Alarms

[DaveS]

Next question......

Ignoring the "An alarm makes no difference" brigade, what alarms are recommended?
Should I go to my local BMW dealer, is there a BMW alarm?
Or just go with a Meta or Datatool?

 

[Wizard]

About a year ago I was watching a documentary where there was a bait bike (Gixxer I think) fitted with an alarm and left in a high-crime area. In the course of one night, half a dozen people shook the bike to see if there was an alarm fitted, and legged it when it went off. At another location, the bike was tested once with the alarm disabled, and a van appeared 15 minutes later to lift it.


Check if your insurance gives a discount, then get Thatcham approved alarm/immobiliser fitted.

 

[DaveS]

Yep all my bikes have had an alarm / immobiliser fitted and are also chained.
I've bought my first GS and want to get an alarm but not sure which one.

 

[Zippy]

Having always had a Datatool on my previous bikes (mandatory for insurance). I checked and it wasn't compulsory for the GS. Then checked the cost against the insurance discount offered and decided not to bother - I'd have got my money back in about nine years!!

I just use a soldsecure (or something like that) chain and lock instead.

Steve

 

[STUBBS]

have a look at carole nash website the latest datatool alarm (s4 ?) good saving on the rrp + load of stuff chucked in for free, will fit at work or your home address

 

[STUBBS]

www.carolenash.com click on carolenash secure s4 cat1 alarm £349 save £212 + free things locks anchors chain and battery charger

 

[DavidHale]

A big chain for me on the basis that an angle grinder is louder than an alarm

 

[Wizard]

A big chain for me on the basis that an angle grinder is louder than an alarm

And hydraulic cutters are almost completely silent.

There is no one "right way" to protect a bike...... you need different solutions to provide different types of protection in different situations.

 

[Davy F]

My GS came with the BMW alarm already fitted. I suppose it's better than nothing and ebike give discount for it now. My bike is always kept in my alarmed garage and for trips away, a cable and U lock provides further protection.

 

[adamski49]

Have a look around for offers as I managed to get a Meta fitted by an independant for £250 to match the dealers offer for a Datatool (I'm not a fan of Datatool and the dealer didn't supply Meta alarms).

Adam

 

[VAL. H.]

www.carolenash.com click on carolenash secure s4 cat1 alarm £349 save £212 + free things locks anchors chain and battery charger

I had a Triumph with a Datertool alarm fitted. I was quite pleased with the idea of the alarm, except that anything I wanted to do, to or with the bike I had to turn off or disable it.

18 months ago When I talked to Carol Nash about fitting an alarm to my new GS, They Quoted about £300.- with free home fitting. 'Souded like a great deal'. When I asked how much discount I'd get for having the alarm they said 10%

The total quote for insuring an R 1200 GS through Carol Nash was £350.- ish
with a 10% discount for the alarm at about £35.00. Ok so I have to keep the bike for at least eight years to pay for the alarm

I was told the same by the BMW insurance 10% but their quote was only about £180.- So this time it would take about eighteen years to pay for it's self.

I'm lucky I live in a very low risk area, so I can't see the point in spending money on an alarm that probably will only ever give me greif having to keep switching the thing off.

The discount offered by insurance companies is discraseful, esspecialy as some bikes can't be insured without a propper alarm.

In my case it's cheeper not to have the alarm and pay the extra if the bike is stolen than it is to fit one.

Don't get me wrong here I have in my top box, 'that is alwas fitted to my bike' a very big chain and a heavy lock, which I use every time I leave the bike in what I consider to be a high risk area.

Val.

 

[Tasy's BIGJIM]

Are Tasmania?

My GS is sitting under my back Porch with the keys in it. Well it was...?

 

[wessie]

Next question......

Ignoring the "An alarm makes no difference" brigade, what alarms are recommended?
Should I go to my local BMW dealer, is there a BMW alarm?
Or just go with a Meta or Datatool?

I hate alarms. The Datatool I had fitted to my VFR gave me grief. The one fitted to my Mazda car gave me grief.

IME an alarm does make quite a difference to the motorcycling experience:
It will increase the number of times you telephone your breakdown insurance provider.
You will miss rides with mates because you forgot to plug in the Optimate.
The bike may spend several days off the road in really good weather because you are waiting for the piss poor customer services dept. to order more replacement parts from GuangDong province.

 

[VAL. H.]

My GS is sitting under my back Porch with the keys in it. Well it was...?

Even where I live I wouldn't leave the key in the bike, unless I wanted it nicked.

Have you sorted the bike now? is it running yet?

Take it easy B,J. Val.

 

[DaveS]

It's interesting the discount versus cost of the alarm point of view.
To me this is totally immaterial.
Having had my bike stolen before I would spend hundreds of pounds to stop my bike being stolen again. Despite the fact that I was fully insured with full no claims bonus I lost over a thousand and arguably am still paying 4 years later, not to mention the huge amount of hassle which I couldn't really put a value on.
I now use every security measure I can!

Thanks Stubbs for Carole Nash pointer as well.

 

[Tasy's BIGJIM]

Is it Going Yet?

Ged-Day Val H, Yeah should be up and going in a couple of weeks. Sad, but a it on recentley. So you comin over to Nick it then? Oh you get to say 'Something' to Alice me Red Healer. She loves Chompy chompy. No, nice bits of fresh Meat won't cut it not when you can run a person down! There are always one or two killed roo in the yard. Stacks of half eaten Rabbits and lots of only one shoe or boots? Did I tell yu about Rex me blind Cockatoo?
Down here we don't even have a lock on the house. If you take me Truck you won't get Far. We all know everyone. Its a Great Place. With a Bloody Great Lifestyle. No Dust by the way. Green and mountains and miles of Bike Roads. You know? 99 Bends types! Pubs and Great Ice Cream ( Valhalla ,Val H by the way) and Cadbury's Chocolate!
anyway see-yu. BIGJim Tasmania.