Hiplok Mega Chain review | 22mm noose-end chain tested
By John Milbank
Consumer Editor of Bennetts BikeSocial
18.12.2024
Date reviewed: December 2024 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £169.99 | Weight: 11.98kg | hiplok.com
The Hiplok Mega Chain on review here offers an excellent partner to the class-leading angle-grinder-resistant Hiplok DX1000 D-lock tested here thanks to its tough construction and useful large noose-end loop.
Chains like this have been overlooked by some in the past, but this design provides some very real advantages (as long as you also understand the limitations).
The Hiplok Mega Chain is certified to the highest Powered Cycle Diamond by Sold Secure, and I’ve put it through the full suite of Bennetts BikeSocial destruction tests to see if it’s worth the money…
Pros & Cons
Perfect pairing to a quality D-lock
Noose-end makes for a more compact chain
Excellent hardening is resistant to attack
A good value investment
Not suitable for a traditional padlock setup
Size and weight
Weighing a hefty 11.98kg, this is not a chain most people will carry around with them, and it’s almost certainly too heavy to pop in any motorcycle luggage. I have met people though who carry chains like this in a tough bag fixed to the pillion seat, and coiling up to approximately 30cm in diameter thanks to the relatively short 1.3m length, it’s reasonably compact.
Attached to a standard ground anchor, the Hiplok Mega Chain has a useable length of 96cm, which is at least as good as a 2m traditional 22mm chain
Don’t be put off by that seemingly short 1.3m – the whole point of a noose-end chain is that you don’t have to attach one end to the other. For example, a traditional chain has an effective length of less than half its total because it has to wrap around the anchor and the bike, before securing both ends together with a lock.
A noose-end chain is perfect for use with a D-lock that fits over the wheel (like the Hiplok DX1000) as it wraps around the anchor point (like a street light for instance), then has just one end tethered to the lock, giving it a much greater effective reach than its size would suggest.
The links measure between 21.4mm and 22.51mm, with the large noose loop having an internal diameter of 86.59mm.
At the other end, the link has an inside size of 28.58mm x 59.1mm, which is big enough to slip over the shackle of a Hiplok DX1000, a Litelok X3 or a Squire Stronghold D16 MAX.
The outer width of the main links is 71mm, and 73mm with the tough, paint-protecting Velcro-secured nylon sleeve fitted.
Resistance to attack: bolt-croppers
Due to its sheer size, there is no way to bolt crop the Hiplok Mega Chain.
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: sledge hammer
For the best attack resistance, a motorcycle security chain needs to strike a balance between a tough case-hardened outer and a more ductile through-hardening inside to avoid being too brittle. Hiplok seems to have got it right as, even with my worst-case-scenario testing of having plenty of time and space to work, and a length of railway track as an anvil, I was unable to do anything more than cosmetic damage to the Mega Chain.
It's always best to keep chains off the ground as they’re harder to attack that way, but this Hiplok is extremely well made.
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
In general, besides those with incorrect hardening, the thicker the chain the longer it takes to cut with an angle-grinder, and the Hiplok Mega Chain is right up there with the very best I’ve tested under both abrasive and diamond disc attacks.
Granted, it can’t compete with the superb performance of the Hiplok DX1000, but it still requires a very time-consuming and noisy attack. And even if the chain is defeated, the bike still can’t be pushed away with the D-lock on the wheel.
To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.
Product: Hiplok Mega Chain
Weight as tested: 11.98kg
Bolt cropper attack: FPASS
Sledge hammer attack: PASS
Angle grinder attack: PASS (EXCELLENT)
Hiplok Mega Chain review: Verdict
If you have your own garage – and can afford it – the Hiplok AX1000 tested here is the best pairing for an angle-grinder-resistant D-lock as it’s effectively a chain and ground anchor in one, plus it’s even more resistant to attack than a 22mm chain like the one on review. However, if you have to park the bike off your property, or simply don’t have the money for the AX1000, the Mega Chain is a brilliant investment.
If you’re fitting it to a standard ground anchor, as with any large chain make sure that the links will pass through, but besides the noose-end they’re a typical size. Also remember that this isn’t suitable for use with a padlock.
As a home security chain (or even one to take with you if you’re really dedicated), the Hiplok Mega Chain comes highly recommended and is a superb partner to almost any angle-grinder-resistant D-lock.
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