Immobiliser Hell!

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

How much are you betting?

ok i bet most of you have alarms and immobilisers on your insurance....

[yorkie_chris]

Most being over half?

I'll put a quid on that.

[fastdruid]

Originally Posted by tommo891

Druid what i dont understand is you wouldnt want your car without an immobiliser or alarm

The immobiliser/alarm in the car is factory, meaning I don't have to do anything, I don't even know its there. The only time I even noticed it has an alarm is when I've locked it with the bonnet open or locked it (using the button on the key) when I'm still inside. After 5 weeks the car will still start.

so why your bike surely bike alarms work just fine,

but bike alarms *don't* work fine, they need plips which break, or get wet, or fall off keys. Typically leaving you stranded.
They're not 'part' of the bike so the connections invariably fail over time. Typically leaving you stranded.
They drain the battery, either killing it so you need a new one or just making it so that you cannot leave it for more than 2 weeks without a charge.

i like the idea that if some git wants to steal my bike ive got a chance of hearing it and if not there not going anywhere fast with the immobiliser engaged, and as for my alarm if i dont set it it does it its self after 4 minutes and i cant see the hassel of pushing a button before i go riding...its your immobiliser that drops money off your insurance..

A car you can prevent from being driven off, a bike can be lifted into the back of a van. Refrigerated vans apparently are the weapon of choice, you can't hear the alarm from outside and once in it can be dealt with at leisure. A better bet would be an alarmed disk lock, just as useful, not likely to leave you stranded.

Having had to use one for a short while it *really* annoyed me the 'hassle' of pushing a button before I go riding. It was forever plipping and bleeping and rearming and going off.

Besides, my insurance cost me £112, I almost feel embarrassed as it is without it being any cheaper.

Druid

Speaking of alternatives, why not buy a gps tracker which is more handy in FINDING the bike after they bypassed the disc lock? It's obvious thieves that won't go for alarm equiped bikes also won't go for disc locked ones simply because it would take longer to disable it and make just as much noise whilst beeing cut off... So, they must pick up a bike with any of the two in the back of a van. Difference is, when going disc lock + tracker, you have a good chance of finding the bike..

Originally Posted by andreis

Speaking of alternatives, why not buy a gps tracker which is more handy in FINDING the bike after they bypassed the disc lock? It's obvious thieves that won't go for alarm equiped bikes also won't go for disc locked ones simply because it would take longer to disable it and make just as much noise whilst beeing cut off... So, they must pick up a bike with any of the two in the back of a van. Difference is, when going disc lock + tracker, you have a good chance of finding the bike..

You know you are likely to find the tracker as one of 1000 separate parts that your bike is now in?

Yeah, but by the time they take the whole bike appart, you should be able to get its position.. or at least i so hope
Only thing it needs doing is beeing placed in a very unaccesible place

[yorkie_chris]

I think it counts on you being mobile very quickly and after it.

What I would think best is tracker which could phone you to say "help!" and a mate with a van and a shotgun

Muffles on here proved that tracker and relying on the police to be allowed to recover the bike doesn't work. Best to recover it yourself.

I do agree on that.. but it's a better chance than none..
However, in the real world, if someone wants your bike, they get it, end of story... So best keep it dirty on the outside and clean on the inside
Will search for muffles's thread on here though, just to learn a couple of things

[yorkie_chris]

Basically the tracker worked, they knew it was inside one of a row of garages but the police did not have sufficient evidence to start using tin opener on door or even knocking on houses which owned garages.

There's justice for you...
Did she get it back in the end? As in has she returned in the night and stole her own bike back? (can't find the thread with the search function)
Edit : nevermind, found it..