[Tezz]

Hello and greetings from a new member. Recently I attended one of the main motorcycle shows here in the UK and man, was I taken by the Victory bikes on show, particularly the Hammer S in blue with Shelby Cobra stripes. Awesome! I've already signed up for the UK dealerships open days next Spring so I can get to try out both the Hammer S and Vegas Jackpot. Anyway, my question is this. I was toying around with getting a Harley and I know their alarm system is a simple plug-in unit. Anyone have problems installing some kind of security system to their bike? Being in London, and having had two Harleys and a big Kawasaki stolen in the past, security sorta comes top of my list

 

[Reds3012783]

To go along with this post.
I'd like to ask what are the best options for security systems on a bike. Heres what I have learned (tell me if I am wrong).
1) Brake disc locks -- An example is RoadLok.
My concerns: I have read that you use these type of security systems and then forget they are on the brake, and the bike will be ruined. Causing damage to the rotors or something of that nature. How much do these cost?
2)Thief identity systems -- LoJack
My Concern: Cost and effectiveness. I have read that these systems often cost big money up to $1500...that seems like a lot of money for bike security system. Two, I have read LoJack might not work in ALL areas of the country -- heck here in Fort wayne, IN there isn't even a dealer near 50 miles. So why would I buy product that doesn't even have dealership in my city to set this up?
These are just a few questions I have. If anyone has any extra information I would be more interested in hearing.
Such info like: How was set up for these security systems?
Cost of the system?
Would you purchase again?
Do they work?
Thanks for any input

 

[Kingpinman]

Try this web site: http://cycleopsusa.com/store/locksandsecurity.html
Or, you might try a trial guest membership to the VMC (Victory Motorcycle Club).
Here: http://www.thevmc.com/start.html

 

[redbee03]

Just installed a scorpio i600. Install was simple, just wired into the turn signals and the power. I got the ignition disable, this was nothing more then a water proof relay; it interupts (or opens) a circuit use to run the bike. Since I'm rollin an '09 Hammer, I wired it into the fuel pump power. I've got LoJack, and it's expensive, but worth it! I had my ZX14 stolen, got it back 6 hours later. Had I had a security system, the thief wouldn't have even moved it. (from my own drive way, and I have a nice .45 w/ laserto great him with!)
Install of an alarm is simple, on a hammer the only concern I had was space, since I removed the stock air box I had room under the tank. It's a good feeling having one.

 

[davelau]

I've been looking at this company compared to Lojack. Reasonably priced. ($7.00 or so a month after the first initial year.)
http://www.bikeusagps.com/

 

[whinchey]

I have just purchased a Scorpi SRi900 with disable relay and bike specific harness. I will be installing on a Vic Vision Premium '08. I will update you on how that goes.
I also have an XX14 Disc lock alarm and I use the orange cord to the handlebars to remind me when it is on. Even so if I move the bike while it is armed it will let me know.

 

[JHammer]

I've been looking at this company compared to Lojack. Reasonably priced. ($7.00 or so a month after the first initial year.)
http://www.bikeusagps.com/

After researching security systems for my Hammer for a while, I decided on Lojack. If you live in a Lojack coverage area, and you actually want you're bike back, it's the way to go I think. The police have the tracking units in their cruisers, helicopters etc, so there's no middle man involved. Report to the police that your bike was stolen, and an alert is sent out to all municipalities that you're bike is stolen, and tracking begins. They have a 24 hour recovery guarantee too, so if you don't get it back within 24 hours, they will refund you the cost of the system(and they still will probably find the bike shortly thereafter, as they claim to have a 90% recovery rate). They say most stolen vehicles are recovered within a couple hours. It comes with a small key fob that goes on your keychain, and if the bike is moving for more than a minute without the keyfob being around the bike, you get a bunch of automated phone calls, txt msg's, emails(one or more, as you tell them which way you want to be notified) to let you know. I know it works, because I headed out one day with my spare key and no fob. I didn't get far before my phone lit up.

The biggest thing for me was that it works on a radio frequency band, as opposed to GPS used by the Fin system, and every other "tracking" security system available. This makes it better for recovering a motorcycle especially, because a GPS signal is easily blocked, whereas radio frequency can transmit through just about anything. Many bikes that are stolen are put right into the back of a covered box truck and carried away. If you have a GPS system, say goodbye to your bike because GPS will not work if there is anything solid over it, like a metal truck roof, or if they put it in a garage.

