[camitesh]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

^^
Check if there’s a space to squeeze alongside your car parking... Getting it on rental elsewhere may defeat your daily usage purpose.

There's some space maybe for a small scooter at best but not for a big bike. I already have a small ding on my car door while in parking courtesy someone from the neighbouring car opening their door a little carelessly.

Yes, the rental parking which I'm exploring is within the same premises

Originally Posted by SnS_12

But despite being a owned parking people still make their way here and keeping lifting up the covers to check out the bikes. That photo is from the initial ownership days of the Busa and still with all that protection from other bikes and two covers people still continued doing what they did. It was becoming a pain for me mentally and physically as moving all the bikes to get the Busa out was an added physical task. But eventually things settled down and this is how I park the bikes now for easy access.

In your case since you don’t have a spare dedicated parking and parking the bike along with your car would be a tight squeeze the best option would be rent out a parking from a fellow society member or swap with a better/ closed parking space if available.

First off, love your garage full of Japanese beauties.

Yes, that's exactly my concern and I understand there's no stopping curious people, especially the kids from lifting up the covers and checking out what's underneath. When I got a new black Abarth Punto a couple of years back, I had a similar connundrum with kids wanting to check out a stickered car with weird brand logos maybe. My car dash cam has captured some kids sitting on Bonet clicking pics from all angles at times. So I reckon a similar fate with a covered bike. Probably if the cover is secured with multiple ropes, people may not bother with all that effort for a peek or atleast that's what I hope for.

Yes, a better stilt parking is something I'll look out to rent. Was also thinking about a covered shelter something like this but haven't heard any great reviews about their usability and durability so not considering it really.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by camitesh

First off, love your garage full of Japanese beauties.

Thank you

Originally Posted by camitesh

Yes, that's exactly my concern and I understand there's no stopping curious people, especially the kids from lifting up the covers and checking out what's underneath.

Kids are the biggest challenge. Not even a filthy bike cover with cobwebs will stop them from coming and sitting directly over the cover.

Also, I have had instances where brokers and owners show potential buyers/tenants my garage as if its an added amenity to the society. These buyers/tenants are perplexed when they see me cleaning the motorcycle and they are told that I am the owner. Maybe they wonder why would a person who can own so many motorcycles clean his own bikes.

Originally Posted by camitesh

Yes, a better stilt parking is something I'll look out to rent. Was also thinking about a covered shelter something like this but haven't heard any great reviews about their usability and durability so not considering it really.

This contraption will unnecessarily attract unwanted attention as people would be more curious to see what’s underneath it and will work only if you can secure it to the ground so no one can open it up.

Or else kids will treat it as a hiding spot and jealous people might just run a blade or a sharp object against it. So not worth it for the price in our social environment.

When I had my Ninja 650 for close to 6 months in the 18 months ownership it was parked in my cousins stilt parking. As my dad had no idea about this bike and plus I had no covered parking space in my previous house. Since his house was not too far off it worked well and maybe that is a option you should look at too if available.

[krishnaprasadgg]

@camitesh

I had faced a similar issue when I was living in Bangalore and when me and my brother got our bikes. Up until that point I had a car and a bike squeezed in 1 parking spot which was big enough to fit in a proper full-sized SUV decently(It was a CBR250 at that point so wasn't tough to park both the car and the bike in 1 spot safely). Later when 2 more bikes joined there was no way to park all 3 bikes and car together so I took back my CBR to my hometown and parked the car, the R1 and the Tiger in that spot. The thing was it did fit but it was a tight fit and after a few weeks it turned out that it was not worth the risk. So what I did was take rent an extra car parking space and park both the bikes with enough space in between and leave it there covered.

You see the problem is, people who are hell-bent on lifting the covers or sitting on your bike when left unattended will do it anyways. And when you squeeze the bikes in tight like that some determined folks will still get in and try that, which the way I see it can cause a big problem given the tightly packed arrangement. So rather just get a bigger space park the bike in a very safe manner cover it and hope that even if someone takes a peek or anything they won't be prone to make some mistake and cause any damage.

So to sum up the post. I would also suggest getting an extra parking space and use a good quality bike cover and leave it at that. Beyond that, there is not much you can do in apartments as such.


Cheers
Krishna

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I would also suggest getting an extra parking space and use a good quality bike cover and leave it at that.

