Hiplok MDX review | Disc-lock destruction test

Date reviewed: December 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £89.99 (RRP) | Weight: 983g | hiplok.com

The Hiplok MDX on review here might look familiar as it’s based on the excellent Hiplok MD1000 I tested recently, but it’s half the price. Our independent testing shows that the MDX certainly doesn’t offer only half the protection, despite not having the angle-grinder-resistant graphene construction of the MD1000.

The MDX includes a very cleverly-designed magnetic reminder strap that’s stored on the lock body and protects the keyhole. When the lock’s in use you can wrap it around your bike’s handlebars or attach it to the ignition barrel to make sure you don’t forget the lock is on then ride off (we’ve all done it!).

The MDX is certified to Sold Secure’s Powered Cycle Gold level, which is lower than the MD1000’s Diamond certification and doesn’t include an angle-grinder attack in the test. But as our attacks show, that’s not necessarily something to worry about…

Pros & Cons

Size and weight

The Hiplok MDX is the same size as the MD1000 and just a fraction heavier, but there are other notable differences between the two locks that you need to be aware of:

The rounded plastic outer shell covers a very solid hardened-steel construction, with a 12mm hardened steel, plated corrosion-resistant locking pin (I measured it at 11.8mm). While you shouldn’t carry any lock in a pocket, the MDX fits easily in your luggage or even under the seat of some bikes.

The MDX fits pretty much all motorcycle brake discs – I tried it on a 2019 BMW R1250GS, a 1999 Kawasaki ZX-6R and a 2001 Honda VFR800 without any problems.

Resistance to attack: lock picking

While some YouTube channels might make lock picking look easy, especially when selling the creator’s own tools, it’s not a theft method used in typical motorcycle thefts at all. Sold Secure is part of the Master Locksmiths Association, and while I’m not able to pick locks with any skill, this independent testing body is. Where locks have vulnerabilities, they will not be certified.

Based on reports from Police forces across the country, lock picking is not an issue when it comes to motorcycle theft.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: drill

The hardened steel cover plate of the Hiplok MDX’s keyway proved highly resistant to a drill attack. This is an unlikely theft method as it’s very rarely successful and a drill isn’t as versatile a tool for the average thief as an angle-grinder.

As with any lock, if a thief is able to put enough time into drilling the lock barrel they might be able to damage it to the extent that the key no longer works, which will obviously mean the owner has to cut the lock off themselves but at least they’ll still have their bike.

This is a very unlikely scenario, yet one that seems to get flagged regularly on social media. The reality is that there are far easier ways to scupper any lock barrel. What matters is that the bike is where you left it.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: prying & splitting

Under the plastic cover, the Hiplok MDX is a very solid lump of hardened steel, making it impossible to pry off with either a claw hammer or a long pry-bar.

The end of the locking pin is cleverly designed to break off if subjected to extreme pulling force, making this device even harder to attack.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: lump / sledge hammer

A highly sustained attack with a lump hammer did nothing more than break off the plastic cover and cause minor cosmetic damage to the Hiplok MDX disc lock. This thing is solid.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: reciprocating saw

A reciprocating saw attack is extremely unlikely, but due to sofa experts claiming that they could ‘get through it with a Sawzall’, we bought a Dewalt DCS382 for testing. This isn’t part of Sold Secure’s tests as it’s not a technique being used in typical motorcycle crime, but we wanted to be sure, so this is now a feature of our lock testing.

Using a £20 carbide-tipped blade it’s a very tight fit to reach the locking pin, but it was eventually possible to cut through it.

However, as the pin is locked through both sides of the body I then had to cut again from the other side of the brake disc to remove the entire centre of the pin.

This was time-consuming and very awkward, plus could be even harder on bikes with a wider tyre than our test wheel.

While possible, this is far from a realistic or efficient form of attack, and it’s worth noting that these expensive blades rarely last more than one use when attacking locks, so are far less enticing than a pack of 10 quality abrasive angle-grinder cutting discs at about £1.50 each.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: angle-grinder

An angle-grinder is the most likely form of attack, and the Hiplok MDX is highly effective thanks to the large amount of hardened steel and the two-sided locking mechanism that means that even if you cut one side of the body, the lock stays together.

Though it doesn’t have the stated angle-grinder resistance of the Hiplok MD1000, the MDX is still very difficult to beat this way. The problem is that any disc-lock’s biggest vulnerability is in a thief cutting a section of the motorcycle’s brake disc off entirely.

It’s possible however for the cut brake disc to twist slightly after being cut, then to jam against the brake caliper – preventing the thief from pushing the bike away – so attacking the disc isn’t something they’ll always do. They might also not want to lose the brake disc, depending on the intended use after the theft.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Bennetts BikeSocial test results

Product: Hiplok MDX disc-lock

Weight as tested: 983g

Drill attack: PASS

Sledge hammer attack: PASS

Reciprocating saw attack: PASS

Angle grinder attack: PASS

To see the other chains and locks tested by Bennetts BikeSocial, click here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through BikeSocial membership.

Hiplok MDX disc-lock review: Verdict

It’s important to understand that almost all motorcycle disc-locks have the same vulnerability, but attacking the disc itself isn’t something that always happens. A good disc lock will resist all forms of attack: prying and hammering are perhaps the two most likely as they require less specialist tools (even a rock in some cases), and the Hiplok MDX puts an excellent fight up against them all.

Of course, a disc lock also doesn’t prevent a motorbike being picked up and put in a van, but a push-away with a mate on a scooter is one of the most common theft techniques, with criminals often leaving the motorcycle parked up (using their own locks and cover) for a few days to make sure there’s not a tracker installed.

The more expensive Hiplok MD1000 (reviewed here) is a superb piece of kit that gives the peace of mind that the body will eat into abrasive discs and potentially scupper the thief’s chance of attacking other devices you might have on your bike. For that reason it’s the better of these two locks, but it’s impossible to avoid the fact that this Hiplok MDX is just as resistant to all other attacks, and even with an angle-grinder it’s very hard to defeat without cutting the brake disc itself. If you’re looking for a well-designed, highly protective disc-lock that includes its own reminder strap, the Hiplok MDX is well worth considering.

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