BMW to factory fit Trackers to all models except the 310

Dave N said:

I’m guessing that the insurance companies will now insist you pay said subscription now, or they won’t pay out in the event of theft since it is factory fitted.
Pretty much like home alarms, (I have an all bells and whistles one in my home/garage), but if you advise the insurance company you have one, and you don’t arm it for whatever reason, they won’t cover you. (Saving is negligible anyway)
Cheers
Dave

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this is exactly what will happen - so my £120 a year premium just became £240. great.

I have a tracker on mine, not so much for theft though, more to give the Mrs peace of mind. If she can see I'm still moving she doesn't worry if I'm hours late home.
Added bonus is she can see when I'm getting close to home and put the kettle on.

Mr Bean said:

If the sizes listed on their site are accurate I think you'll struggle to find a place to securely fit it, particularly if you have a factory alarm.

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No factory alarm. Ive watched plenty vids on utube about R1s / scooters GS 's etc being recovered so must be somewhere to put them.

RedRick Esq. said:

Firstly Ducati are already fitting trackers to Multistrada ( bike trac)

I had a conversation with the good folk at biketrac about why my unit wasnt working as i thought it should and was told that it certainly was working ( they gave me a "route " of where the bike had been and for how long despite the fact that this didnt show on my phone ( which was why i rang them)

They did tell me in the course of that conversation that it depends where the Manufacturer had placed the device as they put it in many different places some of which can affect the sending info to the app but not HQ

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I have BikeTrac and as far as I know, the phone app only talks to BikeTrac's website, which is where data sent from the unit is processed, and does not talk directly to the tracker device, so I don't think what you have been told is correct.

Bods have been moaning that “BMW need to do more”. BMW then offer up a tracker * fitted as standard, which bods - within moments of them hearing about it - then moan will be shite, badly sited and too feckin’ expensive to run. In short, a rip-off, not fit for purpose item (to use the two most popular phrases) mixed in with, “BMW are only doing to make money” and the inevitable, “Insurers will use it as an excuse not to pay, I guess”.


* Recognised as about the only vaguely reliable way to find and recover a stolen bike and / or alert the owner that something is possibly amiss. There again, many bods tell us that they wouldn’t want their baby back, it having been defiled by scrotes. They’ll then of course moan that premiums have gone up, due to irrecoverable bike theft claims, too.

Delboy777 said:

No factory alarm. Ive watched plenty vids on utube about R1s / scooters GS 's etc being recovered so must be somewhere to put them.

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R1's and scooters are not GS's

I've had most of the panels off my 1250 and I'm not sure where I could secrete something that large without it being easily found.

Maybe the guy with the GS on YouTube had it on the ECU under the seat as it would probably fit there - not very secure though. The original fitter of my Biketrac placed it behind the small panel below the tank - held by a single screw - again, easily found and not very secure.

Anyway, only trying to help based upon my experience fitting a (much smaller) BikeTrac to mine.

Having completed a couple of Autocrime Courses in the past (which included input from alarm/tracking companies) we used to liase with both our Stolen vehicle squad and Stolen vehicle examiners and the only way you can guarantee that a tracking device isn't ripped out within minutes of the theft is if it is built into the vehicles ECU.

Alarm/ tracking device installers will be limited with aftermarket devices as to where they can physically fit and also by profit margins as to the easiest place they can fit them.

In a larger vehicle you have multiple locations in which you can conceal a tracker and make your odds of recovery better ,however , on a motorcycle if as most thieves you are not bothered about damaging external panels by ripping them off you can access any hiding places within minutes.

If you incorporate a tracker within the coded ecu and wiring loom then you effectively have to render the bike suitable for parts only by tearing it out and so less attractive.

It would take very little for it to be linked to the bikes SOS system and have a remote immobiliser incorporated to stop a moving stolen vehicle.

I've looked at a few of the tracking devices on the market and they were too large to successfully hide on even a bike as large and bulky as as a gsa.

Better off using common sense as to where you leave you bike and use a good quality aftermarket lock

It is possibly better if you have an aftermarket tracker fitted not to advertise it by putting a sticker on the bike, at least then the thief's wont know and probably wont look for one.

I realise these scumbags are pretty clued up but just a thought.

Regards Neil

Or stick a sticker on and not have one.....

Never though skimp on the pound of butter in the fridge and at least buy - and use - a decent disc lock, many don’t bother.

I’m guessing most GSs are stolen to break for parts.

Which means even if it’s built into the ecu it will only be active for as long as it takes them the rip out all of the power supplies or ECUs.


Would I order it if it was a proper factory fit rather than offering a third parties kit they fit in the dealer during prep? - probably


I think that automatrics one looks good if it’s hidden well and they don’t know it’s there.