decided to see just how secure it was. It took just over 10 seconds with a cordless angle grinder with a diamond cutoff wheel to cut through it. In other words, it was worthless.

But while nothing is going to stop a professional thief, most bike thefts are by common street punks. They see an easy target and go for it. Virtually any kind of lock will stop them. Still, if you leave your bike in a parking lot often, and have any way to carry one, I recommend a bike cover.

[Royalista]

And make it a cheap cover.
But watch out for the exhaust.