[Dazed]

Hey guys,
Just recently had an incident where my bike got hit ant knocked over in a parking lot. Didn't find out until eight hours later, so the chances of finding the guy are slim. That got me to thinking that I need an alarm.

I know that lo-jack stopped making their model for motorcycles. The only alternatives I've seen are from monimoto. Does anybody else have any recommendations and experience with bike alarms?

I'm looking for something that notifies me when it gets touched and has tracking.

 

[MGL]

I have monimoto on my 790. I like it. No need to cut into harness or anything, I get messages when the bike gets moved. Just make sure to update the firmware - the one I got stock drained the battery in less than 2 weeks. After update it's been 5 months and so far battery is ok.
I never had any other tracker so I can't compare.

Another solution, depending on your parking situation, could be IP camera. They can react to movement. You then have recorded video as proof what happened, and no need for subscription/simcard fees, and are quite cheap.

Even better get both ...and alarm disclock

 

[Dazed]

So, it happened at work, wish I could have had a camera trained on my bike seeing as it was at the front gate, but it was inoperative.

 

[J D]

So, it happened at work, wish I could have had a camera trained on my bike seeing as it was at the front gate, but it was inoperative.

I'm sorry Dazed, that's a crappy feeling.

 

[owl]

Sorry Dazed, horrible thing to happen, hopefully not too much damage.

Where you from for a start, that will determine what’s available to you.

I’m in the UK and use a service called BikeTrac, can’t fault them aside from it being a bit expensive, but it saves me money on insurance premiums. They have strong links with metro police and can obtain instant search warrants once the bike is located.

As others have said monimoto is a good self service option but it’s worth noting that police won’t always act on GPS data alone - again this depends on where you are.

BikeTrac for example uses about 4 or 5 different tracking methods including RFID which can pinpoint exact locations, for example the exact garage in a row of garages, whereas GPS is only accurate to around 5 meters. This means you could potentially be on your own in terms of recovery, not so much of a problem in the US though I guess.

BikeTrac also offers biker down service, it will detect if the bike goes down and can ping an alert to set contacts including last known gps co-ordinates. I often used to worry about riding alone in the countryside, if you slide and end up in a hedge and no one sees you, it could be awhile before you’re found or wake up, if either of those actually happen. It’s a relief for both me and the missus knowing that at least if something does happen, she’ll know.

Another thing, it tracks your routes and locations, which obviously the company will have access to - so keep this in mind, it can also track your speed. You can turn off the speed tracking, although with the time stamped co-ordinate pings you could probably work out average speeds anyway. Not much different to Google or Apple unless you disable them.

 

[Brie-Jan]

Hey guys,
Just recently had an incident where my bike got hit ant knocked over in a parking lot. Didn't find out until eight hours later, so the chances of finding the guy are slim. That got me to thinking that I need an alarm.

I know that lo-jack stopped making their model for motorcycles. The only alternatives I've seen are from monimoto. Does anybody else have any recommendations and experience with bike alarms?

I'm looking for something that notifies me when it gets touched and has tracking.

Hi Dazed,

I came along this thread in my search for an alarm for my 790 Duke and as it had been nearly 2 years since the last reply I was wondering if you have found the right alarm for your bike. If so, are you willing to share it with me? My alarm requirements are similar to yours. 🙂

 

[JordiR]

If it helps, the alarm that KTM sells is manufactured by METASYSTEM, model DEFCOMT, and has the plug&play connector under the seat cowl cover.

 

[Booney]

If it helps, the alarm that KTM sells is manufactured by METASYSTEM, model DEFCOMT, and has the plug&play connector under the seat cowl cover.

Yeah I have the Ktm/Meta alarm fitted and it’s just a fairly basic system with no paging or tracking facility. So unless you or someone else hears it sounding off then it’s efficacy is somewhat limited.I wouldn’t particularly recommend It but it was already on the bike when I bought it. I’m sure there’s better systems out there!

 

[Brie-Jan]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I ordered the meta defcomT and will install it as soon my bike is back from the dealer. Hope it is indeed as easy as plug and play.

@Booney: I know it’s not the most advanced alarm out there, but I do think it helps somewhat to at least scare off the occassional thieves a bit more. And I also have a Monimoto gps tracker - or a better alternative, tips are welcome - on my wishlist for some ’peace of mind’ in case my bike does get stolen.