Security-Alarm v's Tracker?

shummi · 08 Feb 10, 08:38 PM

Hi Everyone
I am taking delivery in March of my new 848.
I have added a couple of bits but, as yet no security!! save Ducati's own Immob'ser
The options I have are:

Datatool alarm S4 Red = £350 fitted

Tracker-retrieve(you tell them if it's missing, then it's activated) = £199 fitted, £58 annual fee! or £199 + £159 one off payment for life!

Tracker-monitored(They know exactly where your bike is 24/7) = £299 fitted,
£122 annual fee! or £299 + £323 one off payment for life!

My questions are.....
Does anyone have these services etc?
How have you found them? I don't know anyone who has a Tracker on anything.
Does your insurance favour one over the others?
The alarm is top notch, have you had probs with sensitivity etc?

With the tracker's, You are still able to use the factory immobiliser I have been told.
I would appreciate any comments or experiences on this.
Thanks

JimmyJimster · 08 Feb 10, 08:51 PM

Hi Shummi,

I have both Datatool S4 and Tracker Monitored on my bike and the main thing I have found is that the battery doesn't last long....

In all seriousness, I found out after I'd gone to the bother of 'activating' the tracker subscritpion for £122, that there is a mximum Insurance discount that can be applied to any policy, e.g 20%. My insurer said that my alarm accounted for all that as it was a top spec, so my Tracker had no further discounting affect on my policy. I do know that I have the Tracker for piece of mind now though, so all was not lost, depends what price you put on that.

Fortunatley I can't report on the finer performance aspects of either the alarm or the Tracker as security features as (to my knowledge) they've never been used. The Tracker is very unintrusive tho and save for the battery issue, you wouldn't know it was fitted.

The alarm is ok, once you get used to operating it and working out where 'ferry' mode is and when it's active and so on. This is useful for washing it or when it goes into the workshops.

You must get an Optimate or similar though, or your life will quickly decend into a quagmire of swearing and bump starts....

I did have one small issue with the alarm going off for no reason at all. This happened about 4 times all in all, once (or twice) outside Windy Corner (popular Triumph dealer), which needless to say led to alot of p*ss take from Triumph owners about Duke electrics. The fact it was the british alarm that had gone t!ts up didn't seem to matter to them..

Still that issue seems to have gone now, no idea what it was... and the fob turned it off as per usual.

Hope that helps,

Cheers, Jim

Damodici · 08 Feb 10, 09:02 PM

Also save yourself £100 and get the s4 installed for £250

plenty do it for that price even chaps on eBay if you search datatool fitted or fitting

that's a worth while saving

shummi · 08 Feb 10, 09:54 PM

Hi
Thanks Jim and Damodici for your comments
The most surprising thing is the insurance not giving much away for the Tracker, a device designed to get your property back!
On reflection I guess the alarm is a safe bet (I heed your warning about an Optimate!) just hope I don't get too many "cry wolf" scenarios in the night!

Can't wait till the bike's here.

Thanks again guy's.

Chris.p · 08 Feb 10, 09:59 PM

My brother was looking at this system, it has just been thatchem approved and will be on the insurence companies discount list very shortly.

https://www.roadangelgroup.com/biketrac.aspx

There is no having to tell the tracking company it has been stolen, they tell you.

i.e. They will ring you what ever the time is (or one of 3 or more other numbers you give them if they can not contact you) even if your bike is wheeled out of your garage without the key in the ignition.

If your bike falls over they will ring you or nominated numbers , ie you could be in the bottom of a ditch,

If the unit is disconected or turned off, they will ring you etc,etc.

Not bad i think.

Chris.

998gsb · 08 Feb 10, 10:03 PM

Never had tracker on a bike but have had it on 2 M3s in the past - very inobtrusive and works perfectly...

Personally I'd probably go for the tracker - as lets be honest who takes a blind bit of notice of an alarm going off these days ?

At least with tracker you stand a chance of getting it back before the scumbags can break it....

chass · 08 Feb 10, 10:11 PM

In my opinion alarms are just annoying nobody takes any notice, as for a tracker you can get a text as soon as the bike moves & will also track it, we took a bike to spain in a van last week & forgot to disarm the tracker a couple of times & within a minute had a text.

nager · 09 Feb 10, 09:09 PM

I got a good deal on an Acumen Cat 1.1 + Tracker Monitor (+1yr subs) for £500 fitted. Tracker tells me everytime I wheel the bike out without turning on the ignition so I know that works and I heard the alarm on the first floor of my office through thick glass - it is feckin loud!! MUCH louder and more earpiercing than the datatool on my trumpet - people DO take note.

Piece of mind for me - doesn't change my insurance much - just know the rozers will know where my bike is if it gets knicked so I'll hopefully get it back.

Don't have problems with battery - have had it standing for 3 weeks and started no probs. Optimate probably best bet though so you don't have to worry.

Jolley · 10 Feb 10, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nager

Don't have problems with battery - have had it standing for 3 weeks and started no probs. Optimate probably best bet though so you don't have to worry.

I have never had battery problems with my alarm either... And mine was regularly left for 2-3 months at a time.

Only thing I would add is that it depends where you leave your bike and how often.

Also, when I got mine I was told the Meta alarms were less trouble than the Datatool ones.

drinky · 10 Feb 10, 06:37 AM

So hopefully either the Neighbourhood Wardens or Police Community Support Officers will have a tracker then because I'm not sure we have any bloody real Police let alone a Copper with a tracker detector?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nager

I got a good deal on an Acumen Cat 1.1 + Tracker Monitor (+1yr subs) for £500 fitted. Tracker tells me everytime I wheel the bike out without turning on the ignition so I know that works and I heard the alarm on the first floor of my office through thick glass - it is feckin loud!! MUCH louder and more earpiercing than the datatool on my trumpet - people DO take note.

Piece of mind for me - doesn't change my insurance much - just know the rozers will know where my bike is if it gets knicked so I'll hopefully get it back.

Don't have problems with battery - have had it standing for 3 weeks and started no probs. Optimate probably best bet though so you don't have to worry.

Chris.p · 10 Feb 10, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drinky

So hopefully either the Neighbourhood Wardens or Police Community Support Officers will have a tracker then because I'm not sure we have any bloody real Police let alone a Copper with a tracker detector?

The Road Angel tracker does not require the police to have a tracker monitor as the tracker company direct them to it via it's onboard gps signal, if you have an iphone or similar you can track it your self, not sure about the accumin.

Chris.