I missed this thread totally. I live in an apartment complex, and have 1 parking space for my car and then separate 2 wheeler parking space. I cover all my bikes and then run a disc lock across each wheel + a chain lock that links all the wheels. It is a pain, but I am happy to take this pain. I used to put some of the bikes on paddock stand but that attracts kids more, so I removed them.

One deterrent I am now considering is to attach a small video camera (no wifi, battery operated) so that kids + curious onlookers won't feel adventurous.

The bigger issue for me is that its not allocated 2 wheeler parking space, so if I take out one of my bikes, I come back to see an Activa occupying the spot. Have to ask the neighbor politely, if he / she can move the bike so I can slot in mine and complete my Fort Knox security arrangement.

Have been thinking if it makes sense to sell my apartment and buy a house with a large garage. That's my dream!! However I always grew up in apartment complex and feel that the overall cost / benefit far outweighs a house.

[camitesh]

Firstly, apologies for late reply to all of your posts.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Kids are the biggest challenge. Not even a filthy bike cover with cobwebs will stop them from coming and sitting directly over the cover.

When I had my Ninja 650 for close to 6 months in the 18 months ownership it was parked in my cousins stilt parking. As my dad had no idea about this bike and plus I had no covered parking space in my previous house. Since his house was not too far off it worked well and maybe that is a option you should look at too if available.

That's a good idea, and it may just work. But I'm not sure how practical it is in long run unless I find someone with a secure parking space really close to my building. Plus I fear that they may ask the key to the bike and I wouldn't be able to say no. As is the case with most of us, I'm slightly possessive to hand over my car / bike key to anyone, even a sibling or close friend.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

You see the problem is, people who are hell-bent on lifting the covers or sitting on your bike when left unattended will do it anyways. And when you squeeze the bikes in tight like that some determined folks will still get in and try that, which the way I see it can cause a big problem given the tightly packed arrangement. So rather just get a bigger space park the bike in a very safe manner cover it and hope that even if someone takes a peek or anything they won't be prone to make some mistake and cause any damage.

So to sum up the post. I would also suggest getting an extra parking space and use a good quality bike cover and leave it at that. Beyond that, there is not much you can do in apartments as such.

Thanks Krishna, while posting this query I didn't think renting an extra parking space close by could be one of the decent solutions to this predicament but seems like it is the only practical one for city dwellers. It may sound funny but a thought I have is to place two or three of my bikes in one car parking space and cover them off with a small hatchback cover (I have few lying around which I use rarely). Ofcourse the bikes will also have their individual covers and I know it will be a hassle to make this setup work but I'm willing to give it a shot if it means less unnecessary attention. What do you think?

Originally Posted by no_fear

I live in an apartment complex, and have 1 parking space for my car and then separate 2 wheeler parking space. I cover all my bikes and then run a disc lock across each wheel + a chain lock that links all the wheels. It is a pain, but I am happy to take this pain. I used to put some of the bikes on paddock stand but that attracts kids more, so I removed them.

We have almost exactly the same problem. One additional concern with my bike parking space is that iwe have a strict no handlebar locking policy so that bikes can be manuverered around by other residents / security to squeeze in more bikes when required (exactly like we see in public bike parking lots where they ask us to not lock handlebars). So while I use the disk lock, chains etc. to secure my bike when I'm touring, unfortunately I can't use these deterrents in my building.

Infact this one time I had my CBR250 on a paddock just to lube my chain and I left it like that for a couple of hours for the chain cleaner to work its magic before I applied chain lube. I got a call from security that my bike fell down on another bike apparently since someone accidentally disturbed the paddock. Luckily the bike was not completely off paddock and resting on a neighbouring bullet's crash guards. There were some minor scratches all around to both bikes but nothing major. I approached the owner of other bike to see if I could fix those minor scratches on his bullet but the gentleman brushed it off as nothing. Since then I never left my bike unattended on a paddock. I so wished to use paddock during lockdown so my new Michelin tyres don't suffer but I couldn't.

Originally Posted by no_fear

One deterrent I am now considering is to attach a small video camera (no wifi, battery operated) so that kids + curious onlookers won't feel adventurous.

Have been thinking if it makes sense to sell my apartment and buy a house with a large garage. That's my dream!! However I always grew up in apartment complex and feel that the overall cost / benefit far outweighs a house.

