Scooter security: Abus Granit Steel-O-Flex XPlus 1025 cable lock review

Date reviewed: February 2018 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £114.99 | Weight: 2.0kg | www.abus.com/uk

The Abus Granit Steel-O-Flex 1025 is a 5.5mm steel cable lock with articulated hardened steel rollers protecting it, and a rubbery cover to save scratches to your paintwork.

The two keys come with a code card for replacements, and one of them has a built-in small blue LED torch. We’ve tested the 1.2m version, though a 1.0m is also available.

Abus sells this as a product for high-value bicycles, but it could prove an attractive option for scooter riders too.

Size and weight

This 1.2m Steel-O-Flex weighs 2.0kg, and rolls up very tight, being surprisingly articulated. It should fit in almost any scooter’s boot, though you might struggle to get it under a motorcycle seat; you could easily bungee it on.

Ease of use and compatibility with scooters

This Abus cable lock should pass through any wheel and around fork legs or the swingarm, not to mention to something in the ground to add further security, so should be suitable for almost any moped, scooter or motorcycle.

It’ll pick up dirt from your wheel over time, but the device is easy to wipe clean.

To understand how best to use your lock, click here

Resistance to attack

Using hand-held cutters, we were unable to get through the outer armour. Our large, 42” bolt croppers also wouldn’t bite through the flexible cable, though they did easily crush the outer casing. With the wire exposed, our 8” cutters still couldn’t get through it, though larger or higher-quality tools might, given enough time.

Surprisingly, a hacksaw also couldn’t cut this lock, as the outer armour is hardened, so the blade skirted across. With the armour breached, the wire inside is still difficult to cut by hand.

A lump hammer and anvil didn’t break the main body of the lock, so the easiest way to defeat it was with an angle grinder. Here cable locks suffer, and while the Abus fared better than some others we’ve tested, the lack of material in its construction made it extremely quick to cut through.

Verdict

The Abus Granit Steel-O-Flex cable lock is surprisingly hard to defeat without an angle-grinder. We wouldn’t recommend it for securing higher-value machines – or overnight at home – but when out and about it’s a sturdy option.

Big thanks to Piaggio and repair/claims specialist 4th Dimension for supplying parts that allowed us to carry out real-world testing. Both are companies who, among others in the moped, scooter and motorcycle industry, are passionate about reducing crime.

To see more security kit tested by BikeSocial, click here

Know this: Scooter security

BikeSocial’s consumer editor explains how the locks were tested and how best to use them. Thanks to Wheels Motorcycles in Peterborough