First published: 28th September 2018

Last updated: 26th October 2022

Ground anchors are a superb anti-theft devices for your motorcycle or scooter. Multiple locks won’t stop your bike from being lifted into a van by a few scrotes – but if your motorcycle is chained to a ground anchor, it’ll be significantly harder to steal.

We’ve scoured the internet to find all the ground anchors available to buy in the UK. While they all offer varying levels of protection, the simple and honest truth is that any ground anchor is better than none.

There’s a great selection of ground anchors here, showing you all the different types that are available.

Once you set up your ground anchor, you can run a chain through your bike and through the ground anchor. If you don’t have a garage or a shed and have to park your motorcycle outside, a ground anchor is an excellent deterrent and prevents your bike from easily being wheeled away or lifted into a van.

If you do have a garage or shed, a ground anchor is a brilliant layer of security that’ll cause most thieves to pull the eject cord. Angle-grinding a ground anchor in a garage is not subtle and the majority won’t want to risk it.

When it comes to bike theft, it seems that in cities, steering locks are snapped and bikes are rolled away. Out of busy locations, more bikes appear to be lifted into a van – thieves can quickly grab a bike and then deal with the security from the relative safety of their lock-up. A ground anchor will massively reduce the chances of your bike being lifted into a van.

Two main types of ground anchor

A bolt-down ground anchor to the left and a concrete-in ground anchor on the right

Ground anchors come in two main types: bolt down or concrete in although we have listed one exception to this below, which is a good option for those unable to fit a permanent ground anchor.

For bolt down or concrete in ground anchors, what you’re paying for is the complexity of the design and quality of materials used. Most ground anchors will be harder to bypass than the average chain and so they’re rarely taken on by the thieving scrotes.

However, it is worth noting that modern battery-powered portable angle grinders make light work of motorcycle security and a ground anchor may only buy you a few extra minutes. That said, most thieves don’t use angle grinders and will leave your bike alone if it is secured with a ground anchor and quality chain.

Choosing and locating your ground anchor

As a general rule, a ground anchor is like a tattoo in that it’s a bit of a bastard to get rid of it once it’s in place. You want to get it right or you’ll get irritated by it pretty quickly. So think about where it’s going to go.

The ideal location for a ground anchor is where it’s out of your way but accessible to you but not accessible to a thief.

Does that sound impossible? Not really. Look at the image above.

The ground anchor is close to a wall, so it’s out of the way when you’re moving around the garage but simple for you to lock your bike to. The best part about the location of the ground anchor in the image above is how inaccessible it becomes due to the bike being in the way. If you moved the ground anchor to the other side of the bike, it becomes a lot easier for a thief to attack it.

Wall or ground?

They’re not called ground anchors for nothing – but did you know that mounting yours on a vertical, like a wall, rather than on a horizontal might reduce the chances of your bike being stolen?

Current thinking is that wall-mounted ground anchors make stealing a bike that bit harder. One of the main tools that thieving scrotes use is a pair of bolt croppers. While bolt croppers can be effective against lesser chains, the scumbags still need to put a lot of pressure into the bolt croppers to crop a half-decent chain. Their ideal scenario is a chain that’s loose on the floor, giving them enough slack to get the bolt cropper’s jaws around. They’ll then put one of the handles flat on the floor and all their weight and McDonalds-powered might down through the other handle.

If you mount a ground anchor on a wall in a raised position and have as little slack on your chain as possible, the scrotes don’t have the benefit of a flat surface to rest on and it’ll be much harder for them to crop a chain.

Chains larger than 14mm in diameter take a LOT of effort to crop and in these cases, the only option left to a thief is an angle grinder, which would take a good couple of minutes, lots of sparks and even more noise.

Make sure it’s not a trip hazard

Most ground anchors are chunky objects, so you don’t want to locate one in the middle of your garage floor or you’ll constantly be bashing your toes on it. Equally, if you might park a car in your garage in future, you don’t want to mount a ground anchor where you’ll end up driving over it.

Some ground anchors, like Almax’s Defiant require a decent amount of drilling and the posts that you are burying in the ground (or wall) are chunky (1″ diameter), so make sure you’re not trying to drill near a weak point – like the edge of a wall or you’ll likely damage the structure to the point where the ground anchor won’t work.