Not to mention Lojack systems are completely hidden on the bike, while a GPS system antenna needs to have a clear view of the sky, obviously without any sort of metal above it, to work. Where are you going to hide this antenna? Maybe on a Vision you could find a place under some plastic somewhere, but on most bikes it would be real hard to conceal it while maintaining the necessary view of the sky. Any thief worth his salt will spot it easily and rip it out. And the Fin website comparison with Lojack is a bit misleading, as it claims a Lojack is not waterproof and it won't work if battery power is cut, both of which are false. It has a 5 day battery backup built into it, and it's waterproof. I confirmed this with the installer who put it in.

As you can see by this long-winded post, I did my research, mostly because I love my Vic and i've put a lot into it, and if it goes away I want it back. Granted, Lojack is more expensive than Fin, but there also isn't a monthly charge with Lojack as there is with the GPS based services. It's a one time cost that seems worth it to me.

 

[VTXman]

Sounds like we have Mr. LoJack here....lol.....well...here is what I have found to be true. I have a FIN Device on my bike. I can tell where my bike is 24/7 and have even caught someone breaking into my garage and prevented a theft because I was notified that my bike was being tampered with. You can not track ..you can not set speed limits, you can not set up boundaries, you can not tell when your battery is low...the list goes on.....my FIN was at least half the price and no fees until AFTER the first year and then only about $7 a month, so it would take 5 or 6 years before I have spent what I would have spent on LoJack and it is not all spent up front ( out of pocket expense ).
It is a fact that is available on LoJacks website that lists the States and Counties in each of those States that LoJack CLAIMS to have coverage in. With that said...if a thief takes your bike, leaves it in 1 of the approximate 5% of the US coverage areas that they actual have some sort of coverage in....you MIGHT get your bike back. Not a chance I was willing to take when I researched these facts.
Although GPS is not 100% as NOTHING is...especially something that only works in 5% of the US. GPS DOES work in garages as mine stays there and I have NO problem locating it there. If it were in a bunker or possibly a 10 story parking garage I can see it may be an issue, but if the thief steals it there, keeps it there and never takes it out of that garage, I guess I may not be able to locate it and the thief can drive in cirlces and do donuts in the parking garage. Thats my personal experience with FIN and GPS....don't take anyones word for it..research it all for yourself...LoJack coverage in 27 states and about 5% of the entire US...GPS working in every state and about 95% of the US.....my 10 year old can figure this one out...lol...thats my long winded response to that....good luck with that and RIDE SAFE !!

 

[JHammer]

Do your own research. Don't believe what any one person(myself included) or website says, because every person/website has an opinion that they believe is right, or just an outright agenda. GPS based systems offer some nice features that you may be interested in that Lojack doesn't have. Heck if money was no object i'd probably have both in my bike. VTXman makes valid points, although I think his description of the coverage area is off. Lojack covers 65% of the US population(i.e. the most populated area's of the country). And how would a thief know to take it out of a coverage area if he doesn't even know it has Lojack in it?

Also the Lojack will alert you if someone is tampering with your bike, just like FIN. That's just one of a few blatant lies on the FIN website. Like I said, do your own research.

All I know is that Lojack is a proven system, it's been around for like 25 years and they've recovered hundreds of thousands of vehicles. They must be doing something right. So it's my OPINION that if you live in a coverage area it's your best chance of getting your bike back within hours or even minutes, because it's directly tied in with the police, and the technology used is more reliable for recovery than GPS. Now if you want to see how fast the thief was riding your bike into the back of a box truck, never to be seen again, go with GPS.

Research stuff:

Edmunds
Motorcycle.com
FIN
Lojack

 

[VTXman]

