Litelok X3 Review – From a Bike Owner’s Perspective

This Just In…

My Litelok X3 U-lock arrived from the UK a couple of days ago.  These locks have been getting a LOT of publicity lately.  It occurs to me so few have made it into the wild thus far, there isn’t much information from normal owners, versus professional reviewers who focus on what happens when they cut one up.

Dollar shown for scale. You will need 299 more of them to buy one of these bad boys.

Note to UK readers: we refer to D-locks as U-locks here in the USA, so I’ll stick with that.

You won’t see me using any angle grinders here, nor dynamite or filthy language.  I bought the Litelok X3 – at normal retail pricing – to lock up a bike.  There is plenty out there on how difficult the X3 is to attack, so I’ll skip all of that since its been done to death already.  

Instead, I’ll look at the X3 from the perspective of what I saw for the first time when it came out of the box, how I plan to use it and how it compares to my other already-expensive U lock solutions. 

I’ll also note why I bought it versus its chief competitor, the Hiplok D1000 (and why I didn’t wait for their upcoming DX1000). Finally, I’ll make some brief observations on the right way to maximize the utility of a lock like this.

What I Need To Protect

I have a Bullitt cargo bike I use as a daily driver.  I lock it up outdoors all the time. My theft insurance requires I have the bike locked to a fixed object for coverage to apply, so for proof’s sake I take a picture every time I leave it locked up somewhere.

The Purchase Process

You buy it online at the Litelok web site. There is currently an order backlog.  I saw reviews written as recently as a month ago stating the wait was two to three months.  Litelok’s web site lists a 30-day wait. My lock arrived precisely 30 days after I purchased it in November 2023.

Viewing the web site, there doesn’t appear to be a difference between the bicycle and motorcycle version.  There was no material stated difference on the web site at the time of purchase, but today the moto version does list -40°C freezing-spray resistance. I have to wonder if the bicycle version doesn’t have that as well since that version’s web page now indicates it is certified for both Sold Secure Motorcycle Diamond and the less-stringent Bicycle Diamond ratings.  Either way, for US$300 I wanted to take no chances on having the most-capable version of this lock, so I bought the moto variant.

Internal Dimensions

In addition to the professional lock-destroyer reviews, what sold me were its internal dimensions of 100mm in width (3.93″) and 195mm (7.6″) in length.  I wanted state-of-the-art angle grinder resistance, but practicality is required.  It has to fit around stuff. 

This is where the Hiplok D1000, which is the only real competing product on the market now, effectively fell out of consideration.  The Hiplok’s internal dimensions are 92mm (3.6″) by 155mm (6.1″).  Thats acceptable, widthwise, but pretty short on the length. The tapered angled shape of the outer loop of the shackle further constricts its usability (more on why this was considered a dealbreaker in the Usage section below).

I didn’t want to risk $300 and find out I was unable to use it everywhere I wanted to. I considered waiting for the spring 2024 release of the Hiplok DX1000, but its increased size (112mm x 205mm, which is quite large) is maybe too much of a good thing. The X3 gives me enough to do the job I want.

Weight

The X3 weighs 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs), which is damn heavy.  The Hiplok DX1000 (the bigger one) weighs 2.6 kg, or 5.7 pounds. Holy cow. So the bigger Hiplok with the more usable size is both bigger than I need and the weight is more than a pound heavier. Another knock against it as a practical choice.

Don’t take away a negative impression of the Hiploks from what I’m saying here. Both the D1000 and DX1000 seem like great locks, but when I look at my own needs, both versions come in second place in size, weight and in the case of the larger DX, price. Your own needs may flip to a different conclusion.

Convenience?

Given the weight I just listed, the X3 might seem impractical for all but XXL solutions.  However, its a compact package designed to be tight and rattle-free. 

