BMW's Alarm

Python

Guest
Hi All,

As I see a number of people are after the GS or GSA, something you may wish to look into if you are buying an alarm will be is the BMW alarm offered Thatcham Approved. I have been told by several people now that it is not and therefore a waste of money if you were hoping for a Insurance Discount.

The preference these days according to my dealer, Vines, is stick with the Imobiliser, but opt for the Tracker!!

TTFN

J:thumb2
 
Given that I have a GS and the alarm, I can tell you that it will be thatcham cat 1 approved, as when you get to see its gubbins, you'll note its made my Meta, and is just a modified 357 alarm.
 
Alarm

Watch what you're doing, my mate had an alarm fitted to his GSA. It ended up causing problems with the Bus Can wiring thing ? and when he took it to the local dealers, they told him that his warranty may be totally invalidated, as the fitter had cut into the main loom.
 
Can someone confirm if this correct as I am in the throes of picking my options for a new GS1200????....and an alarm was a possible option I was hoping to tick......:confused:

Yours confused, Neil.
 
I have never seen the benefit of alarms. Most people ignore them if they go off. MCN have 'lifted' bikes off the street and into a van and nobody has challenged them.

New BMW bikes already include the chip in key immobiliser. I would suggest buying a good quality Abus (or similar) chain or shackle lock ahead of an alarm. Use of a decent lock fixed to an immovable object or looped round the seat through the back wheel is a better deterrent to light fingered scum.
 
Exactly how much discount do you get for the alarm ? Not much I would hazard, plus you will have clause that if the alarm is not set for any reason, no cover will exist in the event of theft. Parking in a locked garage is similar, beware, no cover if stolen from your drive when you declare the bike will be parked in your garage.

The point of the alarm is the deterrence, to try and put scumbags off stealing your bike, and to draw attention to the act if it doesn't.

If you are going for an alarm, the factory option makes sense to me; It is 100% compatible with the CANBUS. If an aftermarket alarm fitter is not totally au-fait with the CANBUS, he may totally twat it up for you. My dealer did tel me stories of fitters cutting into the main bus cable, destroying it. That must, of course, be weighed against the fact that he did want to sell me the BMW alarm option.
 
the bmw alarm is not thatcham approved as it does not automatically alarm when you leave the bike my bm garage put a one on that does and so my warranty is still valid
 
Psycho said:
the bmw alarm is not thatcham approved as it does not automatically alarm when you leave the bike my bm garage put a one on that does and so my warranty is still valid
Click to expand...

The BMW alarm on my 07GSA has 2 settings

1 alarm it via the fob
2 automatic alarm set 30 secs after the bike is switched off

Both settings can be disabled by the fob or by turning on the ignition. All instructions are in the alarm instructions you should have got with the bike.

Mike
 
Well I got my info direct from two dealers that the alarm offered is not Thatcham Approved - it may be made by a known supplier but that does not mean it meets Thatcham standards - might want to check it out before you go ahead and splash the cash is all!!

Oh and as for discounts - I have tried several Companies and the way it seems to work is you get a very small discount but only for a Thatcham Alarm or Tracker. Everything else can be advsied but then the warranties within stipulate that Theft Cover will be excluded unless everythign was used at the time of the loss. Suggest you start your quote with nothing and slowly add the Alarm, and Datatag and Tracker - as they will always be used and stop there.....if you use locks great its extra protection but do not as I have done with Bennets tell them as I have to use the U lock and Chain too when its unattended - bloody pain!!!

And agree Alarms are more of a nuisance these days - dealers recommend the immobiliser and a Tracker now - tracker around £400 (with Monitor) with 1st years subscription.
 
Wicker said:
I have never seen the benefit of alarms. Most people ignore them if they go off. MCN have 'lifted' bikes off the street and into a van and nobody has challenged them.

New BMW bikes already include the chip in key immobiliser. I would suggest buying a good quality Abus (or similar) chain or shackle lock ahead of an alarm. Use of a decent lock fixed to an immovable object or looped round the seat through the back wheel is a better deterrent to light fingered scum.
Click to expand...

In France all insurance companies insist that an approved U lock be fitted when parked - anywhere, anytime - if the bike is to be insured against theft. An alarm makes no difference to them!
 
Brian ROSEN said:
In France all insurance companies insist that an approved U lock be fitted when parked - anywhere, anytime - if the bike is to be insured against theft. An alarm makes no difference to them!
Click to expand...

Which p*ssed me off no end after buying the BWM alarm!
As I understand it the U lock must be fitted even in ones garage to be covered :nenau
 
Steptoe said:
Python, are you a salesman for Tracker ? :augie
Click to expand...

Regret not; but I belong to another forum clled Londonbikers and there is a guy there who can instal them - being tracker approved of course.

I am also an advocate of them given a few mates have had bikes stolen in recent years and only because they had tracker were they found again. Infact, one mate who does not presently have it installed had is bike knicked and because his was found alongside one traced that had it installed he managed to get his back - without it the Police reckon it would have been bonvoyage!!

My other half has tracker...bike was in the dealership recently and we kept getting calls to say it ws being moved were we aware - so we had to keep calling the dealer - they were moving it around the workshop etc without starting/ disabling it!!

Nuff said - Tracker it is for me all the way - Alarms on bikes are a simple seat up and wires cut!!!

:D
 
Alarm

I can assure you that the post about the alarm effecting the warranty is true. My mate had to take his bike into the dealership, the guy who fitted the alarm had to take out all the gubbings that he had put in and re-instate the wiring loom to the satisfaction of the BMW engineer.
 
Python said:
Well I got my info direct from two dealers that the alarm offered is not Thatcham Approved - it may be made by a known supplier but that does not mean it meets Thatcham standards - might want to check it out before you go ahead and splash the cash is all!!
Click to expand...

Didn't thatcham approve the Oxford products disk locks that you could open with a pen top last year ? Maybe I'm wrong but I seem to recall MCN mounting another 'quest for justice' over it all.

All that 'Thatcham Approved' stuff sounds to me like industry bragging rights between UK security device manufacturers and I doubt it qualifies you for much off your premium anyway.

I heard that the OEM didn't bother getting the factory alarm approved as it costs a fortune to put it through their testing procedures for approval, and it isn't a recognised standard to the 'continentals' as Thatcham is based on the UK insurance industry. Not sure if thats true, but it sounds plausible.

The GS alarm looks identical to the dealer approved and fitted Meta alarm on my mates 2006 RSV Factory.
 
pedro said:
Watch what you're doing, my mate had an alarm fitted to his GSA. It ended up causing problems with the Bus Can wiring thing ? and when he took it to the local dealers, they told him that his warranty may be totally invalidated, as the fitter had cut into the main loom.
Click to expand...

If you go for the official bmw alarm (recommended) the canbus loom comes complete with a plug in and go adapter that hooks straight onto the alarm. No cutting required. Sits in the plastics between the rear lights and plastics to hold the tools.

:thumb
 
My 12gs has the BMW alarm fitted

Carole Nash would not give me any discount....

said it aint on their list!:confused:


dont bother

How much
 
I have a factory fitted BMW alarm but the dealer didn't have any instructions. Can anyone please email me an idiots guide to it's use!

thanks in advance

Paul
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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