E-bikes are worth thousands of dollars, they are easy to ride away, and they sell quickly second-hand. NSW crime figures show thousands of motorised bicycles among the bikes stolen each year. No single product stops a determined thief, so the goal is layers: make your e-bike harder to steal than the one next to it, and easier to recover if it goes.

1. Lock it properly

Police in SA, NSW, Victoria and Queensland all recommend a D or U-style lock as the most secure option, ideally combined with a cable or coil lock for the wheels. Lock the frame and both wheels to something solid, in a well-lit, busy place. Take the battery with you if it is removable — it is often the most valuable part of the bike.

2. Store it out of sight

A lot of bikes are stolen from home: garages, carports, balconies and apartment bike cages. Keep your e-bike behind a locked door where you can, use a ground anchor in the garage, and do not leave it visible from the street.

3. Mark it and record it

Record the frame serial number (usually under the bottom bracket), take clear photos, and engrave or mark the frame. Police can only return a bike they can prove is yours.

4. Insure it

Check whether your home contents policy covers your e-bike away from home and up to its full value — many policies have low limits for bikes unless they are specified. Specialist bike insurance is worth pricing for expensive e-bikes.

5. Add a tracker a thief cannot find

A tracker turns a stolen bike from a lost cause into a location you can hand to police. The catch is that thieves check for AirTags, and a standard AirTag eventually beeps when it is away from its owner. Our trackers are built for bikes:

  • Hidden inside a normal part — the stem top cap, the bottle cage or the rear reflector.
  • Shipped silent — the audible anti-stalking alert is disabled, so there is no beep to follow.
  • iPhone and Android — one tracker works with Apple Find My or Google Find Hub.
  • About a year of battery from a CR2032 cell, no charging and no subscription.
  • Anti-theft Torx security bolts so it cannot be removed with an Allen key.

They fit e-bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes and kids' bikes, and ship from Australian stock. Shop hidden e-bike trackers.

If the worst happens

Read our step-by-step guide: What to do if your bike is stolen in Australia.