Trackers

I am thinking about getting a tracker for my SV when I take delivery. Has anyone got one? Are they worth it? I think in my mind it's a small price to pay to increase my chances of retrieving the bike should the worst happen. As I spend a fair bit of time out of the country due to the nature of my work, the bike will be standing around a fair bit with no-one to mind it.

I read somewhere that you can get systems that can send SMS messages to mobiles - anyone got any experience with these?

HI Martin,

You posted exactly the question I was gonna post, but I can't see any replies. As I'm new here am I missing something or are there no replies?

Have you since got a tracker? Hows it going? Anyone else got info on this? I too am thinking of the text message kind as I live in a flat so would be useful to know that bike is being tampered with as I can't hear the alarm.

Hi Neil,

I've not fitted a tracker to my bike yet - I spoke to some guy in the bike shop recently who said he didn't know anything about them as they weren't mainstream products.

If you find out anything, please let me know!

Cheers

there ok but most of them are just a box which is dropped into your bike so once it is taken apart who ever spots it will lob it away sharpish! on the up side it will lower your insurance but its likley the tracker will cost more than the disount on insurance. i guess it's a peace of mind thing.

Hi mate

http://www.motorcyclesecurity.co.uk/

Try this and look under trackers keep flicking through untill the last slide,

They are more expensive than an alarm, but its way more likely ur gonna get it back,

i know if a local audi garag that kept having audi tt's stolen, bout 3 a month, so fitted trackers to all the r cars they get in, sure enough 3 audis missing, 3 ppl arrested, 3 cars returned!!

IF ever i get an expensive bike ill get one!!

hth
Alex

[BillyC]

Originally Posted by hall13uk

there ok but most of them are just a box which is dropped into your bike so once it is taken apart who ever spots it will lob it away sharpish! on the up side it will lower your insurance but its likley the tracker will cost more than the disount on insurance. i guess it's a peace of mind thing.

I think you're missing the idea of a Tracker.

Agreed, they're probably more effective on a car where they can be hidden easily, and are difficult to remove. Yes, they're also expensive, but no more so than a quality alarm if you can ignore the maintenance fee. I must admit, I wouldn't bother fitting one to an SV, it's not a valuable bike when compared with the premium marques.

Consider this: my mate recently had his Ducati 748S stolen from outside the front of his house, from right under his bedroom window where he was sleeping.

If he'd had a tracker, they'd have tried to contact him immediately. If they then couldn't contact him within 30 minutes, the Police would've been called, and given immediate information on the location and direction of the bike. There would have been information about when it was stolen, where it was taken, and even though the bike is now probably dismantled and they would have found any tracker installed (there wasn't by the way), then it would've been too late anyway, the authorities would know where the vehicle was.

He may have had a bike in bits, but he'd had have satisfaction that the chances of the thieves being caught were much higher.

Trackers are silent, and you are advised that under no circumstances should you advertise the fact that you have one fitted to your vehicle. Even when they fit it, you're not supposed to know where it's located, and they generally do so beneath a tent just to make sure.

So... there you go.

my mate recently had his Ducati 748S stolen

If he'd had a tracker, they'd have tried to contact him immediately

Is that how it works? How do they differentiate between a midnight ride out or a stolen bike? Surely you have to tell them it's stolen? They can't possibly monitor all vehicles at all times for abnormal activity?

[BillyC]

Okay... this is roughly how it works.

The tracker is linked to your ignition, and any immobiliser that you may have. It also has a vibration sensor, and the obvious satellite tracking technology.

Using the information they provide, the tracker can work out if it's being taken somewhere without the engine running, or if the engine is running, was the immobiliser/alarm correctly disarmed. If not, then it calls red alert!

The control centre is notified, and they look up your details. They instantly try and contact you using the telephone numbers you've given them. It's likely that they'll get through to you, and you'll swear and curse so they know your vehicle has been stolen. If they can't get through, then they assume the worst.

All the time the vehicle will be tracked, they know which road it's on, what direction it's heading, how fast etc. Eventually the vehicles are put in underground stores by the thieves, meaning the Tracker can't communicate. But this doesn't matter too much, as they will probably have seen the vehicle arrive at the location anyway.

I geuss the difference is one is hard wired to the ignition circuit, eg, when the key is in it wont transmit a signal, but can still be activated by the tracker company, (eg stolen with keys)

However the other one stays static untill it is activated by the company,
I would love one on the ccm, but at £700 initial set up, ill live without it!

Personaly, i feel like this about security,

If u get no discount maybe dont bother,
However fitting a security device might reduce the likley hood of it being pinched, eg reduce risks of extortionate premiums etc

Alarm imobalisers, good but can be removed with little knowledge,
ground anchors - ace love them, best form of deterrant imho.
Trackers, expensive, would get instead of alarm, not a deterrant but ur very likely to get the bike back!

I watched a police thing with a 4x4 stolen with in 3 hours they had it back!

how cool is that!!

Alex

I was thinking of getting a tracker fitted to my bike, but I found mounting a Mohawk American Indian to the front of the bike, reduced acceleration and visability.