Fitting your ground anchor: the right tools

Concrete-in ground anchors
Concrete-in ground anchors are usually a post with lugs that you set into concrete. They require you to dig a hole, sink the ground anchor and cover it in concrete. It’s not a quick job, so good prep is vital.

A good option is to buy some fence-post concrete from your local builder’s merchants. This is the sort of stuff you’ll need – you just add water, mix it up and pour it in.

If you’re re-laying your drive it’s a good time to think about what ground anchor would work best. Most ground anchors sit proud but Y-Anchors sit flush to the surface and are a good ‘invisible’ option. Ideally you don’t want to leave an unsightly patch of concrete so you may want to sit the bulk of the ground anchor in concrete and finish the top with Tarmac or a matching paving slab.

Bolt-in ground anchors
If you’re using the more-common bolt-in ground or wall anchor, a good drill is vital. You don’t have to spend a lot of money but a corded hammer drill will save you a lot of time and give you the power you need to drill a straight hole, especially through concrete. I bought this SDS hammer drill when I fitted my ground anchor. It is one of Amazon’s cheapest and top-rated corded hammer drills and comes with drill bits too. It is a bit of a beast but it still took a good 5 minutes to drill through the concrete floor in my garage. A battery-powered normal drill would have been useless.

It’s very important to get your holes positioned accurately as there’s very little leeway when it comes to getting your bolts in. I am a complete DIY amateur so there’s probably better ways to do this but… I gaffa-taped my ground anchor in position, then marked the four holes, then drilled a pilot hole for each of the four bolts. Then I removed the ground anchor and followed up with the correct-sized bit to drill the holes, proper. It still took a gentle bit of teasing-in with a rubber mallet but it was a good snug fit.

Some ground anchors come with an epoxy mix to add in to your drilled holes before hammering the ground anchor posts in place. You definitely don’t want your holes to be out of line when the epoxy is in the hole and curing fast. You get one shot at it, so as the old saying goes: ‘measure twice and cut once’. Check your ground anchor fits well before pouring in the epoxy.

Ground anchor security ratings

It’s impossible to say what the best ground anchor is without reviewing them all, which means testing each one against multiple types of attack. We simply don’t have the budget required to carry out a test like this. Fortunately, a lot of ground anchors have already been tested to give you an idea of what the best ground anchor is for you.

You might have heard of Sold Secure, Thatcham Approved or Secured By Design (SBD). These are ratings given by independent testing companies. However Thatcham have recently announced they are to stop rating motorcycle security products, so those ratings will fade out over time.

A manufacturer submits their security product to the company, pays a testing fee and the product is rated. If a product doesn’t have one of these ratings, it doesn’t mean it isn’t any good. However if a product does have a rating, it shows the company is serious about their product and is prepared to make the effort to get it tested. Look for a Thatcham Approved or Sold Secure Gold rating and you’ll know the product meets a good standard.

Don’t use a cheap chain!

It’s no use going to all the effort of fitting a quality ground anchor then using a cheap, poor quality chain. That’s just a false economy.

Check out the video above to see how a couple of parasites couldn’t get past an Almax Series IV (a 19mm chain). It takes some serious beating (just watch this video to see big Zanx being defeated by it and breaking his bolt-croppers in the first place).  However, I must stress, while a typical cheap chain will stop the low-IQ scrotes who just want to snap a steering lock and push a bike away, it won’t stop thieves with bolt-croppers. Most of the gangs who drive around in Transit vans will have a set of bolt croppers, crop your chain and lift the bike into the van. You need to have a quality chain, 16mm and above to put off the bolt-cropper crew and then it’s limited to those with a portable angle grinder – and they make a hell of a lot of noise and thieves don’t like using them on large chains as they take too long and get them busted.

The best way to lock your bike to a ground anchor

If you lock your bike to a ground anchor any-which-way, you’re dramatically reducing the chances of your bike being stolen.

However, if you loop a chain through your front or rear wheel, scummy thieves can remove that wheel and be away with your bike relatively easily. Some have been seen on CCTV unbolting your wheel and slotting in a fresh one, the cheeky fuckers. In a city-centre location it’s a case of use what you can but at home, if you can lock it through the frame or swingarm and keep the chain off the ground as much as possible, you’re about as solid as it can get.

A temporary ground anchor

You might think that I’ve lost the plot, but stick with me. Not everyone can fit a permanent ground anchor – but that doesn’t mean you can’t secure your bike to the ground.

