Alarm! Alarm!

[Nightfury]

Recommendations needed please.


I am after a decent alarm for the bike, but I don't want to spend a fortune. If there are no recommendations on what one to buy, are there any bad experiences with alarms that I should steer clear of?


Many thanks in advance!

[BBROWN1664]

Get a big dog. Steer clear of small yappy dogs.

[Nightfury]

Get a big dog. Steer clear of small yappy dogs.

LOL! I have a Dutch Shepherd that keep my whole village crime free!


Security at home is pretty good, bike is garaged. Disc lock. Chain and ground anchor. Lock and padlock on the garage door. Wife's alarmed car parked up against the garage door. Loads of old people all in the neighborhood watch. And we are opposite a police station. (Not that they would do anything anyway- shouts down from the window "Use the phone on the wall there if you need to speak to somebody!")


What worries me is when I am away from home with the bike.......

[darrsi]

Get a big dog. Steer clear of small yappy dogs.

LOL! I have a Dutch Shepherd that keep my whole village crime free!


Security at home is pretty good, bike is garaged. Disc lock. Chain and ground anchor. Lock and padlock on the garage door. Wife's alarmed car parked up against the garage door. Loads of old people all in the neighborhood watch. And we are opposite a police station. (Not that they would do anything anyway- shouts down from the window "Use the phone on the wall there if you need to speak to somebody!")


What worries me is when I am away from home with the bike.......

Think you should get a few bear traps, and some hidden land mines just to be safe. 

[Nightfury]

I am desperately trying to get hold of Andy McNabb so he can set up on a roof top with his sniper rifle!

[unfazed]

Get a big dog. Steer clear of small yappy dogs.

Easy to sort out a big dog, bring a bitch in heat and he will have Foc all interest in anything else. 

[unfazed]

Buy a meta 357T V2, probably one of the best Cat 1 alarms out there.

I have picked them up for less than €100, fitting them properly take a few hours.

A tracker is good also, at least you will know where the scumbags burned out you bike 

[Val]

Few points here:

According to the police most thiefes will just grab your bike and put it in a van - your alarm will be useless.

[url=https://rideapart.com/articles/ask-a-motorcycle-thief]https://rideapart.com/articles/ask-a-motorcycle-thief[/url]

There is no 100% security.

You need to decide which thiefes you want to stop and how based on where you plan to leave the bike.

1. Option 1 petty thiefes/joy riders - good alarmed disc lock is enough - like Xena.

2. Dumb carrer criminals with vans - you need a chain. These are the guys that want to break your Fazer for parts. The alarm is completely useles here.

For a good security you need decent chain with a good lock. The best ones are Almax and Pragmasis.

The problem with good chains - they are heavy. The best security for bike is 16mm chain. You need a topbox and carying the beast is pain. Realistically you need 1.5m chain - that means 4.5kg/m X 1.5m = 6.75kg add to that at least 1kg good lock and presto about 10kg heavy equipment in your top box. And it will cost you about £160.

You can compromise with decent 13/14mm but these can be broken. The level of protection will cover only some thiefes with 14mm chain.

3. The clever scumbags - bad news they can wireup most alarms in 30 seconds and will crash any chain with hydravlic blot cutter in a matter of seconds too. Good news they operate mainly in big town areas like London and are NOT after our Fazers. They are after 20k super bikes mostly. Thank God for that 

Also bare in mind there is no such thing as decent cheap alarm. The cheap ones or even the expensive ones have reliability problems. I have had issues in the past with alarms.

Choose your alarm model than google it for failure - you'll see what I mean. You do not want that crap on your bike.

Alarms do make some sense for cars.

Based on the points above alarms are useless for bikes. I have decided for myself that having an insurance and simple Xena XX14 alarm disc lock on the rear wheel is enough for me.

Just do not forget to use steering lock and plan your trips and parking places.

My 2p.

[fazerscotty]

Get a big dog. Steer clear of small yappy dogs.

Easy to sort out a big dog, bring a bitch in heat and he will have Foc all interest in anything else. 

Even easier - take a big dog, chop his nuts off. Loses interest in the ladies and is as mean as hell!
(For those that want to test this theory - I have a German Rottweiller, who has a grudge) 

[Grahamm]

I am after a decent alarm for the bike,

As has been pointed out, alarms won't stop dedicated thieves, but a good tracker will at least give you a better chance of getting your bike back!

[Nightfury]

As has been pointed out, alarms won't stop dedicated thieves,

I know that if they want it they will have it, I saw a documentary years ago filmed in London in the daytime. Part of it was that 3 blokes pulled up in a van next to a motorbike parking bay, jumped out, lifted a bike into the back of the van (can't remember what bike it was, some kind of 750 sports bike I think) and then made off. Nobody stopped, nobody looked. It took them 20 seconds to have it away!


So reading these replies, I guess a tracker is the way forward. Where would be the best place to fit one? Inside the frame somewhere?


I did think about datatag, but thats only any good if they find the bike, or bits of it!

[unfazed]

Nothing will stop dedicated professional thieves, all you can do is slow them down.
If it is well locked and alarmed, usually they will leave it alone and move on to an easier one, but if they want yours nothing will stop them.
Know of a fellow who had a DR800S back in the early nineties, thieving scum lifted it over a 2 metre wall and it was never seen again.

[tex]

I brought a bond 200 tracker, seems good, sends you reports at your chosen intervals,  shows a good street view of where it is, good battery  life.

[Val]

So reading these replies, I guess a tracker is the way forward. Where would be the best place to fit one? Inside the frame somewhere?


I did think about datatag, but thats only any good if they find the bike, or bits of it!

Here is one cheap option £15 GPS tracker:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ELEPHAS-Vehicle-Tracker-System-Tracking/dp/B00IMX35XQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435253360&sr=8-4&keywords=tk102

If you are keen on alarms try TK103B - its a tracker that can act as alarm.

[Grahamm]

I guess a tracker is the way forward. Where would be the best place to fit one? Inside the frame somewhere?

If you want a quality bit of kit (and think your bike is worth it) talk to Nooj at Shiny Bike Syndrome

I did think about datatag, but thats only any good if they find the bike, or bits of it!

It is still good as a deterrent, because if they want to break the bike they have to grint the tags off every part (they're acid etched) and that tends to be a bit obvious to any potential buyer!