GPS Tracking

Hey guys -

As you know, I live in a major city - not much of a target for bike theft, mainly because there aren't that many bikes here, but still I feel nervous when I leave my bike in a dark parking lot to go grab dinner or just parking it downtown. I know how easy it is to break the steering lock and steal a bike, and cable locks aren't a much better solution. If someone wants to steal my bike, it will be easy for them, I just want to be able to find them/her after they've got her.

There's a few solutions - everyone knows the name LoJack - but there are better options out there. First, LoJack isn't GPS - it emits a signal, UHF I think, that can be tracked by police cruisers, but not every county has the LoJack, so if the theft occurs somewhere that coverage is lacking, or the bike leaves the service area, you're hosed. Also, being directional tracking instead of a coordinate based positioning system, getting the exact location can be difficult. LoJack is also expensive. MSRP+install is going to run you $600+, I'd almost feel obligated to try to have my bike stolen to feel good about paying that much.

One of the options I'm looking at [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008FLOWAU/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p23_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0ZB4H1GW5GBAZNJ54MQP&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846"]This Guy[/ame] is basically a GPS enabled device that runs on GSM networks, aka a cell phone, minus the phone part. Powered by the bike, it also has a standby of ~ 80 hours. If you call the device it will send a text with the GPS location and speed, accurate to 5 or 10 meters. It also has some other neat functions, such as a fence you can set up to alert you if it passes beyond a safe range (your garage during the winter).

Anyway - I like this idea, it's pretty cheap $70, and instead of needing a monthly fee for a monitoring service, all you need to do is put in a prepaid SIM card - ($10 every 3 months I've heard is fine) - but so far, only one problem that I see. This is a pretty big combination of devices. I've had the bike completely apart, feel comfortable with the innards of her, and could probably find a good place to put everything, but a good thief wouldn't have a hard time finding it and ripping it out. Oh yeah - my bike is naked and has an HID ballast under the tank already - so even fewer spaces to hid it.

As for install, I'm up in the air between hard-wiring to the battery and tapping into the running lights or something else that would be more hidden.

Does anyone have a GPS Tracker or LoJack? Where do you have yours hidden?

I'm with ya and have a couple of thoughts;
If you place an extra lock on it and its gone when you return (or before you go for the rescue), I'd say it's likely a done deal.

Although cell phones work in buildings Id say no guarantee it works in cargo van. Please verify! Can you determine who the service provider would be? The idea is great but you still rely on communications. After about 15 minutes of being "disappeared" for anything other than a joy ride, I really think its a done deal unless its a sealed box that can't be opened or identified as an alarm or tracking device. Maybe just put a big sticker on it! LOWJACK equipped! :thumbup:

What we have going for us are these are just FZ's and if identified as such, are not worth jail time. :ban:

Good thoughts - GPS will work anywhere it has a "mostly clear" and unobstructed view of the sky - some of these have a setting where they will transmit their last location before going dark too. As for networks, GSM coverage is pretty much universal - I live in a major population area, I don't know if there are any places where I don't get cell coverage with Verizon, ATT isn't as good, but I was thinking of using their prepaid sim card for that. The kit has some pretty long antennas you can wrap throughout the bike. I was thinking of hiding the internals in/under the airbox, so if they tore the bike apart - they'd see it, otherwise it wouldn't be very easy to spot (not putting it in the seat, too easy).

As for advertising that LoJack is installed - meh - it might deter the petty guys, anyone who's worth their marbles knows where to find it and how to disable a factory installed LoJack system - and my thoughts are that I can hid the GPS well enough to elude the most clever petty criminal. If they don't know to look for it, I might have a chance.

Yeah - I suppose the best deterrent is the fact that at no point in it's life was my bike ever worth more than $8000, and it's 7 years old, though with a good wash and wax, I've had people thinking it was a Bimmer. Probably won't help I've been thinking about giving it the 'Daytona 675R' Paint scheme at the end of the summer. White bikes are soooo sexy.