If you have a sturdy pannier, a rack with a cargo net or a backpack, this lock is heavy, but not too big to carry along. Besides, the weight of the X3 is the price you pay for angle-grinder resistance. If you want light weight, kiss goodbye this feature, which is the whole reason you’d buy this lock in the first place. 

The X3 certainly presents itself as a quality piece of kit that is easy to use and clearly made very well.

One of the Litelok X3’s jobs is to replace my disc brake lock for quickee lockups. It is unobtrusive enough I found out the hard way I need a reminder cable so I don’t try to roll the bike away with it still attached.

An Unexpected, Pleasant Surprise

The pick-resistant Abloy locking mechanism is far less fiddly with regard to key insertion, rotation and removal than any of my other higher-quality, pick-resistant locks. For those locks they seem to commonly need a retry or three to get the key in there just right, fully inserted, rotated to lock, unlock and then withdraw. They all work but it doesn’t seem to ever be a smooth process. This is something so common I gave it no thought until I had been using the X3 for awhile and realized it doesn’t have this issue. Look at the shortie videos showing the use of the X3 below. I didn’t intend to showcase the ease of using the key mechanism, but watch for it and its right there to see.

Since I lock frequently, often multiple times per day, this seemingly minor bit of convenience stands out.

Shackle Dimensions

The X3’s shackle is not round, its oblong.  24mm on the narrow axis and 26mm on the wide one.  So it won’t fit inside the links of most chains. 

You can forget about fitting the X3 thru a link in an 11mm boron steel chain. With 18mm and 16mm shackles – which are BIG as such things go – my other two U-locks fit right through.

I also have a 13mm boron-steel long-link chain. The X3 could be pushed inside of it on the narrow axis, with a very mild effort.  It did dent the exterior of the X3 very slightly when I pulled on the chain. This is not something I’d want to be doing regularly. Notice in the picture below the fit was snug enough the X3 shackle stood upright. The best locking scheme is quick and easy. This tight fit ain’t that.

I don’t carry around my 2-meter, 13mm chain as thats too big even for me.

Price

Its three hundred bucks.  Plus shipping. And tax.  However its price versus its only competitor is the same. The larger Hiplok DX1000 costs an extra US$50 – and is not going to be available for months.  

Usage

For me, the X3 – or any armored angle-grinder-resistant lock – is best used as a standalone in a multi-layered locking scheme. Don’t use it such that it can be bypassed by cutting your chain instead. When used on the bike, that bike is effectively never going to be rolled anywhere by anyone except the owner.

So how am I using it? I presently have a total of four security devices (two U-locks, a chain and a little disc lock) used in two different locking solutions.  Those solutions are…

The Quickee

For low-security stops where it stays visible to me at all times, I use a simple Kryptonite disc brake lock, which does a great job for what it is: Small, lightweight, easy to deploy and remove.  

The X3 is going to replace that lock completely. I will still use the little Kryptonite on a different bike. It will probably go into the handlebar bag on the Apostate. But for the white Bullitt, I get so much security from this literally 10-second lockup with the X3, it would be crazy not to take advantage of it.

The Whole Enchilada

My locking scheme for all other situations has two layers, uses two independent U-locks and a noose chain.  The chain is noosed to the bike frame’s seat tube and rear wheel. It runs forward where my biggest U-lock secures it and the bike to a stationary object.  Ideally, that big U-lock locks around the front wheel rather than just letting the chain pass thru it, so cutting away just the chain does not release the front wheel. 

A second locking layer is a U-lock that independently wraps around the frame’s seat tube and rear wheel, so if the front U and chain are defeated, the bike still has to be carried unless you also cut away that second lock.  

Since we are talking about a bike that is about 8 feet long and weighs quite a bit, the risk of two or more people carrying it off is minimal.  That second U-lock in conjunction with the first, and the chain, should visually send the signal that its easier to steal a nearby car than this bike.

