Factory fitted tracker subscription

[littleade]

My 1250 GS is coming up to 12 months old so the free subscription on the datatool tracker is about to run out. I've already sorted my insurance out for next year and not having one fitted makes no difference to my premium. I am considering not bothering paying to extend it when Datatool contact me as the bike never gets left for any length of time anywhere away from my house and is kept in a locked garage. I found the tracker unit when fitting my bike cam and it's relatively easy to get to and would take a thief who knows where they are hidden very little time to get to it and remove it. So in my circumstances it doesn't seem like good value, paying over £100? a year for a tracker that can easily be found and removed when the chances of my bike being stolen anyway is very low as I've never had a bike stolen.

So if anyone has made the same decision did you just leave the tracker in place, did it cause any fault codes to come up on the TFT and did it cause you any battery issues

TIA

 

[steve hughes]

Not a GS but Im on a Honda Monkey 125 forum. From 2019/20 Honda started shipping the monkey with a datatool tracker. Mine didn’t have one. However those who had the tracker fitted BUT didn’t take on the £110 ish annual charge found the tracker was constantly looking for a signal.

This resulted in flat batteries between 4 and 7 days of no use. Even when left on optimates there are stories of bikes going flat when used away from home.

A monkey is easy to jump being only 100kgs

 

[captaindan]

I would clip the power cables and stick bullet connectors on. That way if any issues it can be reconnected and a new owner can reinstate the contract. I have a monimoto tracker, on a pay as you go giff gaff sim, costs very little, just a new little battery every six months ( £3 ) peace of mind and buy for less than a years datatool rent.

 

[littleade]

Not a GS but Im on a Honda Monkey 125 forum. From 2019/20 Honda started shipping the monkey with a datatool tracker. Mine didn’t have one. However those who had the tracker fitted BUT didn’t take on the £110 ish annual charge found the tracker was constantly looking for a signal.

This resulted in flat batteries between 4 and 7 days of no use. Even when left on optimates there are stories of bikes going flat when used away from home.

A monkey is easy to jump being only 100kgs

Thanks, my GS is on an optimate when it's in the garage so I'll try that out by leaving it disconnected for a week to see if it'll still start

 

[littleade]

I would clip the power cables and stick bullet connectors on. That way if any issues it can be reconnected and a new owner can reinstate the contract. I have a monimoto tracker, on a pay as you go giff gaff sim, costs very little, just a new little battery every six months ( £3 ) peace of mind and buy for less than a years datatool rent.

Thanks, I've still got my monimoto that I had on my 1200 which I put on my car so I might put that back on the bike somewhere else so the datatool acts as a decoy just in case it does get nicked. As you say the monimoto is cheap to buy and run in comparison but you obviously don't get the 24/7 monitoring and support datatool offer.

 

[Neil W]

Be careful and ask your new insurer (hypothetically) if your vehicle had a tracking device fitted but it was deactivated or unsubscribed to will they pay out if the vehicle is stolen.

It could be a classic get out along the same lines as an owners removal of a factor fit alarm or immobiliser

 

[Rowle]

I am the same- free year coming up for renewal.
I dont think i will renew as i would not want my bike back if stolen (damaged/thrashed etc).

Ins company was no cheaper with it.

Do i need to disconnect the tracker or just leave it ?

 

[GADGET]

Same here, I just disconnected the tracker, mine was just running the battery down anyway, so more trouble than its worth. I guess if I lived in a high crime area, I'd have a different point of view.

 

[GSMarky]

I have no intention whatsoever of paying the subscription after the first year.

If I choose to leave my bike unused in my own garage I do not need to explain that to anyone..

 

[GSMarky]

I did plan at the 1st annual service to ask the technician just to remove it or cut the power supply.

 

[littleade]

Be careful and ask your new insurer (hypothetically) if your vehicle had a tracking device fitted but it was deactivated or unsubscribed to will they pay out if the vehicle is stolen.

It could be a classic get out along the same lines as an owners removal of a factor fit alarm or immobiliser

Thanks, I've gone with IAM Surity and have already had the "honest convo" with the guy so they know it was fitted and I'm not going to renew the subscription. The convo was recorded so if the worst was ever to happen which in my circumstances is possible but unlikely they knew up front before I took the policy out I wasn't going to renew the subscription so they would find it hard not to settle my claim. I also had quite a few false alarms with it early doors when it was locked away in my garage. I got that fed up of them ringing me up I've told them not to call me in future unless the bike is off the drive. Last time I looked on their website at it's location it was supposedly in the neighbour's house! Never had those problems with the monimoto

 

[Rowle]

Can anyone tell us how to disconnect it?
I have not looked for the unit i,m guessing i could just unplug it ???

 

[adventuredon]

where do you hide it? PM me if worried, but curious how to make sure its hidden.

 

[littleade]

where do you hide it? PM me if worried, but curious how to make sure its hidden.

PM sent

 

[Mr Bean]

I would not want my bike back if stolen (damaged/thrashed etc).

My insurance went up by around £1k per year after mine was stolen - two years later it's still a similar amount higher.

Knowing what I now know, I might have wanted mine back - if I had the choice....

 

[Rowle]

My insurance went up by around £1k per year after mine was stolen - two years later it's still a similar amount higher.

Knowing what I now know, I might have wanted mine back - if I had the choice....

I always get protected no claims bonus added - bit extra but saves a load of cost if anything happens.
At £1000 per year i would not be riding

 

[r1happy]

Protected no claims is fine but only works if you stay with the same company after a claim. If you change you have to disclose you have made a claim as part of any new proposal, and they will load the premium accordingly. Seeing how Insurance companies penalise loyal customers with higher premiums you really do need to shop around come renewal time.

My 2 bikes are due end of the month. My 1250 Rallye renewal quote is 60% more expensive than the best quote from reputable insurers like Swinton/Carole Nash. My VFR is 90% more expensive.

How many have always protected their NCB and never claimed. So you,ve paid more for the premium in the first place by not shopping around. Then you pay the no claims protection extra fee for the privilege of paying even more. Even if you end up claiming it won’t take long to save the increased premium back.

 

[Flappytabs]

Protected no claims doesnt prevent loading of the cost after a claim.

No claims bonus is a percentage discount of the proposal price, the protection ensures that you maintain the discount. the prop price is inflated no matter what.

NCB protection therefore isnt specific to the insurer.

 

[richtel]

PM sent

The tracker made absolutely no diffrernce to my premium either so am tempted to disconnect it when the subscription is due for renewal inthe summer. Understand why it wouldn't be right to post the details, but would be grateful for a heads-up of what you found and how I might be able to disable the tracker.

 

[resovoir]

Tracker

Hi
I have just bought new GS and yes has a trakker. Must admit I am nervous the first thing the low life will do is cut the wires to the Trakker hence rendering it useless. On my previous bike a Ducati MS, I bought an Automatrics unit https://www.trackersecurity.co.uk/
The unit is stand alone with no wiring and you can hide it anywhere you like on the bike. Change the internal battery every 3 years I think or you can wire up to the bike battery. There is a low battery warning system. The firm are unbelievably friendly and helpful, with excellent results. I am not related nor have anything to do with Automatrics except I bought one of their units. Annual cost is about the same.