1200 Alarm?

[Dabba]

I'm on the verge of trading my 1150 to a 12, was all set on having the BMW alarm fitted (hate 'em but have always assumed they're a fact of life now, then I discovered on the BM website that an 'immobiliser' is standard equipment, also the dealer tells me the BM alarm hasn't been put up for thatcham approval. I'd much prefer to just have the immobiliser,

so
Does having the alarm help much on insurance (non BM/Devitt especially)? I'm in crime-happy Leeds myself and is the immobiler any good?

Dave

 

[nadeem]

The bmw alarm is only recognised by bmw insurance due to its non thatcham approved status...the immobiliser stopped theives starting up my last 1200 and riding it away, so yes it does work.

 

[Allroad]

i have the alarm but wont get another one if i change the bike because my insurance comp dont discount for it because its not approved so a waste of money really

 

[Magwych]

Remember , the main purpose of an alarm is to deter the scumbags from nicking it in the first place.
Typically discounts from insurance companies for alarms are not very much, and once you have declared one, if there is no evidence of the alarm going off, the insurance company may start to wriggle ( more scumbags ) ...

Also, if you are buying new you may be able to get a deal on the alarm as a BMW option.

 

[walti]

The bmw alarm is only recognised by bmw insurance due to its non thatcham approved status...the immobiliser stopped theives starting up my last 1200 and riding it away, so yes it does work.

ebike list it...

I didn't cjeck how much difference it made to the quote without it though!

 

[Gaulois]

When I bought my 1200 gs in 2004 I was quoted a saving of £16 for having the alarm fitted by BMW insurance. I've lived with just the immobiliser quite happily since then.

 

[Dabba]

Thanks Guys, thats saved me £175.00 then

 

[Mouse]

Yikes price rise! I'm sure the alarm on my bike cost about £110. Even at that price I wasn't sure I wanted it, and I should have listened to myself because I very rarely bother to use it

Still at least it doesn't arm itself and go off when someone looks at it funny like a Datatool would, that's very annoying

 

[newman7096]

Carol Nash informed me that if I were to spend £320 on an alarm it would save me £7.81 a year!!!!!

 

[Graham G]

So how does the immobiliser work?

Bit of a durrhhh question (and a bit of a thread hijack) - but how does the immobiliser work? I'm assuming that if you switch the ignition off - the immobiliser is automatically active? So, what's the purpose of the alarm apart from making a lot of noise?

 

[Mouse]

Bit of a durrhhh question (and a bit of a thread hijack) - but how does the immobiliser work? I'm assuming that if you switch the ignition off - the immobiliser is automatically active?

Correct - the ignition key has a transponder in it and unless the bike detects the signal from the transponder it won't start, even if the ignition switch is turned to on.

In other words it's a much better immobiliser than you'd get with a standard 3rd party bike alarm.

So, what's the purpose of the alarm apart from making a lot of noise?

None