Bike alarm... Yay or nay?

As title says really!

Obviously alarms seem great, but a lot of people seem to have issues with starting, dead batteries, alarms going off randomly etc etc.

Also they seem to range in price form £30 to £300. Are the cheap ones rubbish and cause the issues?

What do you have, and/or recommend?

I've got a Datatool S4, and I think it's fantastic, no drain on the battery, easy to use, only goes off if its moved over a certain degree and makes a heck of a racket when it's set off! Deffo worth a look!

[Doinitmyway]

I can +1 the datatool. I had to have one fitted as a condition of insurance after a previous new SV got nicked

I can appreciate that some people say not to have them fitted etc etc but I can honestly say I have never had any aggro with my (dealer fitted 4 years ago) datatool. If you are looking for an alarm to get you a little insurance discount then it must also be fitted by an approved fitter.

Chris

[jambo]

My personal opinion is that you should fit one if you can't get insurance without it, or if the bike cost a fortune. I will also add the following:

1) On informing my insurers that one of my bikes actually had a £350 Meta alarm system fitted (didn't have details until I went to view the bike), they lowered my premium by exactly £1. Make sure you actually check the discount if you're thinking of fitting it to save money on the premiums, it may take longer than you'd think to get that investment back.
2) Beware of cheap immobilisers.
3) I personally hate Datatools with a passion, but I'm informed newer ones are less irritating. The ones I've used either beep incessantly to tell you it's in service mode, or arm while you're filling up with petrol and go off if a squirrel wanders along a fence 2 doors up.

Jambo

[Fallout]

Alarms are good for when the bike is within earshot, otherwise they're no more than a mild deterent. They dont stop the bike being wheeled away or put into a van. Pikeys will happily do that with the siren wailing. When you're not around (or not prepared to challenge a thief) the only real security is a physical mechanism to make it impossible to move.

If fitted well they can be good, I heard some cheap alarms without their own fuse can be defeated by shorting any two wires together like the indicators, blowing a fuse and thus no power to the alarm. Might not be true, I think of one a bit like a disc alarm, a bit of noise to keeps the yobs away but any determined thief will still have it.


Never liked immobilizers as it just adds to the headache should the bike not start or things start to play up.

[Fallout]

Yeah, a xena is the best of both worlds imo. Motion alarm, no affect on bike, makes wheeling away impossible, no installation difficulties. Its only real downsides are less convenient than a bike alarm and still not van proof.

[NTECUK]

A decent alarmed padlock will alert you if you are in ear shot. If not no one else is going to talk any notice.
A tracker will get more of the premium, but will unlike to offset its cost and subscription. But your get a text pretty quick if it moves.

[Doinitmyway]

My bike lives outside. As well as the Datatool it has an oxford something disclock, was datatagged by myself and an Almax series 4 chain with the squire padlock - locked to a scaffold pole chemically bolted to the wall and concreted in under the paving. I know if they want it they'll have it but this ones lasted 3 1/2 years longer than the last touch wood now lol!

avoid data tool like the plague , soooooo many issues with them (do a search on here)
rictus speaks highly of hawk alarms, I wouldn't have another data tool if you paid me a subscription
but as said look at cost verses reward