Let down big time by Abus

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Ste T.

Guru
Has anybody had any bad experience with the Abus Granit X 54 plus. I bought one recently and when it arrived I was well chuffed with it. It looks the part and is solid as a rock. Also the design of the bracket that holds it on the bike was really good. Right then, thats my security worries over....or so I thought.

The first time I used it was in a town centre about ten miles from home. When I came back to the bike I couldn't get it to unlock from the bike stand. After struggling for a while I phoned my wife who came by car with the spare key. Still no luck. By now I had been at it for over an hour and was starting to get desperate as group of young lads were taking an interest. The thought of leaving my bike in the town centre overnight wasn't too appealing. Now the very reasons I bought this lock were starting to work against us. This is the lock that can't be picked. It laughs in the face of boltcroppers. The only way to get it off was to call a local garage to come and anglegrind it off. But by now it was 6.30 pm and they were shut. What a nightmare. I was pulling my hair out. I couldnt believe that in 40 years of using billy basic locks I had never had a problem. Pay seventy quid for a gold standard one and this happens!

I had reached the point where I was thinking of stripping the frame of everything I could take when I gave it another go.....It worked Phew ! I did exactly what I had been doing for the previous hour, but this time it worked. Now it wouldn't relock to stow it on the frame for the journey home.

Abus have a well deserved reputation for turning out good gear, but I think they have a problem with this model. I have since noticed that Evans customer reviews shows somebody else have the same thing happen to them.

This is compared to dozens of rave customer reviews.

So, am I one of the two unluckiest cyclists around, or has anybody else gone through this ? Its a pity as I loved the design of the lock and bracket, but I think all in all, I got off very lightly.
What do you use and can you recommend it?
 

battered

Guru
Said group f lads hadn't stuffed something inside it had they, either to force you to leave it there so they can return with angle grinders at 2am, or just out of spite?
 
OP
OP
Ste T.

Ste T.

Guru
Possible I suppose but there was no sign of them for an hour, and the key went in fine. Also I only ride a basic Hardrock ( no discs) so Im inclining towards a faulty model. I did wonder what Wiggles or Abus's reaction would have been hade I angleground it off and sent it back in bits.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Send it back - likely a faulty one - WD40 the locking mechanism ?

NY Mini Fagh here - very short and needs careful locking - bike has to be positioned just right to get it through rear triangle and around stand.

Now, as always be careful with the keys...never force them.
 
OP
OP
Ste T.

Ste T.

Guru
numbnuts, is that the same model?
As awful as the experience was, if I thought it was an one off ( or two ) I might be tempted to have another go as I thought the design was brilliant.
 
Send it back - likely a faulty one - WD40 the locking mechanism ?


NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Never use WD in a lock, wonderful stuff though it is. Get yourself to a locksmiths shop and get a little bottle of powdered graphite, wonderful stuff.
I've just ordered an X-Plus 54 230mm so I hope I don't have the same thing happen :ohmy:
 

ttcycle

Cycling Excusiast
I'd send it back, sounds like there's a fault with it - had mine for about a year and it's been great. I'd echo previous posts in that you have to be careful with not forcing the key
 

e-rider

Banned member
Location
South West
kryptonite M18

RRP £100 but can be bought on the web for £55

No frame mounting bracket though. And you need to be careful with the key - don't force it if it doesn't work first time - just a little tickle!

I would guess that the key wasn't pushed in quite far enough and that's why it wasn't working - this is a common problem with many locks of all designs. sometimes a little tap with some thing hard on the end of the key is required.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
Lubricating locks.

Either get yourself one of these or

buy a graphite pencil and follow these instructions.

Info gleaned the hard way from a locksmith after some numpty at work used WD40 to completely gunge up lubricate a number of locks.

Always spend a bit pof time playing with your lock on your lap before you use it in anger for the first time. Many new locks need a knack to set the key just right and keys do need to sometimes be run in.
 

Crepello

Active Member
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Never use WD in a lock, wonderful stuff though it is. Get yourself to a locksmiths shop and get a little bottle of powdered graphite, wonderful stuff.
I've just ordered an X-Plus 54 230mm so I hope I don't have the same thing happen :ohmy:
WHY? What happens if you do use WD40??? Greg collins alludes to someone gunging a lock up with it; how can WD40 gunge up? It's not grease; it hardly has any lubricating properties. Someone please enlighten me?

Anyway, I'd speculate that the lock being new, that the key may have needed wearing in. Locksmiths often say that if you have any trouble with a newly cut key, just bring it back and they will probably give it a little light filing. It's what I'd do
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
^^ I can't answer why WD40 makes locks sticky, but it does. A colleague at work repairs government security locks whose internal workings are made of brass. Brass never needs oiling, it runs against other brass surfaces well on it's own, and at worst just needs a bit of graphite to help it along. His most common callout is to locks where the user has had the bright idea of using WD40. It acts like glue on brass for some reason.
 
WHY? What happens if you do use WD40??? Greg collins alludes to someone gunging a lock up with it; how can WD40 gunge up? It's not grease; it hardly has any lubricating properties. Someone please enlighten me?

It does leave a damp film and any crap that gets in there will stay in there, eventually clogging the mechanism. Dry graphite powder won't attract or trap any crap in it, keeping the mechanism clean and as it was intended.
I only know this because I used to put three-in-one in a shed padlock and the whole thing stuck after a year or so until I soaked it in turps to clean it out.

That lock did not get road spray or general dirt thrown at it like a bike lock would either, so it was a surprise to see all of the dirt come out of it.
 
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