Hope nobody flicks away your battery operated camera. A good thought though. My car dash cam (70 mai) has a good parking surveillance mode which captures excellent footage when someone is messing around close to the car. If I find two adjacent parking slots, this may just be that additional security though not a deterrent since no one will know a camera is placed nearby.

I will definitely be more careful during my next accommodation switch to take care of the parking aspect (truth be told I never considered this as a major factor when I set out to buy my first flat within a certain budget 6 years back). But yes, a distant dream is to have a private enclosed and locked garage even if it is in a apartment complex and not a house.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by camitesh

Hope nobody flicks away your battery operated camera.

I thought the same thing, but I will take the risk. Alternative is to just put a dummy camera, but kids are smart and will figure out.

I had put up a wired security system with a rotating turret, so the camera has 360 vision, with permission from building management previously. I paid for the costs and the neighbors who park around me were supportive, as my camera covered their vehicles also. Someone cut all the wires with a knife a few weeks later. It was pointless to chase suspects.

Later found out from neighbor gossip that the security guard was doing hanky panky business with a domestic maid in the basement car park and didn't want to get caught on camera !!!!

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by no_fear

The bigger issue for me is that its not allocated 2 wheeler parking space, so if I take out one of my bikes, I come back to see an Activa occupying the spot. Have to ask the neighbor politely, if he / she can move the bike so I can slot in mine and complete my Fort Knox security arrangement.

Have been thinking if it makes sense to sell my apartment and buy a house with a large garage. That's my dream!! However I always grew up in apartment complex and feel that the overall cost / benefit far outweighs a house.

We are currently living in our third house since my birth and in my previous house none of the society members had their own dedicated parking as when we had shifted to that house in the late 80's hardly any people had four wheelers and only a handful two wheelers. But as the economy grew so did the disposable income and over the years everyone had more than one automobile.

Even taking out the car was a challenge as chances are you might not find a spot when you return back in the night. And plus the bikes needed more maintenance as they were under the weather being parked in the open 365 days a year.

My RD 200, which I could see from my hall as our apartment was on the first floor.



Hence, when we shifted to our new house the first thing I would ask is how many parking's I can buy and meeting this condition was of utmost importance for me. But even in suburbs in a place like Mumbai a single parking could cost close to 18 lakhs even though the builder is supposed to provide a certain number of parking's along with the flat depending on the size of the flat. In the end managed to find a house which met all our criteria and got 3 car parking spots all together.

Originally Posted by camitesh

That's a good idea, and it may just work. But I'm not sure how practical it is in long run unless I find someone with a secure parking space really close to my building. Plus I fear that they may ask the key to the bike and I wouldn't be able to say no. As is the case with most of us, I'm slightly possessive to hand over my car / bike key to anyone, even a sibling or close friend.

If you're going to park outside your society complex better if its in friend or relatives parking nearby. At least you know your vehicle is safe as compared to it being parked in a common parking space where chances of damage are higher. On handing over the keys its a good thing as they can move the motorcycle in case of an emergency without waiting for you to arrive with the keys. But only on the condition that they or any other family member don't take it out for a joyride without your knowledge even if it means riding in the building compound.

Originally Posted by no_fear

I thought the same thing, but I will take the risk. Alternative is to just put a dummy camera, but kids are smart and will figure out.

I had put up a wired security system with a rotating turret, so the camera has 360 vision, with permission from building management previously. I paid for the costs and the neighbors who park around me were supportive, as my camera covered their vehicles also. Someone cut all the wires with a knife a few weeks later. It was pointless to chase suspects.

Even I had contemplated of doing that but then what would I achieve by doing that? If I identify kids sitting on my motorcycle will I go and fight with their parents every time, when even educated people behave like illiterates when its comes to damage to someone's property by their well behaved kids.

And plus these kids might just damage the security system for the fun of it or to hide the fun someone else has like in your case

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

But only on the condition that they or any other family member don't take it out for a joyride without your knowledge even if it means riding in the building compound.

hide the fun someone else has like in your case

Sachin, from my personal experience, its a very bad idea to give keys of car / bike to relatives / friends. We had exact same issue in our first place. My parents opted to buy an apartment with no parking. A few years later, my dad, on an impulse, bought a LML Vespa. No space to park, so ended up with my uncle. That guy thoroughly misused the Vespa, and finally the scooter was sold as scrap. The scooter had sentimental value for me, so I never forgot or forgave my relative.

