Consumer Editor of Bennetts BikeSocial, John's owned over 20 bikes, has been testing motorcycle kit for more than 25 years and is a member of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, and part of the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group.
Date reviewed: November 2023 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £300 | Weight: 2.69kg | hiplok.com/1000-series
The Hiplok DX1000 on review here is a slightly larger version of the excellent Hiplok D1000 reviewed back in 2021. A few centimetres here and there might not sound much, but by making the DX1000’s shackle wider and longer, it now fits over more front wheels than any other angle-grinder resistant disk lock. It’ll even go over many rear wheels.
The DX1000 forms part of Hiplok’s new 1000 range, which also includes the first angle-grinder-resistant ground anchors: the A1000 (review here) and the AX1000 (review here). Combined with either of these, Hiplok has created a system that can provide outstanding theft protection both at home and when out and about, so while it might seem costly at first, you could be saving money over buying separate security kit.
The new range is being launched initially on Kickstarter, with discounts available to early backers. The D1000 was also launched this way, and with Hiplok being such a well-established, trustworthy company, you can buy in confidence if you don’t want to wait until they’re available for sale from stock on the main Hiplok website.
Pros & Cons
Outstanding resistance to angle-grinder attacks
Larger size makes it extremely versatile
Can form part of an excellent home and away security package
Would be great to have the option of brighter colours
Size and weight
The Hiplok DX1000 has been designed with motorcycles in mind, whereas the original D1000 was primarily focussed on the push-bike market. After discussing the sizing with Hiplok after the D1000 was launched, BikeSocial spent some time with the founders and designers looking at the range of motorcycles on the market and the challenges riders face in security. We also loaned them a Kawasaki ZX-6R rear-wheel for development, so we’ve been looking forward to seeing what would be released. And we’re not disappointed.
At a measured weight of 2,694g the Hiplok DX1000 is around 600g heavier than the Litelok X3 that’s its main competitor (and 960g heavier than the smaller Hiplok D1000). While this additional weight might be potentially unnecessary for a cyclist, it’s not an issue when carried on a motorcycle.
Slung in your bike’s hard or soft luggage (it’ll just about fit into a small SW Motech Daypack if you separate the shackle from the body), strapped to the tail or even under the seat if you have space, the Hiplok DX1000 has a soft silicone sleeve over the shackle to protect anything it’s in contact with as well as your bike’s paintwork during use. Do note though that the ends of the shackle are exposed when passing it over your wheel or cast spokes, so be careful of your paint; the silicone sleeve is thick enough though that they’re usually kept well out of the way.
The body of the DX1000 has a tough plastic cover that will also prevent any damage. While the design looks great in black, I’d love to see brighter colours to not only warn off potential thieves, but also to remind me that it’s on the bike before riding off! Maybe an option for the future as this is removable on the new lock?
Weight really isn’t an issue on a motorcycle, but size is. The Hiplok D1000 is great on a push bike, but a snug fit on motorcycles with its 90mm x 160mm internal shackle dimensions.
The Litelok X1 is bigger, at 101mm x 198mm, but slightly less resistant to attack. The Litelok X3 is very tough, being especially resistant to abrasive disc attacks, and is 100mm x 195mm. The new Hiplok DX1000 is a class-leading 113mm x 208mm, which might not sound much, but it’s the only angle-grinder resistant lock currently on the market that will fit completely over the front wheel and tyre of a 2019 BMW R1250GS, a 1999 Kawasaki ZX-6R, a 2012 Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 and a 2001 Honda VFR800, which is particularly awkward due to ridges cast in the wheel.
The DX1000 will also fit (snugly) over the rear wheel of the GS and the ZX-6R, but not quite over the VFR thanks to those ridges.
The size of the Hiplok DX1000 makes it the most versatile high-security D-lock on the market. You can also of course loop it around cast spokes, and while it’d be easy to consider these a weak point to attack, on most machines the access isn’t there to get a grinder through them. Equally, while many fear that front wheels could be removed in a theft, there’s no evidence from the police of this being a real issue.
Unsurprisingly given the size of the Hiplok DX1000’s shackle (which is 15x21mm under the 26x33mm silicone sleeve), even the largest professional bolt-croppers proved to have no chance of getting through, only small sections of the welded plates chipping off when attacked with the silicone sleeve removed.
Attacking the body of the lock with repeated blows from a heavy lump hammer immediately shatters the plastic cover, but does nothing more than lightly dent the steel body beneath.
The shackle’s cover shows some signs of tearing after an intensive attack, and the plates on the outer edges of the shackle can be cracked, but the lock holds up completely to sustained blows.
I also attacked the lock with a sledge-hammer, despite this being an unlikely attack given that the lock will rarely be on the ground, but again there was no structural damage.
The Hiplok DX1000’s lock barrel is a highly-pick resistant design that’s basically the same as the original D1000. Most top-end security is tested against lock-picking by the brands, often with the Master Locksmiths Association.
We’re told that the D1000 was also sent to the Lock Picking Lawyer when it was launched, but like other manufacturers have reported, it was never featured on the channel. Bennetts BikeSocial has also been unable to make contact with the man who is clearly very good at a technique that is simply not seen in real-world motorcycle thefts due to the high levels of skill, patience and dexterity required, even with the very specialist tools he promotes for sale.
The ‘inverted sidebar’ lock mechanism used in the Hiplok DX1000 and D1000 is designed to prevent the internals from being put under tension. Nicolas Florent, a cyber-security consultant and French lock-picking champion was unable to beat it – you can read more about the attempts made by three lock pickers on the Hiplok and others brands here.
