To be clear, however, I was talking about small folding electric inline 2-wheel stand-on devices.
As for theft, that's a huge and growing problem with bikes. That's another reason to dissuade me from having a decent bike that would encourage me to commute (although work from home now solves that). A folding bike or 2-wheel step scooter would have worked perfectly for me when I was commuting via foot, train, bus, and then foot each way to and from work.
What expensive features do you need?
But in general, any bike that doesn't look like it could sell for 15 euros on the street is a target. The nicer it looks, the more likely a target.
If you're out on the streets often enough at night, you'll inevitably be approached by someone offering to sell you his bike for cheap. Hint: it's not his bike. But the nicer bikes get sent off and sold elsewhere.
Most people I know either keep their bike in their house at night, or they just accept the reality and buy old crappy bikes that they won't cry over when they go missing.
But the expensive features I would like are a comfy but light saddle, a light but sturdy frame (double butted steel tubing), belt drive, and ideally a small motor/battery combo for times when the wind really sucks. Since you asked. Christmas is coming up soon :).
like what? the only thing I can think of that wouldn't be immediately stolen if left outside is a car. I don't find that cops care much about auto theft either. the main reason cars don't get stolen too often is because the VIN is associated with an owner and a license plate. police don't have to actively pursue car thieves to make it not worthwhile. I don't think any such system exists for bicycles, and I'm not sure it would be desirable anyway. "ownership" of a bicycle and other items of similar value can usually be transferred with an exchange of cash and a firm handshake, which seems about right to me.
How about revising law enforcement to a point where property rights don't have a de-facto exception for bicycles? Somehow, enforcement of property rights works quite well (not perfect, but well enough) for just about any property that can be legally stored on public ground, just bicycles are an exception. Thought experiment: steal a bike and steal the equivalent value of that bike in cash and imagine the reactions of executive, judicative when the theft gets noticed. It would almost be as if legislatives had added an "except bikes" paragraph to all laws about property ownership.