Lol to our security guard - he would bring down the domestic help to show off the "phoren" bikes parked and then make his moves. The camera put an end to his Romeo adventures. Well, at least he got to score, so kudos to him......

[krishnaprasadgg]

Originally Posted by camitesh

Thanks Krishna, while posting this query I didn't think renting an extra parking space close by ... What do you think?

Not bad if you don't mind the extra work of removing 2 covers. Considering the bike is not a daily rider (I'm assuming) it should be totally fine.

@no_fear
Something about disk locks just doesn't sit right with me, I am always skeptical that I'll forget about it while taking the bike and with alarms that the unsuspecting person who is looking around/touching the bike might get startled and drop the bike or something

Cheers
Krishna

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Something about disk locks just doesn't sit right with me,

Krishna, up here in NCR, there are some scoundrels who steal the calipers from superbikes and sell in the used market, especially in Karol Bagh. Brembo calipers are hot items, so a disc lock with an alarm is a needed necessity. I added anti tamper bolts on some of the calipers, but the thieves also get creative.

[Axe77]

Despite living in Mumbai one of the biggest blessings of my current high rise is that we are WAY parking surplus and its very easy to rent a car parking (all are basement and covered) and there is dedicated marked provision to even rent two wheeler parking for 400 Rs. per month (these are earmarked spots just for bikes and sized accordingly).

My only irritant is that even though I own three car parks and only have two cars, there is a rule that you can park only 2 two-wheelers in a car parking spot and not 3 - 4, which it could easily accommodate. This despite the fact that our car parking are very large sized and each one can comfortably fit even a V Cross or similar size vehicle.

I can only imagine the predicament for people who occupy first come first serve lots. I lived with that system for 10 years in my previous Mumbai society and it was a perpetual nightmare.

My suggestion is definitely try and get a cover which is padlockable. But do be mindful to ensure there is regular removal and cleaning below the cover as keeping the bike under a cover for long periods has its own downsides.

[no_fear]

I guess someone does not like me. A dog owner, out of vengeance, or anger, or jealousy, or one of many infinite reasons, makes his German Shepherd poop right beside my motorbikes.

When I mean right beside - literally behind the rear wheel. Got the sh!t cleared by building housekeeping 2 times already.

Forum members - any idea how to repel this miscreant's actions. I applied Gandhiji principles (aka Munnabhai part 2) but it's not working

I circled the area where the German Shepherd blesses my bikes. You can see the stains from the previous doggo adventure. I found out the dog breed from the security guards (I didn't do a forensic investigation on the poop)

[krishnaprasadgg]

Originally Posted by no_fear

I guess someone does not like me. A dog owner, out of vengeance, or anger, or jealousy, or one of many infinite reasons, makes his German Shepherd poop right beside my motorbikes.

When I mean right beside - literally behind the rear wheel. Got the sh!t cleared by building housekeeping 2 times already.

Forum members - any idea how to repel this miscreant's actions. I applied Gandhiji principles (aka Munnabhai part 2) but it's not working

I don't think there is much to do apart from driving some sense into the pet owner about what is acceptable and not. But you might encounter a situation where when trying to do that the pet ends up being more understanding than the owner. So it can swing either way.

Originally Posted by no_fear

I found out the dog breed from the security guards (I didn't do a forensic investigation on the poop)

Good that you mentioned. Would have been an interesting cliffhanger if not.

Cheers
Krishna

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by no_fear

I guess someone does not like me. A dog owner, out of vengeance, or anger, or jealousy, or one of many infinite reasons, makes his German Shepherd poop right beside my motorbikes.

Does the parking area not have a working CCTV camera? It would have been easier.

And let building administration take this up, would be better IMO.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by no_fear

. ..... makes his German Shepherd poop right beside my motorbikes.

When I mean right beside - literally behind the rear wheel. Got the sh!t cleared by building housekeeping 2 times already.

Take it up at a Society level perhaps. Ideally, in any well managed society, its a rule that if your dog poops in public areas, you are required to clear it up and dispose it as provided. Our building has this rule and its largely followed by the dog owners / dog walkers.

If you can somehow prove its this guy’s dog, then perhaps via the society get warnings given / action taken. That’s of course after one on one personal friendly dialogues are not working.