If you rent your property, your landlord might not want you making any alterations. If you live in a block of flats, there might be clauses in your shareholder or leaseholder agreement that prevent you from fitting a permanent ground anchor.

Or you might want a solution to put a ground anchor in another location, for instance if you park your bike at your partner’s house once a week.

The great selection of ground anchors here is a great option. You screw it in to soft ground, a grassed area for example, and then chain your bike to the base. It’s made from hardened steel and sits deep into the ground.

Of course, thieves can still angle-grind the loop on the base to free the chain but their other alternative is to unscrew the base with the bike still attached and that would be quite the job.

Seeing as most bike thefts away from cities involve lifting the bike into a van, great selection of ground anchors here to secure their motorcycle or scooter.

Every motorcycle ground anchor available to buy in the UK right now

I’ve put together the list below showing all the ground anchors for sale in the UK. The prices range from £15 to nearly £200 and as you’d expect, the materials, sizes and complexity of design varies immensely.

I’ve written a short summary of each of the ground anchors, mentioning whether they are bolt-down or concrete in and whether you can use them for a wall mount or as a ground lock anchor. Every ground anchor listed below looks solid but I have also listed any security approved ratings they have, so that you can easily choose the best ground anchor for your needs.

This quality mounting anchor can be fixed to the wall as well as to the ground. Its 16 mm thick shackle made of specially hardened steel offers the greatest resistance. Thanks to its flat design and the high-quality plastic cover, the WBA 100 can be driven over, for example, in the garage without any problems. The WBA 100 is weatherproof and can be installed both indoors and outdoors.

Security ratings: Thatcham Category 3, Sold Secure Gold.

Thanks to the 14 mm thick shackle made of specially hardened steel. Everything you need for installation is included with the GRANIT™ WBA 75 Wall/Floor Anchor.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Bicycle Gold

Click here to see this ground anchor.

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Abus claim their WA 50 wall anchor is almost unbreakable . Once mounted, it can only be removed again with the greatest of effort and creates a connection option for your two-wheeler at any desired location. The WA 50 is weatherproof and can be installed both indoors and outdoors. The anchor can be used to secure two-wheeled vehicles in garages, cellars and houses.

Security ratings:

Compatible with every Almax Series of Chain (16mm, 19mmm and 22mm). Hard wearing Black Powder Coat finish to match the Almax Chain. Easy to install ultra-secure surface mounted anchor. Internal Rollers designed to deter angle grinder attacks. Chemical Bolt fixing, the strongest available. Cannot be levered out like traditional bolt down ground locks. Almax is the sole supplier for the Defiant Ground anchor.

Security ratings:

Telescopic ground anchor for motorcycles, quads and trailers, etc. Set in concrete, lifts up to give a heavy-duty anchor point for chains, etc. Best buy product in magazine tests. Heavy duty 4mm thick steel. Anti-corrosive zinc finish. Stay up gravity catch plate. Fits flush with surface when not in use. Submerged depth 305mm. Stands 165mm above ground. 60mm diameter anchor hole. Product Dimensions (LxWxH) mm: 305mm. Chain and bike not included. Security ratings:

Extreme heavy duty motorcycle ground anchor. Designed to be bolted to concrete/cement. Manufactured from 40mm solid steel bar and 10mm thick steel base. Base plate is 250mm x 200mm x 10mm thick. Welded from above and below. Supplied with 4 x 16mm through bolts and 4 x 16mm shear nuts. This anchor has a clear opening of over 105mm so it will take the largest motorcycle chains on the market. Finished in black. Security ratings:

Thatcham Category 3 approved with a drop forged stainless steel construction. BikeTrac’s all-new Ground Anchor has a sleek design that benefits from a 20mm case hardened shackle. Available in a choice of orange, red and green colour options. A comprehensive fixing kit is included. Security ratings: Thatcham Category 3

Manufacturer’s word: “It weights 10Kg (and therefore has to go by courier – you can`t post this by normal post).It`s shackle is 45mm square solid steel. The base plate alone is 15mm thick steel. It uses two M16 solid steel anchor bolts to hold it to the floor. It requires around 4″ (100mm) of solid concrete to fit the anchor bolts. It`s welded by an industrial welding machine which is normally used to weld heavy fabrications for the railway industry.” Security ratings:

