Yeah, there's zero chance anybody involved with writing anything over there is qualified to write that headline. First and foremost, the obvious marketing graphic from the manufacturer with the stamp style lettering "PASSED" is just bullshit. Flat out bullshit. An additional example is this entirely made up statement,
Folding locks are also largely impervious to leverage attacks (like when thieves put a car jack in a U-lock).
What? WHAT?? So it's "hardened", it locks physically closed, and the claim here is that you can't use enough force to destroy those puny articulating joints? Yeah, no.
And,
The hardened steel links defeat bolt cutters
Well, we see the bolt cutters made it through what I assume is a thick shitty plastic coating and attempted to cut the metal all at once, from a direction in which the force over the jaws are minimized. Nice marketing trick, but here in the real world I'd take nibbles out of that metal strip in no time or I'd rotate my cutters and split that thing in no time.
... and use high-security rivets with such high precision that you can’t get a nut splitter in there.
Oh, okay, someone doesn't know what a nut splitter is or what it does, and they just repeated the marketing copy they received. Nicely done.
And of course we haven't even got to the lock itself, which I guarantee that at $125 for "hardened steel", they didn't splurge on a good one. Man Electrek really is just garbage at all times on all topics.
That is unfortunate. I don't really follow the topic, but at one point I was looking for an e bike with low range and everything I could find was just click bait garbage. Didn't end up needing it in the long run, so never bothered to keep up.
If this thing takes off and there is an exploit that is quieter than an angle grinder, they will use that exploit. Lock-picking lawyer has found oodles of vulnerabilities in various means to secure property and he will find the exploit this thing has.
You'd think they would invest in their illicit business by learning a skill. Nope. The reason 'just getting a job' isn't easier for them to make money is because they're lazy. I think this should be a consideration in the kind of funding we put into security.
It's all about just making the next bike look easier to steal relative to effort and value.
But I've seen thieves come with a box truck and just take the entire bike-rack, even seen lampposts cut down and locking racks cut open...no lock will ever keep a determined thief from getting the bike.
lol, I just have a Kryptonite Ulock but my bikes are cheap. A high end ABUS is worth more than my bike is!
That said, there are plenty of tests out there demonstrating how much of a pain in the ass to defeat just about any given lock is, and there's one from ABUS that seems to consistently come out on top.
The skunk lock is just awesome because it makes the thief get sick and I think that's hilarious.
If you're not going to buy a New York Locks Kryptonite U lock you're pretty much keeing the honest thieves away. I don't think there's a single lock that the LPL want able to easily pop with hand tools, aside from the Kryptonite.