Cyclingnews Verdict

Not cheap but outstanding defence and deterrent against even determined attackers

Pros

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Excellent multi-faceted security
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Super smart sealed key
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Relatively light
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Quality frame mount

Cons

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There are Gold rated locks a lot cheaper
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Only two keys

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Abus does 11 different shackle/D/U locks (whatever you want to call them) with some of them in seven variants, so there’s no shortage of choice in the German brand's range. However, if you want the best bike lock and utmost security for your bike, and you're prepared to pay for it, then the Granit XPlus 540 lock is the way to go.

Construction

The shackle uses a 13mm, hardened-steel square bar in a parabolic rather than rounded shape to protect against crushing/expanding loads. Abus' Power Cell technology is also designed to ward off smash and grab attempts although Abus doesn’t reveal what it actually involves. The XPlus cylinder lock is hidden behind sliding steel jaws that resist ice/freeze attacks and it's designed to be pick proof, too. You only get two keys but the main one gets an LED for easy use at night and you can order any Abus lock to be ‘keyed alike’ so one key fits them all. There are three sizes and two choices of frame mount, the basic and bulky USH or the smaller, sleeker one-handed operation Eazy KF.

The XPlus has had an outstanding reputation for a long time (Abus itself give it a maximum 15 out of 15, and it has Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Dutch, GB and Russian official security awards) and we can see why. Despite seeming thin, the square shackle makes it hard to gain a good ‘bite’ with bolt croppers and they probably won’t even scratch it anyway. The square shackle means you can’t swivel it to release the bike even if you do get through with an angle grinder.

The mechanism also locks both sides so a thief would have to cut both sides to defeat it. The spring-loaded ‘cuttlefish beak’ hides the lock from corrosion and direct attack and it's Abus' highest-rated cylinder lock. The full plastic coating makes it less likely to damage paintwork and even if it gets broken off during an assault, the lock still works fine. Considering the exceptional level of protection, it's relatively light and the Eazy KF mount is genuinely easy to use with one hand.