Damn...we have a real life debate here huh.......GPS of Radio Frequency.......Satellites must be somewhat accurate or they would not be used by government for several decades now.....air traffic controllers use it, police use it for bait cars and bikes......everyone has an opinion and the fact is LoJack is good in ONLY 27 states and in certain Counties within those 27 states......if my math is correct, that means that is 27 out of 50 with coverage ONLY in the metropolitan areas. Look at a map....it IS literally about 5% of the entire country. I am sorry but I just do not see how this even can be debated. A thief does not have to wander if LoJack is on what they steal if they are in an area that LoJack advertises NO COVERAGE in and the thief has access to that information.. My GPS device is about the size of a credit card and less than 1" thick....thats it. It can be put almost anywhere on almost any type of bike. I don't have to call the police to find my bike if it is taken. It would take an hour to even speak to police and fill out police report BEFORE they even try to start looking for your bike.I can findmine myself......no insults intended but sure LoJack has recovered vehicles...sure they have their stories...the stories you don't see are the ones that a bike or vehicle was stolen and LoJack didn't find anything.....why would they publish that....THEY WILL NEVER....its called marketing...apparently I am not the only one that does his research.....I guess I just see the facts differently......5% coverage potential or 95% potential coverage.....I pick 95.......I like being able to look at a map and seeing almost exactly where my bike is if I am 1000 miles away....hell..I even called LoJack after I saw this post and the girl on the other end said their "Early Warning" meant that they can notify you in 15 to 60 minutes.....your bike could be 60 miles or an hour away by the time you get that alert and then have to call and fill out report.......I can't even believe I am responding to this again......no worries on my part..I have a GPS device that protects my bike and helps me sleep better at night..........I wasn't much of a decision to me......all I can say...once again...nothing is 100% but your odds are increased if you have something that covers you in almost all of the US instead of just a fraction of the US.........lalalalalalalala nobody will ever convince me otherwsie as seeing is believing and the map don't lie.....

 

[JHammer]

Well, we agree to disagree then VTXman, and that's what these forums are for, so people can give opinions.

Satellites are eerily accurate, but that's really not important for what we're trying to accomplish here. Functionality is what is most important, and the number one thing with tracking something to get it back is it's ability to be tracked under all conditions. It has to work, be able to transmit a signal, regardless of where it is or what it's in or under.

I'm not saying that Lojack is better overall features wise, clearly it doesn't have all the bells and whistles as FIN. It's just better at one thing, reliably being able to be found. With FIN, the term putting lipstick on a pig comes to mind. Lot's of flashy features to cover up it's one glaring flaw, it's easily defeated.

As far as coverage, the fact that Lojack recovers 90% of it's stolen vehicles tells you that its coverage is just fine. So if you live in a coverage area, there's a 90% chance you'll get your bike back. It's as simple as that. Maps-schmaps! (When did this turn into a Verizon commercial?)

And I know from personal experience, as well as from another friend of mine that had a similar thing happen when he forgot his keyfob, that we were notified of our bikes being moved within a few minutes. I think the LJ rep you talked to was probably given that 15-30 min time frame just to cover their butts.

Well, i'm friggin'weary from this, I've had enough. Thanks a lot VTX man! Lol. My advice once again is to anyone interested in this kind of security system is to do their own research and then make up your mind. There's no wrong way to go about this. Any tracking device is better than nothing at all.

 

[ByteN2it]

I've posted this before at the VMC-If you have a little bit of soldering skill these are very easy to make and have multiple uses-almost zero current draw while armed and all you have to do is turn the key off to arm it. I made a couple with 9V batteries and a peizo buzzer to help guard my liquor & gun cabinets (teenagers)I have one on my V92C tied into a Steibel air horn that would scare the hell out of anyone- you can tie you saddle bags to the alarm circuit too.great DIY project for $10 in materials-Brian
gadgetjq.com/mc_alarm.htm

(still struggling with links & Firefox on this site- you'll have to cut & paste link)

 

[VTXman]

Well...nobody said Lojack never works. This is not a debate with FIN VS. Lojack. It is about GPS Technology and a direction finder that works off radio frequencies. By the way....Onstar uses GPS Satellites andif I am not mistaken, they put those onALL GM cars now.Hell....Lojack even sells a GPS Device, although they do not make it. I just happen to have a FIN, that has proven to me that it does work....from personal experience. This is quite the tiring forum on this topic. I just found it a little funny that someone can actually put their bike in the hands of something that covers about 5% of the countryside to protect their bike......I am sorry...I just do not understand that and never will.......check out the facts for yourself.....
https://my.lojack.com/pages/owners-accessories-coverage.aspx
Notice at the bottom of the page...in the fine print...it even states that it may not be good in ALL parts of the counties that are listed.....
Ride Safe !!

 

[VTXman]

Well.....just had to post this as my friend had Lojack on his bike and it was stolen in Sturgis recently.....called the cops and was told there wasn't much they could do as it happens all the time. No police vehicles had capabilities of tracking and in fact..the ENTIRE state has no Lojack coverage which means he is SOL now.....
$30,000 down the drain...... I tried to tell him and like others..they hear the name LoJack and think they are covered.....think again...read your paperwork if you have LoJack...it tells you the areas they claim to have coverage.... wake up everyone..its called "MARKETING"...Lojack is the sh.... when it comes to that.....

