Scooter security: Abus Centuro 860 Cable lock review

Date reviewed: February 2018 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £45.99 | Weight: 932g | www.abus.com/uk

The Abus Centuro 860 uses a 4.7mm steel cable inside an articulated, armoured sleeve that’s covered in a soft, rubbery material. It comes with two keys, is available in lengths of 85cm and 110cm, and is rated to Sold Secure Bicycle Bronze.

Size and weight

We tested the 110cm version; it weighs 932g and rolls up quite tightly, so the Centuro 860 should easily fit in any scooter’s boot.

Ease of use and compatibility with scooters

This Abus can be looped around the wheel, as well as the forks or swingarm. It can also be used to tie the machine to something solid, like street furniture.

Threading it through the wheel will eventually pick up some dirt, but the body is easy to wipe clean.

To understand how best to use your lock, click here

Resistance to attack

Our 8” cutters couldn’t breach the armoured exterior, and even when this was crushed with the 42” bolt croppers, neither were able to cut the wire core. It’s likely that some cutters might be able to get through the wire, but it’s not as easy as other more basic products.

The hacksaw skimmed across the hardened rollers, but once these were crushed out of the way, it was possible to cut the wire with the saw.

The body of the lock couldn’t be broken with a lump hammer and anvil, though there is an area of it that’s susceptible to a hacksaw attack, given enough time and effort.

Needless to say, an angle grinder made very short work of the Centuro, thanks to the relatively small amount of material needed to be cut.

Verdict

The Abus Centuro 860 is surprisingly hard to defeat with hand tools, but it is of course very weak against an angle grinder. We’d certainly not recommend its use for overnight security, especially if your scooter is left in the same place every time, but when out and about, it offers a useful deterrent against London’s most common thieves, who aren’t carrying any tools.

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