Manufacturer’s word: Hardcastle Extra Secure Ground/wall Anchor – Includes 4 heavy duty ground bolts. Great for securing: vehicles, caravans, trailers, garden equipment etc. Hardened steel with extra strength welds – No sharp edges unlike the low quality fabrication replicas. Dimensions: width: 15cm – Height: 7cm – Steel thickness: 5mm. Note: 16mm drill bit required to bolt anchor to ground. Security ratings:

Manufacturer’s word: Large Ground Anchor provides security for Motorcycles, Large Trailers, Caravans, Plant Equipment etc. The Hardie-Secure Ground Anchor comes with a single bolt fixing which means it can be fitted quickly and easily ( approx 15 mins ). With all the fixings included, all you need is an electric drill. Security ratings:

Manufacturer’s word: Extra secure locking point for use indoors and out. Domed shape can be driven over without damage to car. 5/8-Inch cement anchor bolts install directly into cement (includes masonry bits). Steel shackle lays flat within domed body when not in use, making anchor safe to drive or walk over. Recommended for both residential and commercial installation. Security ratings:

Manufacturer’s word: 12mm hardened no-join ring held down by 4 large Dynabolts (included) through a very solid cast housing. The Dyna bolts then have a small fitting (included) to which stop them from being undone. This is no toy, it’s the real McCoy so match that with a Hi-Tech security chain and the chances of anyone taking whatever you have secured are seriously minimised. Security ratings:

Thatcham approved ground anchor. This heavy duty ground anchor uses two layers of hardened steel fixed to concrete by four M10 expandable bolts with Anti-Tamper bearings. Evaluated against “The British Insurance Industry’s Criteria for Vehicle Security”, using specific tests to indicate the effectiveness of the product. It is recognised as a Thatcham ‘Approved Device’ Category 3 Mechanical Immobiliser. Security ratings: Thatcham Approved

Heavy-Duty ground anchor. Simply sink the anchor into new concrete. Manufactured from hardened steel. Suitable for outdoor and indoor use. Includes ground anchor unit and instruction guide. Rotating head section allows optimum access for chain and ease of use. Security ratings:

Oxford Products Brute Force Ground Anchor. 2 bolts Secure this anchor to a wall or the floor. Sold Secure so you may get money off your insurance. Allen key provided and two ball bearings provided. Fits all of the Oxford Security Chains.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Sold Secure Gold Motorcycle Approved. Includes 4 Security Bolts as standard with anti-tamper ball bearings. Unique Rotating Head for easy fit and use. All Fittings and Instructions included.

Security ratings: Sold secure gold

Oxford Docking Station. The Ultimate Wall and Ground Anchor. Fits chain links up to 14mm in width. Combines the rigidity of an anchor with the flexibility of a chain. Made entirely from forged hardened steel. Uses the latest high security semi-elliptical key technology. Weather resistant dust cap. All necessary high security fittings included OF437.

Security ratings: Thatcham Approved

Case hardened concrete in steel floor anchor. Simple and easy to fit, most DIY stores now supply ready-mixed concrete that you just add water to. 26mm diameter case hardened steel head resists all forms of attack. 59mm internal diameter allows all chains to be fitted. All necessary fittings included. Fits all Oxford chains. Oxford part number: OF442.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Oxford’s AnchorForce U-Lock is a heavy duty, hardened steel ground anchor, which provides a secure anchor point to which chains can be attached. Can be fitted to concrete floors and walls. Bolts protected by ball bearings and hardened steel plugs. Fits all Oxford chains. Sold Secure approved and therefore accepted by insurance companies. 5 minute attack tested: saw/sledge hammer resistant.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Cycle Gold

Unique Double Bridge. Floor / wall Fitting. Solid Construction. Fits Chain up to 13mm. Four M10 × 70mm long countersunk security fixing screws, shield anchors and Steel Ball Inserts. Easy to Fit With Full Fitting Instruction Included. Red Powder Coated Finish. Made In Britain by PJB.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold, Thatcham Approve.

