Should I fit an alarm or not? Having been a biker for well over 30 years now, I have never had a bike with an alarm. I suppose I have always been put off by the fact that they cost a fortune, are generally ignored, they flatten your battery and it is easy to just lift a bike into the back of a van and it is gone. Trouble is, insurance companies are quite keen for us to spend the thick end of £300. As I am getting a new bike my delemma is which to go for Genuine Honda or something like a Datatool. What do you guys think? Genuine Honda keeps all you eggs in one basket warrany wise, Datatool have an extra year warranty. Either way it will be fitted by the dealer that supplies the bike. Oh by the way there was a guy outside the other night who couldn't ride his bike as his alarm was playing up. Maybe it's an Omen.
Hello Mate, My insurance company would have liked me to do the same thing and offered a discount but the discount was nowhere near what the alarm was going to cost. Plus if like mine it can spend weeks tucked away in the garage it will flatten the battery, making a permanently connected charger an all year requirement rather then just over the winter. My bike is very seldom left on its own other then in the garage when it has an alarmed disc lock and a fcuk off chain tethering it down. So for me “I am out” One last thought, when was the last time you brought a car without an alarm fitted as standard, (or ABS for that matter or though that a whole new story). It’s about time Honda and others started to fit these things as standard.
No !, they go wrong, kill your battery, cost a fortune to get and make no difference to the insurance premium (in my case anyway) and if they want your bike they will lift it into a sound proofed van and drive off. IMO anyway lol
On the fence On the fence on this one as there are always pro's and con's. Always had alarms on all my bikes (fitted before i got them or as part of the deal when bought) Never had problems with random activations, although a good few times forgot to disarm! Had problems with draining battery on my 600rr so had to permanently have it on charger. Since getting blade which came without alarm, always thought about it but then thought its OK without. Insurance doesn't seem any different and don't have the flat battery or random bouts of forgetting to disarm! Do get a little nervous when leaving it alone somewhere, but that is mainly the rarity. My feeling is though it anyone wants it, alarm or not they'll have it. Best solution would be to get a disc lock with alarm on. Relatively cheap, gives that audible alarm, doesn't drain the battery and also gives the disc lock as extra security!
I have always given them a miss for the reasons listed. My new bike came with a DT system 4 already fitted so I have just ran with it, & so far its been just fine; it also gives a little piece of mind if I leave the bike parked up. Auto arming whilst filling up with fuel is the only irritation for me. The minute I have trouble with it however its gone. I didn't know Honda had an alarm option of their own.
I find a big chain and lock with a disc lock plus being a light sleeper with a baseball bat and a big angry dog does the trick ( not insurance approved ) lol
I could of had a data tool fitted free when I bought it last year but told them they could put it on someone else's bike, more trouble than there worth IMO maybe if your a young rider to help with insurance then ok otherwise no.
Don't bother! Alarm makes no difference to my quote and then I'm £200 odd out of pocket buying the thing! Who ever pays attention to them! Don get one and buy yourself a new exhaust or better bling
No votes for get an alarm then? Interesting that. I can honestly say that quite a few years ago our house alarm stopped us being burgled. No one has posted on here to say that their bike alarm stopped their bike being nicked. I wonder how many people have had their bike nicked even though it had an alarm?
Road Angel bike trac, txt's your phone and sends emails when bikes moved, you don't have to do anything to arm it, it's monitored by a call centre and can be tracked online anytime.... 300.00 then 99 per year.
as far as i can make out - you only get about a £20 discount on annual insurance for having an alar fitted (i have a a Datatool S4-C1) and it should have cost 350 fitted i would have to keep the bike or alarm for over 15 years to make it worth will and i doubt if it will be a Cat 1 alarm in 3 yrs let alone 15
