Squire Stronghold D16 MAX review | Angle-grinder-resistant D-lock tested
By John Milbank
Consumer Editor of Bennetts BikeSocial
18.12.2024
Date reviewed: December 2024 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £289.99 | Weight: 2.82kg | www.squirelocks.co.uk
The Squire Stronghold D16 MAX on review here is the latest angle-grinder-resistant D-lock on the market, priced to sit between the Litelok X3 tested here, and the Hiplok DX1000 tested here.
The Squire is built with what’s described as a ‘heavy-duty tungsten carbide armouring material’, which can be seen as strips running around the shackle and over the body.
Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond certified, it’s available direct from Squire or from dealers, and if you buy it in store it also includes a hi-viz reminder cable.
I’ve run it through our usual series of real-world destruction tests to find out if it’s worth the money…
Pros & Cons
Good resistance to attack
High-quality lock barrel
Well-protected shackle
Shackle could be bigger for motorcycle use
Not as resistant to attack as main competitors
Size and weight
Weighing 2,816g, the Squire Stronghold D16 MAX is 122g heavier than the Hiplok DX1000, and 736g heavier than the Litelok X3, however it also has the narrowest internal shackle width at 93mm. This will partly be due to the rubbery coating at 33mm x 28.5mm, but while the internal height is a class-leading 223mm, this lock won’t fit over the wheel of my BMW R1250GS, Honda VFR800 or Zontes ZT350-T. It will however go over the front wheel of my 1999 Kawasaki ZX-6R. Unfortunately the size of the shackle’s coating means it won’t pass through the holes in the BMW’s hub.
Removing a front wheel is very unlikely in a theft (and more hassle than you might think), but if the Squire won’t fit over the wheel and tyre you’ll need to loop it over cast spokes. Don’t use it over traditional spokes as these are too easy to cut, and keep in mind that, while less likely, it can be possible to cut a cast spoke; if the bike is to be broken up for parts, a thief might not be too worried.
It's not a good idea to carry any lock in a rucksack, so the weight of the Squire is not really a concern once it’s in your bike’s luggage.
The keyway is protected by a sliding cover, though it’d be nice to see this a little more restricted in its movement as it tends to fall open on its own.
Under the protective coating, the Stronghold D16 MAX’s shackle is between 17mm and 19mm thick.
Resistance to attack: lock picking
I have regular meetings with police forces and security experts as part of the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group, so can tell you with confidence that lock picking is NOT a technique used in typical motorcycle thefts, regardless of what some YouTubers looking to sell their tool kits might suggest.
While I don’t have the skills to test lock picking, it is part of Sold Secure’s certification, and the Squire has a six-pin high security cylinder with more than 500,000 combinations. Two keys are supplied, along with a code card for duplicates.
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: bolt-croppers
The Squire Stronghold D16 MAX cannot be cut with even the largest, 42” bolt croppers.
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
The outer casing of the lock’s body is shaped to make it harder to get a decent-sized drill bit into the barrel. After several minutes I was able to destroy it with a smaller bit, but this didn’t defeat the lock.
This keyway cut-out will be more expensive to produce than a simple hole, so it’s great to see as part of the design.
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 repeated blows with a lump hammer, beyond the plastic casing coming off there was no significant damage sustained.
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 inclusion of tungsten carbide in the Squire Stronghold’s shackle and body makes it harder to attack than a traditional D-lock with even high-quality abrasive cutting disks, though during testing it was noted that it’s less troublesome to defeat than the Hiplok or Litelok competitors, which was partly due to the performance anti-angle-grinder material, but also the design of the shackle and locking mechanism.
Attack testing the body of the lock showed that it put up a good fight.
Using diamond cutting discs can be advantageous when attacking some angle-grinder resistant locks, but these are also very poor on hardened steel. Abrasive discs tend to be the more universally-effective cutting device, though the Squire isn’t the most effective against diamond discs when compared to the competition.
To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.
Product: Squire Stronghold D16 MAX
Weight as tested: 2,816g
Bolt cropper attack: PASS
Sledge hammer attack: PASS
Angle grinder attack: PASS
Squire Stronghold D16 MAX review: Verdict
The last few years have seen what were relatively small brands utterly transform the face of motorcycle security – first Hiplok with the D1000, followed by Litelok with the X1 and X3, and then the class-leading Hiplok DX1000. Big names like Abus were a bit late to the party with the Granit Super Extreme 2500 reviewed here, and then Squire with this Stronghold D16 MAX, so it’s a shame not to find a larger shackle and better resistance to angle-grinder attack.
The Stronghold D16 Max is a solid lock that offers good protection from attack, though it’s found itself in a very tough market.
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