Motorcycle Cable Locks: What They Can and Can't Do
A motorcycle cable lock is fine for securing a helmet, luggage or a bike on a short, visible stop. It isn't enough as your main security for a motorcycle left overnight or for any length of time, because steel cable can be cut quickly with ordinary bolt croppers.
Walk into any motorcycle shop and you'll see security cables near the till. They're cheap, light and reassuring to look at. If you're relying on one to protect a bike worth thousands of pounds, it helps to know exactly what you're buying, and what you're not.
What is a motorcycle security cable?
A security cable is a length of flexible braided steel wire, usually with a PVC or fabric sleeve, closed with a padlock or a built-in lock. You thread it through the wheel and around a fixed object. Cables are sold in lengths from about 1 to 3 metres, and most cost far less than a chain or a ground anchor. That price tells you something: this is a light-duty product.
The core problem with cable locks
Braided cable is made of many thin strands. However thick the cable looks, croppers cut those strands much more easily than they would cut a solid hardened chain link or shackle. The sleeve makes the cable look more substantial than it is.
The lock matters too. Many cables come with a padlock that hasn't been independently tested. Without a rating from a scheme such as Sold Secure, you have no independent measure of how long it will last under attack.
How to make a cable lock more secure
If you're going to use a cable, use it well. Keep it off the ground so it can't be braced against the floor for cropping, keep it short and tight so there's less slack to work with, and lock it through the frame or a wheel to something that can't be lifted over or unbolted. Above all, use it alongside a stronger device such as a Sold Secure rated disc lock or chain, so the cable is an extra layer rather than the only one.
When a cable lock is appropriate
- Short, visible stops: popping into a shop while you can see the bike. A visible cable can put off an opportunist.
- An extra layer: combined with a disc lock, chain or ground anchor, a cable adds another thing for a thief to deal with.
- Helmets and luggage: running a cable through a helmet's chin bar or through panniers is exactly what cables are good at.
When a cable lock isn't enough
A cable shouldn't be your main security if any of these apply:
- The bike is kept at home overnight
- It's a model that thieves target, or it's worth more than you'd want to lose
- You park in an area with vehicle crime
- Your insurer asks for Sold Secure rated security
In those situations you need anchored security: something fixed to the floor or a wall, certified to an independent standard and built to resist power tools as well as hand tools.
Cable vs chain vs disc lock vs ground anchor
| Cable lock | Chain and padlock | Disc lock | Ground anchor (e.g. TufLuck) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Light deterrent, helmets and luggage | Lock the bike to a fixed point | Stop the wheel turning | Fix the bike to the floor |
| Resistance to croppers | Low | Depends on rating; thick hardened chain resists well | Not usually the attack used | No exposed shackle on TufLuck |
| Stops the bike being lifted? | Only if locked to a fixed object | Yes, if locked to an anchor | No | Yes |
| Portable? | Yes | Heavy but yes | Yes | No, fitted where the bike lives |
| Typically insurer-recognised? | Rarely | If Sold Secure rated | If Sold Secure rated | If Sold Secure rated |
What insurers think of cable locks
Many motorcycle policies ask for, or reward, Sold Secure rated security. Cable locks rarely carry a strong rating, so a cable alone may not meet your policy's security conditions. If your bike is stolen when it was secured only with a cable, check how your policy treats that. Read the security clause carefully, and see our guide to insurance approved ground anchors.
The step up: a ground anchor
The gap between a cable and a floor anchor isn't a small step. A cable is a light deterrent; a properly fitted anchor is a physical barrier. TufLuck combines a floor anchor, a front wheel chock and a wheel lock in one unit. It's supplied with six M12 anchor bolts (the mounting allows up to nine) and a hidden-shackle padlock that sits inside the body when locked, so there's no cable or chain to cut.
Bolted down, TufLuck holds Sold Secure Diamond under SS105, the Sold Secure specification for ground anchors and security posts. Used free-standing, it is also rated Sold Secure Diamond as a wheel clamp. Sold Secure's published scheme describes SS105 Diamond as tested with tool lists A, B and C in full plus parts of lists D and S (specialist tools). You can check any product's rating and category yourself at soldsecure.com. Read what Sold Secure Diamond means.
What independent testing found
In its TufLuck review (23 December 2025), Bennetts BikeSocial recorded a pass in all four of its attack tests: drill, sledgehammer, reciprocating saw and angle grinder, the last rated exceptional. The tester gave up on the angle grinder attack.
“Nothing is completely undefeatable, but the TufLuck comes closer than anything I’ve tested before. Once your bike’s in the TufLuck, it’s not coming out.”
John Milbank, Consumer Editor, Bennetts BikeSocial TufLuck review, 23 December 2025
Frequently asked questions
Can a cable lock be cut with bolt croppers?
Yes. Braided cable is much easier to crop than a solid hardened chain or shackle, which is why cables are best used as an extra layer.
Are cable locks Sold Secure rated?
Some are, usually at the lower levels. Check the Sold Secure website for the exact product and category.
Will my insurer accept a cable lock?
Rarely as the only security. Check your policy's security conditions; many name Sold Secure ratings or specific device types.
What is a cable lock best for?
Helmets, luggage and short stops where you can see the bike, or as an extra layer alongside a stronger lock.
Related reading
- How to secure a motorcycle: the UK rider's guide
- Wheel lock vs ground anchor
- Can thieves remove motorcycle wheels?
- Sold Secure Diamond ground anchors: SS105 vs SS101
- Best motorcycle ground anchor UK: how to choose
See the TufLuck Ground Anchor & Wheel Chock: Sold Secure Diamond as a ground anchor when bolted down (SS105) and as a wheel clamp when free-standing. 6 mm folded steel, 45 kg, six M12 anchor bolts supplied, fits 15–21" front wheels with 90–128 mm tyres. £649, or three interest-free payments with Shop Pay.
