The best motorcycle ground anchors that make it almost impossible for thieves to make off with your cherished ride

A motorcycle ground anchor gives you a secure place to chain your bike up if there’s no suitable objects to use at your home.

A bike chain and padlock are only as good as what you lock them to. If, for example, you use a hefty chain with a chunky padlock to secure your bike but the chain is only long enough to go through one of the bike’s wheels, then there is nothing to prevent a couple of burly thieves from simply lifting it up and chucking it into the back of a van and driving off with it. That’s why we always recommend you choose a chain long enough to secure your bike to a post, lamp-post or something else immovable – like a ground anchor.

What is a ground anchor?

When you’re at home, you may not have access to a lamp post or a hefty lump of concrete but if you have a garage, shed or even just a patio, you can easily add an immovable object to secure your bike by fitting a motorcycle ground anchor.

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These are designed to offer a fixed point to chain your bike to, to keep it secure. Generally, as the name suggests, they will mount to the ground but depending on the location you store your bike in, you could equally fix a ground anchor to the wall of a brick- or block-build shed or garage or even a concrete fencepost as a last resort.

Which type of motorcycle ground anchor is best?

There are various types of ground anchor and in various price points – and strengths. The most simple is a metal loop that secures to a flat surface and the chain passes through. A more secure version is formed in metal plate, often with two layers, that is fitted to the ground or another flat surface. Finally, there is a variety that is dug into the ground then secured with concrete, offering excellent security though at a price – for both the product and to get it fitted.

As with all security products, look for ones that have Sold Secure approval, ideally Motorcycle Gold or Diamond. This means they have been tested – and approved – by the not-for-profit scheme run by the Master Locksmiths Association and have resisted the highest levels of attack for the longest periods of time.

Related: Top motorcycle garage security

Our pick of the best motorcycle ground anchors:

How do you install a motorcycle ground anchor?

Most ground anchors mount to the floor or wall with security bolts. That means you’ll have to drill an appropriately sized hole, and hammer/screw the bolts into place to mount them.

Some ground anchors are designed to be submerged in concrete though, for extra resilience. To mount these you’ll need to dig a hole in the ground, place the anchor inside it, fill it up with some freshly mixed concrete and wait for it to set.

Do ground anchors work?

Ground anchors do increase your bike’s security quite considerably. They act as a strong visual deterrent to thieves, and add a physical barrier that’s much harder to break into without getting caught.

Because of this, most insurance providers will lower your premium if you use one that’s Sold Secure rated or Thatcham-approved. Your mileage may vary on this, since it depends on the rated level of the ground anchor and chain that you use, and a ground anchor is only as strong as the surface you mount it to.

But any protection is better than nothing if it risks losing your ride, so they’re definitely worth considering if you have to leave your bike outside overnight.

What is the best ground anchor for tarmac?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t mount a ground anchor on tarmac if you can help it – tarmac and asphalt are about 20 times weaker than concrete on average. That means the ground anchor won’t be very strong unless you find a contractor who can do the job properly, or grab some specialist mounting kit yourself if you’re confident enough.

This set of threaded asphalt anchors have an additional internal thread for screwing your anchor bolts into. Then you’ll need a chemical anchor resin to securely bond the asphalt anchors to the surrounding tarmac.

The idea is that you drill your mounting holes slightly larger than the asphalt anchor, fill the holes with anchor resin, and let it set with the asphalt anchors submerged in it. Once fully cured, and if done properly, this is the strongest way to mount a ground anchor to tarmac or asphalt.

Proventure offer instructions on how to use their kit for the job, which you can learn more about here.

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