What Do You Think, Will Rotting Corpse Smell Scare Off Motorcycle Thieves?

It's one way to tackle an annoying problem, certainly.

Photo by: RideApart.com

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Mar 26, 2025 at 1:47am ET

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Bike theft is a problem in a lot of places. I could be talking about pedal-type bikes, e-bikes, or motorcycles, and that statement would still be true. No matter which type of bike you ride, it's at best an annoyance, and at worst, could seriously damage your life and your ability to make a living/support yourself and your family.

That's why both seasoned lock makers and innovators alike keep trying to find more effective ways to deter thieves. From developing locks with stronger shanks that are harder to cut through with an angle grinder, to possibly overcomplicated (but fairly robust) solutions involving Bluetooth connectivity and phone apps, it seems like new options keep popping up everywhere.

If you're in France, you may have heard of a new device called CactUs Lock, and its developer says it's more than just a U-lock with a green coat of paint with some yellow stickers. As the story goes, it was designed by an engineer named Aiko Leroux, after her own bike was stolen. She'd had a lock on it, but the lock had apparently not been enough to stop the thieves.

So, like any good engineer, she decided to try her hand at solving the problem, and CactUs Lock was born. What makes this U-lock different? It's made to thoroughly stink if thieves cut into it, to the point where the product's FAQ sheet claims that only a full-on gas mask will prevent being overcome by the smell.

According to the makers of CactUs Lock, it won't harm thieves physically, though it may prove irritating to the eyes. Instead, it's just meant to be extremely unpleasant, as the gas contains putrescine. As the name implies, that's a chemical compound responsible for the smell of decaying flesh. If you've heard of the infamous corpse flower (titan arum), then you may be unsurprised to know that putrescine is one of the compounds that scientists have identified that gives it that distinctive odor.

The product is currently in a beta-testing stage, and is recruiting beta testers to live with this lock and give feedback. As a startup, they aren't providing free locks to their beta testers, but they are providing a discount over the planned full MSRP of the lock if you want to participate in the trial period. Planned MSRP is € 259,99 (about US $280.63 at the time of writing), but the discounted price for beta testers is currently set at € 179,99 (about US $194).

What do you think?

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This U-lock is clearly aimed at pedal and e-bikes more than motorcycles, though CactUs Lock mentions that it's exploring the possibility of developing future motorcycle locks, as well.

What do you think, is the prospect of an unholy stench enough to deter thieves? Is it too much to think that potential thieves will read the lock before they start cutting, then maybe change their minds and try stealing another vehicle instead? Let me know in the comments.