The Hiplok’s barrel is protected by a hardened steel plate, though like with the D1000 I was eventually able to drill through this with some effort. Theoretically this could lead to the potential to open the lock, but it would require a significant amount of time, fiddling and even some luck. While the lock would be inoperable, it’s not a fast route to a thief getting it open.
My only issue with the DX1000 was that the two barrels I tested gave way more quickly than that on the D1000. John Abrahams, co-founder of Hiplok and the designer of the DX1000 told me that “the production DX1000s will use the same cylinder design – with a few tweaks – as the D1000 so it will be as, if not more secure, when it hits the market.”
Thanks to the use of Ferosafe in the construction, it took six quality 1.0mm abrasive cuttings discs to get the Hiplok DX1000 free of the Triumph Tiger front wheel I use for testing. There’s enough movement in the shackle that it would come off a cast spoke with one cut, but even this requires three abrasive discs, which is very impressive.
Since 2022 I’ve also been testing locks using a specialist (and expensive) diamond cutting disc designed specifically for metals (most are for stone, and not as effective for attacking locks). There are several things to consider here before believing the scare-mongering on social media:
Thieves typically use equipment they’ve stolen from a van
They need equipment that will cover any eventuality
Diamond metal cutting disks are NOT as effective on all materials; in many cases, abrasive discs are a lot quicker
The abrasive disc remains the most efficient way to attack the majority of kit, and it’s cheaper and more readily available
As an example, but without allowing our test data to be used by criminals to choose the best tools for each job, a diamond cutting disc is significantly slower when used to attack hardened steel. On the other hand, they can be quicker – in some cases – than abrasive discs on some materials, and they also have the advantage of not shattering, and of not wearing out as quickly.
The Hiplok DX1000 is a good example; in testing, I was able to cut the shackle more quickly with a diamond disk, and it only took one, but it still took significantly longer to cut that any heavy-duty chain, ground anchor – or angle-grinder-resistant lock – that I’ve previously beaten with the tools most efficient for each one’s attack.
Also keep in mind that during testing I’m working in ideal conditions with a new, high-quality angle-grinder and a freshly-charged high-capacity battery with brand new cutting discs. Criminal video evidence proves that thieves tend to defeat locks much more slowly than can be achieved in the perfect conditions of testing.
As with the D1000, the body of the DX1000 is extremely tough and even more resistant to attack than the impressively resilient shackle.
The Hiplok DX1000 is Sold Secure Powered Cycle (formerly motorcycle) Diamond and ART 4 stars rated.
Combined with the Hiplok AX1000 or A1000 ground anchors, the new DX1000 can make a great security solution for home and away
How and why to use an angle-grinder resistant D-lock
Motorcycle security is all about layering – using multiple security devices in order to best deter a thief. If used at home with a ground anchor (especially the angle-grinder resistant Hiplok A1000 or AX1000), even if the anchor is defeated, the DX1000 still needs to be cut off in order to roll the bike.
Out on the street, the typical theft is a ‘push-away’, where criminals snap the relatively fragile steering lock, then push the bike off with the help of a mate on a scooter. The bike will typically be left tucked away surprisingly close (as shown here) while they wait to see if it’s recovered using a tracker. Fitting a D-lock around the wheel will prevent this form of theft.
An additional, and valuable layer of defence while out and about is to also use a chain. I’d recommend a noose chain, which can be looped through itself for extra length without too much bulk then attached to the Hiplok’s shackle (though you might need to trim some of the silicone away), but of course any portable chain is going to be far less resistant to attack than the Hiplok DX1000. Still, thieves will have to cut the chain to release the bike, and they’ll still have the lock around the wheel to contend with. Every layer like this makes it even more likely that criminals will move on to something else…
The Hiplok fits easily over every front wheel I’ve tried it on, but you will hear people worrying that the wheel will be removed in a theft. While this is plausible, it’s again not something that is showing as a typical theft method. Even in thefts from the home, thieves will usually be looking for the easiest way in or out, and removing the calipers, pinch-bolts, axle bolt and the axle itself before lifting the front of the bike clear and lugging it out of the way is not quick or easy.
The key thing is to think about how you use any security, and while extremes can occur, doing all you can with good-quality kit will make it far less likely that you suffer a theft.
Bennetts BikeSocial test results
Product: Hiplok DX1000
Weight as tested: 2,694g
Bolt cropper attack:PASS
Sledge hammer attack:PASS
Angle grinder attack:OUTSTANDING (best of any device tested to date)
Hiplok DX1000 review: Verdict
There’s no such thing as an entirely attack-proof lock; anything can be defeated given the right tools and enough time, but the fact is that using ANY security significantly reduces the chances of your bike being stolen, and the toughest kit – like the Hiplok DX1000 – will hold up for a long time against even the most determined of criminals.
On its own, the Hiplok DX1000 is an outstanding piece of motorcycle security thanks to its combined resistance to both abrasive and diamond cutting discs, not to mention the way it shrugs off hammer and crop attacks. And when combined with the A1000 or the AX1000 ground anchors, Hiplok has created a package that offers you the highest levels of protection both at home and when out and about.
A 22mm or 25mm chain and well-made traditional ground anchor will offer a huge amount of protection, but you can’t carry it with you, so there is the potential to save money if buying from the Hiplok 1000 range. There are some limitations in that you need to position the anchor accurately in order to shackle the bike with the DX1000 – there’s not the flexibility that a chain can offer – but if this system will work with your bike then it’s an excellent option for those who understand the value of investing in decent quality security that they’ll be able to use wherever they are.
Whether you use it at home with an anchor, or when out though, the DX1000 comes highly recommended.