 

[Keith Grey]

I know it's not as cool as a Keyless alarm, but three times folks have tried to steal a bike from me that had a Gorilla alarm (or in one case an all in onecar alarm).
Nothing like a 140db scream in the middle of a parking lot to get attention. The only improvement I added over the years is it MUST have a little red blinking diode.
Security isn't about making something impregnable, it's about making yours more tempting than mine. (sad but true)
Like the Hunter told his friend,"I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to out run you!"
KG

 

[VTXman]

Very..very true keith...and at 140db..thats pretty loud.....alarms are sometimes only deterrents...better than locks and chains....sure loud enough to scare the **** out of most though...I just like the idea of tracking my bike myself...can't rely on cops or anyone else...they have nothing to loose if your bike comes up missing......

 

[ILikeRDX]

Good evening, thought I might wade (Dive?) into this thread. I worked for some time as an Auto Theft detective and have firsthand experience using both Lojack to locate and recover stolen vehicles, as well as GPS units (Our own that somehow or another would get placed on reported stolen vehicles) as well GPS systems such as Onstar.
In a nutshell, using Lojack to locate a reported stolen vehicle works, and works well. (When it's used) I've had it take me right into backyards and other places where vehicles were sitting, as well as follow it right to vehicles on the move.
The problem is real coverage by agencies across the country who actually use it. I work for a fairly large city with a terrible crime rate as well as a bad auto theft problem. My agency has Lojack systems in some vehicles, problem is those vehicles do not always get used, for a variety of reasons. They just don't, because in many cases there simply is not the time to utilize the resource. The Lojacks reps are great people but I would take the company claims of coverage with a grain of salt. As far as the claim of the number of vehicles that get recovered OK, that may be true. It is also true that most vehices recovered, even stripped ones up on blocks, with Lojack installed will get recovered whether a lojack locator was used or not.
The fact is that in any police agency there are those who can smell stolen vehicles and just have a heck of a knack for finding them. Then you have cities like mine where you really can't help but trip over stolen vehicles.
GPS works very well, When the signal gets out. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes, the crook simply busts off the antenna. There you go.
Personally, I like GPS and Lojack both. At the end of the day, I would go with Keith's answer. A loud alarm and the willingness to investigate why you are hearing the noise and do something about it.

 

[uknessie]

Hi Tezz,

Whereabouts in London? I live in bedfordshire but regularly ride the vision into London to avoid the congestion charge/traffic/parking problems. Both my bikes have a datatool S4 alarm/immobiliser, it comes with 2 remotes and you can code a manual override should the remotes not work. I was told once the Victorys are so different and not as common that stealing them makes no sense (I know burglars dont have any sense). As far as I am aware only 1 has been stolen in the UK and that was an unpacked one stolen from a delivery van - may be it has resurfaced?

Peter

 

[VTXman]

Good point RDX.....but things have changed in the past few years and technology seems to be getting better..especially with electronics.... my GPS Tracking Device is very small...looks like a auto relay and has everything built inside it...no external antennas, etc...even has a back up battery if the power gets disconnected. Obviously LoJack has had recoveries....I would bet that they have more vehciles NOT recovered than they have recovered as they have no coverage here in the states.....looking at the areas they are considered to have "coverage"...it looks to be about 5% of the US. To me..this is just common sense. Take a chance on something that you KNOW has limited coverage or take your chance with something that has the capability of working in all 50 US States.......I choose the GPS all day. ONSTAR is in most all GM cars and works off GPS. Another sign that GPS is the way to go. I recently purchased a new Garmin Navigational GPS that isa lot quicker, more up to date and seems to get a fix a LOT better than my old one. New technology....smaller....GPS's have gotten better with stronger antennas, etc...people say they don't work inside buildings and that is COMPLETELY false. I am sure there are faults in all of them as nothing is going to be 100% but I have had and have had friends with bad experiences with LoJack.....so...without an act from GOD... I am convinced....my opinion and all I can say...as it was already stated here...do your own research...its your money...spend it where it makes sense....there...thats my blurb of the day...LOL...

 

[ILikeRDX]

I agree with you that GPS does have coverage anywhere and everywhere, as long as the signal gets through. So, in that sense, I would say that it is money better spent.
The markup on a Lojack installation is ridiculous too. I had it on a car I sold a while back, but I only had it installed because I got a deal on the install i couldn't refuse.
No real secret here, but it is amazing what one can do with a hobby box, a phone with GPS locating capability , and a magnet when it comes to catching a thief in a stolen vehicle.
Regards