To alarm or not to alarm?

[Stevieboy]

Hi all.
Not really a technical question but just after some opinions, and not sure where to put this thread.
Anyway, the alarm/immobiliser on my bike left me stranded today and I had to call out the recovery truck. The gent who got me home said he has to recover many stranded motorcyclists due to alarm faults. It is an aftermarket META alarm that was on the bike when I bought it, and is about 5 years old. Is it worth getting the alarm replaced or should I just have the thing taken out and rely on my disc lock and a hefty chain and padlock. Has anybody had any experience of having their bike saved from being stolen because they had an alarm/immobiliser fitted.
Cheers
Steve

 

[DavidHale]

have the thing taken out and rely on my disc lock and a hefty chain and padlock.

There you go. Answered your own question!

 

[Tarka]

Remove the fecking thing and bin it.

They`re all more trouble than they`re worth.

If some scrote wants your bike it`ll go regardless of any alarm unless the bike`s physically too difficult or time consuming to attempt a theft...bringing us nicely back to good locks and chains.

 

[Stevieboy]

Thanks Chaps.
Goodbye alarm!!
Steve

 

[mike wright]

I had no end of problems with the Datatool fitted to my bike...... Started with the indicators not signalling the arming and so on........ Drove me mad... Took the damn thing out and have a disk lock, heavy chain and padlock instead plus about 19 inches of concrete to get through !..........

 

[keiff]

I had the same sort of question when I wa buying my 1200 GSA, phoned around insurance companies and told them that it came with the BMW Immobilizer, chipped to key thingy and they where fine. I even got a discount for the type of chain I used, the metal secure garage I lock it in and the ground anchor.

The is the first time in 12 years I gone without an alarm, and not missing it one bit.

Previously I've had META die on me and Spyball try and burn the wiring loom out of my ZZR.

 

[Fanum]

Alarms actually very rarely go wrong....it's nearly always the installation that was of a poor standard.

If you've got a scotchlock fitted on a bike in any place where any degree of damp can get to it, let alone salty spray off the road, it's going to fail after 3+ years....period.

If it was fitted with proper soldered connections, sealed, mounted properly and all the wiring routed properly, it's very very unlikely to fail.

My Datatool3 has protected my bike several times in the last few months...it's parked outside the house and chained up with an Oxford Monster to a very heavy iron grill, but that doesn't stop scrotes from wanting to interfere with it on the way home from the pub on a Friday/Saturday night...the tremble sensor is very effective at raising a naked 6 foot four ginger bloke from bed with a baseball bat and an attitude though

 

[Tarka]

...the tremble sensor is very effective at raising a naked 6 foot four ginger bloke from bed with a hangover and a hard on though

Fixed,heh heh


Akshully,I agree with the 'tremble sensor' bit though...I`ve got mercury tilt switches in-line with my airhorns for scrote deterrent shock effect

I still wouldn`t bovver with a conventional alarm though...there`s also the PITA nuisance factor of the feckers arming while working on yer bike and all that mullarky,despite so called 'workshop settings'.

 

[Carefulkev]

Well I like em!
Had a Meta on my 1150 for a few years now
Like Fanum says - it's all in the installation.
I like the piece of mind when its parked outside some foreign hotel (must admit, still use a chain a well though). Also the advantage that they are so easy to use, so you tend to activate them on those occasions when you "just pop in the shop". Having said all that though I reckon a flashing red LED would do the job...........

 

[DavidHale]

a naked 6 foot four ginger bloke from bed with a baseball bat and an attitude though

The only scary bit is the 'ginger' bit... and I'll agree with the attitude!

 

[Micky]

Most bikes that are stolen are lifted straight into a van, so alarms and immobilisers are of no feckin use...

Disc locks ditto....

Immobilisers usually and mostly immobilise the rightful owner only...

If they know where your bike is they'll come for it one day....



www.adventure.gs

ex Stolen Vehicle Squad

 

[Bateman]

I had my datatool system 3 taken out by CWs last year after having to call a recovery truck out for the third time in as many months when the fuse had blown. Not sure what the issue was but CWs said that after a few years they can start to cause a lot of problems shorting out and they do take out a lot of alarms for customers.

 

[MIKE R]

No immobiliser on my 1150 except disc lock/chain etc, but I do have a cheapish Acumen alarm just in case when leaving the bike alone. It's only ever gone off once, but I think it paid for itself that day!

Mike

 

[davegs]

Alarms

Well I like em!
Had a Meta on my 1150 for a few years now
Like Fanum says - it's all in the installation.
I like the piece of mind when its parked outside some foreign hotel (must admit, still use a chain a well though). Also the advantage that they are so easy to use, so you tend to activate them on those occasions when you "just pop in the shop". Having said all that though I reckon a flashing red LED would do the job...........

They do, wire the flashing led across the head light (or tail light) it will go out when the lights are on and it is a good deterrent and costs about a quid.
I must fit one one day.

 

[Fanum]

Most bikes that are stolen are lifted straight into a van, so alarms and immobilisers are of no feckin use...

Disc locks ditto....

Immobilisers usually and mostly immobilise the rightful owner only...

If they know where your bike is they'll come for it one day....



www.adventure.gs

ex Stolen Vehicle Squad

Thass' why it's chained down as well

It's the pissheads that bother me most.......they come along and want to sit on it, or leave things on top of it WTF's that about???? It would take some dedicated and serious thieves to nick mine from outside without me pulping their scummy heads in first....and the spaniel would probably give them at least a nasty suck too

Anyway, with a GS, it's not quite as simple as 'lifting it into a van'......having helped lift several GS's up to drain out water, it takes at least 5 blokes, and it's bloody awkward as well....

Alarm, OXfrord monster and immobiliser...balt and braces.....then again, it is one of the far more desirable 11xx's so I've got more to worry about when it comes to theft issues than...er......certain sections of our community

 

[Flipfly]

and the spaniel would probably give them at least a nasty suck too

Where do you live

 

[Northern jock]

When I bought my 1150 it had a datatools alarm fitted and it annoyed the hell out of me. Stop to talk to a mate, turn the engine off and a few seconds later it's alarmed itself even though you're still sitting on the bike. Then the thing goes off cause you're moving about. Or stop in the north of Scotland in a wee village and you're alarm peeps on loudly - someone said to me "it's ok, it's safe here, you don't need to put that on to nip into the shop".
Got it removed - and it made no difference to my insurance.
Chain will do when and where required.

 

[Wapping]

Invention of the devil.

Had a Datatool on my VFR. Eventualy just turned the whole thing off, into service mode. Armed itself whilst filling with petrol, then they tell you not to keep the fob on the keys, so rummage around in pockets to find it, right pain in the arse.

One came fitted to a CBR600 that I turned into a trackbike. Wailed like a banshee as I unwired it all. Stiill wouldn't stop, so hit it with a lump hammer. The most satifying 10 seconds since I smashed the Black and Decker electric strimmer...but that's another story.

 

[Stevieboy]

I took the tank off to have a little look and see if I could see anything. I have no idea where the alarm box is, just can't see it at all. What I did find was a blown 15 amp fuse. This was in a fuse holder that looks like it has been spliced onto a wire in the loom. I replaced the fuse and it blew straight away with the ignition off. That seems a large fuse to me. Could it be spliced into the starter motor wire?
Anyway, I've decided to have the thing removed and have found a bloke who'll take it off for £40. Reckon it could be money well spent.
Thanks for the replies.
Steve