Hey, I just recently got some home owner’s insurance, and they want serial numbers for bikes. I imagine unicycles are considered in the same category . . . but unicycles don’t have serial numbers, right?
I haven’t found a serial number on any of my unis. How are they kept track of?
Anyone have experience having gasp unicycles stolen and dealing with insurance?
I actually posted a thread about this not too long ago. I wanted to get my unicycle registered in case it got stolen - I searched all over the thing, didn’t find a single trace of the numbers. Some Torkers and Norco giraffes have them, as Harley said.
I wish the companies would just give the unicycles serial numbers. Slap them right on the frame (least likely part to get changed) and it’s golden. Maybe there’s something I’m missing.
Serial number is for recovery. For reimbursement you should have proof of ownership, such as receipts, etc. Also photos of the cycle would be very helpful in the (unlikely but possible) case of recovery.
FYI I sent an email to Kris Holm and Roger at UDC UK about this a while back.
From Kris I got:
and from Roger:
and:
Not sure what the outcome was but I presume it was that it’s too expensive a process to add to unicycle production so not currently viable.
I do agree with the comments here and the comments made about the viability of it as stamping a different number on every unicycle produced is not a simple task.
It would perhaps be easier for Kris to do as his unicycles are laser etched anyway so presumably the software could be set up to etch a small individual serial number onto each frame without any change in production machinery (perhaps below the KH## etching)
Sounds like this would be a huge headache if Frankenunis (of which I have 3) get stolen. All of them are built up from frames, and they’re constantly changing.
I guess it’s a good thing that Unicycle.com emails receipts. Not sure what the insurance companies would make of stuff purchased at NAUCC or scored in trades.
I’ve made a spreadsheet of all my parts, when I purchased them and approximate prices. Do you think that would hold any weight?
I think there’s an additional layer of complexity to all this, which is the accompanying piece of paper that has the serial number on it. Not sure if most products with serial numbers do this, or they ask you to write it down on a blank in a non-unique set of paperwork. Either way, the customer would need to either write the number down before something bad happened, or not lose the piece of paper with the serial # on it.
With regards to the spreadsheet, why not just keep various invoices? You can ask for invoices in private trades (and I’m sure at events) they only take a few mins to make up.
So true. If it isn’t in writing, it isn’t covered. Probably that means if it isn’t written in the policy paperwork, it isn’t covered.
I’ve had experience with a cell phone that fell in a toilet (clear water, at least). It was on at the time, and the current that was in there, even though it was turned off afterward, caused all the circuitry to corrode.
i am currently sorting out insurance for my uni, but the insurance company want a serial number to be stamped onto it i dont rearly like the idea of a 36KH frame being permanantly damaged
we are looking into weather we can use one of the police marker pens which can only be seen under UV light, this way i can have a number written all over the unicycle but not see it
i’m hoping for a discount over b*k’s because unicycles dont get stolen as often but it doesn’t look like we will get anything
You might be able to get a local engineering company to laser etch a serial number on which wouldn’t be as damaging and would probably still class as sufficient.
I have the seatpost on my KH24 laser etched as if someone steals it intending to sell it, I doubt they’ll look at the seatpost and someone who might buy it in good faith will hopefully realise.
Basically I laser etched it cos I could I’ll probably do the frame at some point.
Yeah, laser etching on various parts is a good idea. Also putting abit of a stange coloured paint on the inside of seatposts / underside of seats / crank threads / inner tubes / tyres.
It would be hard for someone to replace all them parts in one go.
Another posibility. ( No, I don’t have shares in the company.) http://www.selectamark.co.uk/product_selectadot.html
There are other versions of the microdot system.
Glue them on, scatter them about, depending on your budget.
Your potential thief is warned by the label and all parts can be identified as yours ( said felon can’t be sure about finding them all)+ you may have stuff which is more valuable than your uni. which can be added to the database, but I doubt it.