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Oxford Beast disc lock review | Diamond-rated motorcycle security

Consumer Editor of Bennetts BikeSocial

Posted:

06.03.2025

 

Date reviewed: March 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £99.99 | Weight: 1.25kg | oxfordlocks.co.uk

 

The Oxford Beast disc lock on review here is a solidly designed device that’s been certified to Sold Secure’s Powered Cycle Diamond rating, and is also recognised by Secured by Design, which requires the Sold Secure testing to allow paid access to a police-acknowledged database.

While it has the same vulnerability as any other disc lock in that the brake disc itself can be cut if the thief is willing, it’s a solid device that’s unfortunately limited in its ability to work on a large proportion of motorcycles…

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Excellent resistance to direct attacks

  • Good price for a Diamond-rated disc lock

Cons
  • Design won’t fit on some bikes

  • The brake disc is the vulnerability with all disc locks

Size and weight

Weighing 1.25kg, the Oxford Beast is a solid piece of kit with a 16.0mm diameter locking pin (tapering down to 9.5mm at its smallest, though invulnerable area). While it shouldn’t be carried in a pocket, it’s a relatively compact device at 80.0mm tall and 79.3mm at its widest diameter.

Three keys are supplied and a silicone plug is attached to the upper body to keep the keyway clean and dry. A hole in body’s rim allows a reminder cable to be clipped in.

Unfortunately, while the 9.0mm gap for the brake disc would appear to be big enough, the large diameter of the upper body fouls the rivets on the floating discs of some bikes. On others the design was flawed in different ways:

BikeFit?Comments
BMW R1250GSNoLocking pin base fouls hub
Honda VFR800NoLocking pin won’t fit in gap
Zontes ZT-350TNoToo tight against rivets
Triumph Tiger ExplorerJustVery hard to find position against rivets
Kawasaki ZX-6RYes(Aftermarket discs)

While the 2001 Kawasaki’s discs are aftermarket, the OE ones will likely have the same rivet spacing, which is wider than the Beast’s upper body.

On the 1999 Honda, the space between the carrier and disc was too small for the lock’s pin, and carrier is angled, so it can’t be secured in these either.

If Oxford adds a millimetre or so to the length of the locking pin it’ll make it more compatible with some bikes, but still not the likes of the R1250GS or the VFR800.

Resistance to attack: lock picking

While some YouTube channels might make lock picking look easy, especially when selling the creator’s own tools, it’s not a theft method used in typical motorcycle thefts at all.

Given enough time, the right tools and – most importantly – the skill, the majority of locks can be picked, but it’s certainly not an issue in the UK.

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: drill

Though it’s easy to get a drill into the Oxford Beast’s keyway, the first plate is very hard and stood up well to my drill testing, making this an unviable form of attack.

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: pry-bar

Even with a very long pry bar, I was unable to defeat the Oxford Beast disc lock.

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: lump hammer

Despite a severe and prolonged attack with a lump hammer, the Oxford Beast disc lock suffered nothing more than cosmetic damage.

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

The Oxford Beast disc lock is extremely resistant to a direct attack with an angle-grinder. Defeating it only required one disc, but it was a very long process, and I did have to finish it off with the lump hammer.

Any disc lock’s vulnerability is in the thief cutting the brake disc itself, but they’re not always willing to do this.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Bennetts BikeSocial test results

Product: Oxford Beast disc lock

Weight as tested: 1.25kg

Drill attack: PASS

Pry-bar attack: PASS

Sledge hammer attack: PASS

Angle grinder attack: EXCEPTIONAL (in direct attack)

To see the other chains and locks tested by Bennetts BikeSocial, click here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through BikeSocial membership.

Oxford Beast disc lock review: Verdict

I can see what Oxford was hoping to achieve with the Beast disc lock – a proven tough device that fits in with the existing Beast range of ground anchors, chains and locks – but unfortunately its size and shape seriously limits it use on far too many bikes. If it didn’t fit just the Zontes I wouldn’t be worried, but I only got it easily on one in five of the bikes I tested it with.

Any disc lock suffers the same vulnerability of an attack to the brake disc itself, and it of course can’t stop the bike being picked up, but they are an extremely valuable deterrent that our data has shown can reduce the chances of theft by a factor of at least 300%. It’s a shame then that the Beast fits so few of the bikes I’ve tried it on.

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