The X3 is going to become the second, independent U-lock.  Since the X3’s shackle is so thick, my 11mm chain is not usable with it.  HOWEVER, since I have a noose chain, the noose end has a great big loop on the end that WILL fit, should I need a little more chain to reach a little further out.

But never mind the chain… the anti-twist feature on the X3’s shackle means you need two cuts to get the lock off the frame… and considering how much time I spend inside of a bank or a grocery store… that lock is not going to be defeated in time.

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Even doing it the long way, locking up the bike is a sub-2-minute process (Usually I noose the chain to the seat tube of the bike and that takes up several inches of slack in the chain).

The X3 fits right into what is, as you can see, a process that is quick and convenient. 

Ideal Use?

This is my opinion and you are free to disagree: The Litelok X3 is not best employed as a device that locks your bike to something. U-locks in general can’t reach very far, and despite the X3 being twist-resistant, it is not twist-proof. I have seen to-destruction testing where a U-lock is holding a cable or chain and the cut-up shackle has just enough play in it to allow the cable/chain to be released.

If you use the Litelok X3 to attach to a solid object, and then attach a chain to the X3… or another U-lock, then the thief can simply shift their attack to that other locking device, cut thru it quickly and perhaps even ignore the X3.

The X3 is best employed to disable the locked object (bicycle or motorcycle). Lock it around the bike in such a way the motorcycle or bike cannot be quietly rolled away. Let that be the X3’s job. Locking it around substantial parts, like I do with my frame and rear wheel, means it has to be cut clean through in two places to be defeated.

If you also want to lock the bike to a solid object (and you should) let the second layer of your locking scheme do that. In my case that second layer is another big U lock and a big-ish chain.

Compared To Other Motorcycle U-Locks

Xena XSU310

I bought it for use in a marine environment where its all-stainless construction is resistant to corrosion/rust.  This lock is a monster, with an 18mm vinyl-coated chromed steel shackle and a monobloc stainless steel lock body.  Its internal shackle width is about 105mm (4 5/32 of an inch), and its length is 11.5″ (292mm).  Thats enormous, but its shackle width is a hair less than the X3. 

The Xena’s sheer size makes it great for reaching out and grabbing onto things.  Its 1.7kg (3.75 lb) weight seemed really heavy until I picked up the 4.6 lb X3.  The Xena also incorporates a locking mech that is anti-twist, which means you need two cuts to defeat it if its wrapped around something big like a wheel. This is perhaps the most secure motorcycle U-lock around – or rather… it was.

Pragmasis/Lockitt DIB Series

I’ve got a couple of these.  They use interchangeable U shackles in differing lengths.  All are 87mm wide internally.  The one pictured is the 260mm length, and I have another that is 190mm long.  87mm is narrow compared to the X3’s 105mm, but still perfectly usable. 

The X3 shackle is nicely wider than the DIB

In the montage of images up at the beginning of this article, you can see the DIB used as my second-layer lock around the back wheel and frame. The narrower DIB is a bit fiddly fitting it in there, whereas the X3 is noticeably easier thanks to the increased width.  The DIB locks are rated Sold Secure Motorcycle Gold.

The 16mm shackle of the DIB locks is respectable even for a motorcycle lock, but compared to the 18mm Xena and now the X3 in 24+mm …

 
Top to bottom: X3, Xena and DIB

Worth Calling Out

You can see in the pics above that the X3’s internal steel shackle has squared-off ends. These prevent it from rotating should someone find a way to cut through it. That anti-twist feature makes it more likely that not one but two cuts will be needed to truly defeat the lock and free up whatever it was you locked it up to. 

In my case, since I am locking the frame and rear wheel with the X3, whoever is coming after my bike will need to complete two complete cuts of the shackle to get it off to free the bike.

Thats It?!?

I hope so. The plan is to just use this lock and nothing ever happens. Until thieves work in gangs with tilting flatbed trucks, or start using light sabers to cut locks off, my plan is the US$300 I spent on this lock is an investment that keeps me out of the headlines.