Alternative alarm ?

[utopia]

I'm not a fan of onboard bike alarms.
To be honest, I have no personal experience as I have never actually owned one but it seems to me that they are of dubious value in the first place, often hyped up by never ending modes and features to tempt the punters and they are prone to battery draining issues and other electrical gremlins.
If I use one at all, it is a Xena alarmed disc-lock, which I like because it is totally independant of the bike's electrics.
I seldom use that but there are some occasions when the bike will be parked out of sight but within earshot, and under those circumstances it saves me constantly checking that the bike is still there.
Then today, while idly googling around during a tea break, I came across this battery powered bicycle alarm.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bicycle-B...AAAOSwxOFaV5ve
Ok, it looks like a cheap device but when you think about it, maybe that's all you need. After all, everyone knows that alarms just get ignored by the general passers by, so why have a fancy one ?
But for under a fiver, I might just be able to see a role for these cheap, low-spec units.

Discuss.

[350TSS]

Convinced me - all the alarmed bikes I have had have been a regular PITA and the alarm has always been discarded, I bought one but some say I am easily lead

[Dukedesmo]

Always felt alarms/immobilisers a waste of time on a bike, a determined thief will take it regardless and I don't think many bother hotwiring/riding away.

The only thing that may be of use is something that alerts you when it's being tampered with but only if you are within a few seconds of the bike so could get there and catch them in the act. In which case a battery powered alarm is probably good enough especially if hidden in the bike.

TBH I've had Laserline and Datatool on multiple bikes and they've all gone wrong and drained the batteries on all bikes.

Best alarm I've ever had was one I fitted onto a 50cc NRG I was buzzing to n from work on for about 20 quid off ebay. Wire to battery n indicators with no silly cutting into loom with super loud alarm siren which for me was what I needed as my two wheelers are within ear shot of where I work all day

[Darren69]

Same as immobilisers really they're a liability and when they go wrong your stuffed! I think a GPS tracker would be better and one of those cycle alarms, seem alright for £4

[ChrisC2925]

I had a Datatool on mine, spiked it one day and it never worked reliably after that so I took it off. There's a good video on Youtube showing how to deal with them once they go wrong, it's a bloke with a lump hammer.

Originally Posted by ChrisC2925

I had a Datatool on mine, spiked it one day and it never worked reliably after that so I took it off. There's a good video on Youtube showing how to deal with them once they go wrong, it's a bloke with a lump hammer.

Yup and its a pain when they die at 4.00am! Weedy sirens are suddenly very LOUD!!

[utopia]

No crys of "cheapskate" then.
Goodo.

I've never been even slightly tempted to fit a normal integrated alarm.
No matter what brand, they all seem to be unreliable in the long term, as well as adding an extra level of complication if you get an electrical glitch on the bike.
They also all seem to have endless little gizmos which are heralded as very whizz-bang, but merely make a bad system more complicated.
The lumphammer mod sounds good though.

My normal short-stay security is a cheap, scooter disclock with reminder cable .. it just makes the bike "look secure" to the casual scrote.
I tend to leave the steering lock off as all it does is give you something else to fix when they kick it.
The Xena is more bulky and awkward to carry around so I seldom actually use it but I do like the idea of an alarmed disclock.
However, I do have an issue with disc locks in general I suppose. I don't really want my caliper and mudguard smashing.
I now realise that what I really need is a little independent battery-powered alarm, stashed out of sight somewhere .. under the tank maybe.
Just something to save me going to the window every half-hour to check that the bike is still there when I'm down the pub, at a mate's etc.
Its not going to prevent a theft but at least it gives me the option to intervene.

The batteries must last quite a while as they don't do much unless its activated.
You probably wouldn't even switch it on very often.
And anyway, the cost and hassle of fitting a new one say once a year would be negligible.
And not even the remotest chance of draining the bike's battery.

I (very) might fit one on the Dommie too.
Not only is it the runabout which gets parked outside shops etc all the time, but it is also the "fishing bike".
There is always a sense of unease when you walk the half-mile back upstream to the road bridge where the bike "should" still be parked at the end of the day.
But I'd hear the alarm from way downstream .. after all its in the quiet countryside.
It, incidentally, has had its steering lock smashed twice, both times when it was out of sight but only 20yds away.

But for the monster ....
I have a nice, leetle, leethium battery in the std battery box.
This leaves a handy spare space next to it, which used to house my puncture plugging kit before I hit upon the more compact, Dynaplug system which is small enough to fit under the seat.
So we have a concealed space for the alarm right in the heart of the beast .. and no need for any wiring either.
Virtually impossible for a thief to disarm there, I would have thought .... well, manually anyway.
And well out of the rain too, in case its not as waterproof as they claim.
Could even be as simple as a 5 minute, cable-tie job.

I've just ordered one.

[Pedro]

Personally I think a tracker is a better idea, lots of options on eBay if you don’t want to spend mega bucks

[Stevedesmo]

A damning indictment of alarms etc by a bloke who has never owned one and has no experience of them, hmmmm?
Your logic might stack up if all the people who have no problems with them were posting on forums to say how happy they are because they’ve run up another day without an alarm failure, but do you think that’s gonna happen?

I’ll stick with my alarm immobiliser thanks, good luck with your £4.19 eBay buzzer, don’t forget to tell your insurer!

[Mr Gazza]

Yeah... Looks like a good find Jeff. It's all an alarm needs to be and won't drain the bike's battery, which is a very good thing.

Just curious as to whether the remote would work it if the alarm was under the tank?

Considering getting a handful at that price. Could hang one on a bit of sting on the back of the workshop door, provided the remote will work it through the door.

I could also attach one to some scrap metal and leave it out..

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

Considering getting a handful at that price.

Good idea.....as replacements.

How long do you guys expect that Chinese tat to last?

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by Stevedesmo

I’ll stick with my alarm immobiliser thanks, good luck with your £4.19 eBay buzzer, don’t forget to tell your insurer!

Isn't that just a damning "indictment" of life on the Wirral?

[Nickj]

Originally Posted by Stevedesmo

I’ll stick with my alarm immobiliser thanks, good luck with your £4.19 eBay buzzer, don’t forget to tell your insurer!

My 748R has a Datatool S4 red, I suspect it's doing what it does as it needs disarming before you even breath near the bike.
I told my insurer about that and the data tagging ... didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference.

[utopia]

Originally Posted by Stevedesmo

Your logic might stack up if all the people who have no problems with them were posting on forums to say how happy they are because they’ve run up another day without an alarm failure, but do you think that’s gonna happen?

MY logic ...........