Single 8mm heavy lasercut hardened Bridge. Fully case hardened to RC60 spec. Very large aperture of 100mm x 50mm making this the ideal anchor for 16mm+ larger chains. Base plate 150mm x 150mm. Solid construction. Powder coated finish. Supplied complete with four security fixing bolts, steel ball inserts and fitting instructions. Made in Britain by PJB. Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Very compact folding bolt down or wall mounted anchor. Fully case hardened product to RC60 spec. Laser cut 28mm x 12.5mm hardened shackle. This anchor when not in use is only 35mm in height from ground level making it ideal to drive or ride over. Large aperture of 80mm x 80mm. Ideal for large chains upto 19mm. This anchor will fit two 16mm chains together. Base plate 150mm x 150mm. Powder coated finish. Supplied with four security fixing bolts and steel ball inserts and fitting instructions. Made in Britain by PJB.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Case hardened 19mm shackle to RC 60 spec. This anchor when not in use is only 35mm in height from ground level making it ideal to drive over. Large aperture of 100mm x 70mm. Now fits our Squire Ex- Caliber 16mm security chain range. Fits chain up to 19mm or two smaller chains. Black powder coated finish. Made in Britain.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Click here to see this ground anchor.

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Single Bridge Anchor. Fully Case Hardened Product to RC 60 Spec. Solid Construction. Supplied complete with four security fixing bolts, steel ball inserts. Fits chains up to 19mm. Blue Powder coated finish. Made in Britain. Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Unique design/Engineered Anchor. Very easy to use- simply slide chain through aperture. 180mm x 150mm x 12mm solid base plate. Fits chain up to 16mm or 19mm with the sleeve/cuff removed.
Red powder coated finish. Supplied with four M10 × 70mm countersunk security fixing screws, anchor shields and steel ball inserts. Solid construction. Ideal for garage or hardstandings. Made in Britain by PJB. Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

High security ground anchor using four high-quality fixings. It has a heavy, 8mm thickness, steel bridge welded to a 10mm thick base plate. It is case hardened to resist freezing, cutting and grinding attacks. It cannot be bolt-cropped. It can be fitted with DIY tools. It has two-stage corrosion protection with a zinc phosphate pretreatment and tough powder coating finish. There is sufficient space for a single 19mm or 16mm or 13mm Protector (or similar) chain, or two Protector 11mm chains at once. It is Made in Britain – Support British industry!

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Sold Secure Diamond Rated – They are very secure – unlike some other bolt-in ground anchors the Torc Ground Anchor uses four of the highest quality fixings, rather than relying on poor quality fixings or a single bolt. It uses a full 22mm diameter forged hardened steel shackle – compare with many other products that use just 12mm or even less!

Ideal if you only have a front lawn or similar area as this ground anchor winds into soft ground. Independent tests show that a 4×4 on tarmac was unable to pull the anchor out of the ground from direct pull.  Supplied with Manual Turning Handle.

Click here to see this ground anchor.

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Hardened steel ground anchor. Security for motorcycles, trailers and compressors. Recommended installation in concrete. Rated as Sold Secure Gold for motorcycles. Specifications:Staple hole dia.50mm. Weight 2.26kg.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Click here to see this ground anchor.

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The single-bolt fixing, high-grade steel XGA ground anchor is a unique, maximum security chain or cable point that installs in minutes. Simple, convenient and strong, the anchor folds flat when not in use and is safe to drive over. XENA’s innovative, concentric-circle design is the first of its kind to present a completely sealed steel face with no access points. Fixes to floor or wall with a single bolt and swings through 360 degrees for total convenience.

Click here to see this ground anchor.

The original Totally concealed motorcycle security ground anchor. Unique flush fitting design. No visible parts to encounter attack. Insurance approved. Discounts on motorcycle insurance premiums are offered by most UK insurance companies.

Security ratings: Sold Secure Gold

Ground Anchor FAQ

Can you fit a ground anchor into Tarmac?
If you are fitting a ‘concrete in’ ground anchor, you can also sink these and cover them in Tarmac. For most on-the-surface, bolt-down ground anchors, the bolts supplied will not be as secure in Tarmac as they would in concrete. However, it’s sensible to figure out how thick your Tarmac is and what’s beneath it. If you can sink the bolts into concrete or hard-standing under the Tarmac, they will be more secure. If it is purely Tarmac, then search for ‘Tarmac ground anchor bolts’ in Google to find a specific bolt to help secure your ground anchor.

Can I fix a ground anchor to a wall?

You need to be careful when using a wall. If the wall can be knocked over (i.e. with a sledgehammer blow) then it won’t be secure. Low walls are generally insecure. You should look to fit the ground anchor a maximum of 100cm from any wall edge as the expanding bolts exert pressure on the wall and can affect the structure.