anyone got an alarm on their bike??

[QwickFliCk]

hey everyone i was wondering if anyone got an alarm on their fz...i was looking to buy the Gorilla 8017 Motorcycle Alarm w/Pager...anybody got that one?...the crime rate has always been bad but lately there has been a spree of robberies 12 in one week so i wanna get one be on the safe side. any alarm is better than no alarm. my second option was getting a security chain

this is the one im looking at:
Gorilla 8017 Motorcycle Alarm w/Pager Replaces 7017 on eBay! $135 shipped

 

[novaks47]

I had the previous Gorilla model on my TW some time ago. It works great, except the range of the pager isn't all that great. Even 30 feet away inside a building was pushing it a bit. Also, it's bulky enough that it would be a bit of a pain to fit on the FZ. Not impossible mind you, just difficult. The good part about the alarm, is the shock sensor works really well. You can set it so if someone were to just lightly touch any part of the moto, and it will sound a brief "warn away" siren. And it's quite entertaining to watch co-workers trigger it and jump back like "WTF?!!". The tilt sensor works perfectly as well, as does the shock sensor when the bike gets a big enough shock, or someone keeps poking at it. I also liked how whenever the shock sensor warned away, it would alert the pager. The only other downside was it seemed to drain the battery pretty quick. Quick enough that I wouldn't leave it on overnight, after having it on all day. Hopefully they've improved that with the newer models.

On my FZ6, I've got a Scorpio I600. Much greater range on the pager. The shock sensor is nowhere near as touchy as the Gorilla, but it's enough to alert should someone actually be trying to steal or vandalize the moto. The tilt sensor also works perfectly. It also has the neat proximity sensor, which is also entertaining. It senses when someone is close(it's adjustable too), and gives 3 chirps to let people know they're too close. I love watching people scurry away after getting to close! The Scorpio is very gentle on the battery, as advertised. It's also very small, and can easily be hidden away, and still function and be heard. Yes, it's much more expensive than the Gorilla, but for me it was worth it.

It's up to you to figure out which will work best for you, and of course how much you're willing to spend on it. You can always go with a disc lock as well, with or without an alarm. I like to layer my defenses, to make it as hard a target as possible.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask me any other questions you may have on either alarm too! :thumbup:

 

[QwickFliCk]

the battery dieing is my biggest fear in these alarms...i do have a trickle charger on my bike but i was thinking if there are any remedies to the battery dieing from the gorilla alarm...u think a 10 amp fuse would work? im having doubts of buying this alarm if my battery is gunna die wen im out and about...how long were u running the alarm for?

 

[racing_fan]

I have a DataTool alarm/immobiliser system. Its pretty common here in the UK. works ok but I believe the sensitivity is adjustable, and mine is really too sensitive.. Goes off even if the bike is rocked by a list gust of wind so I dont set it when parked at home or the office....

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I have an older scorpion alarm on my FJR. It has all the bells and whistles and a very good range for the pager (I have received an activation from up to approx a half mile away).

You can get a plug and play adapter so you didn't have to hack up your harness.

The Scorpion also has a built in back up battery and as posted above can be adjusted for someone nearby or actual movement. The back up battery works very well and when activated flashes your lights (not the headlight) and horn... You can also wire it disable the bike (some cutting) however I didn't hook up that feature)

Its not cheap. I'd also use a chain cable lock, anything to slow or turn away the theives. A disc lock with an audible (with movement) alert wouldn't hurt (unless you forget to remove it)...

 

[Tailgate]

I spliced in and installed an older Scorpio i-500 on FZ6. The newer models have a rechargeable keypod/remote. With mine, I have to remove and replace the AAA battery and program new settings. I like the features and alarm works flawlessly. I have only dropped the keypod one time--it still works (it better!). Cost around $280 I think.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Just checked the box, my Scorpion is a SR-I500.. My remote is rechargeable, I don't believe it takes AAA batteries... Love it...

 

[mrtrees]

I know we're talking about alarms here but has anyone tried low-jacking their bike? I heard some insurance companies lower their rates as well if you have one. Have been considering that route.

 

[mrphotoman]

I have a $6.00 vibration sensor alarm with keychain remote on mine and it works fine, Sounds similar to a smoke alarm lol and runs on a 9v battery which lasts a long time. We have no problems with theft around here but I just bought it for the heck of it to see if it worked and it does.

 

[novaks47]

the battery dieing is my biggest fear in these alarms...i do have a trickle charger on my bike but i was thinking if there are any remedies to the battery dieing from the gorilla alarm...u think a 10 amp fuse would work? im having doubts of buying this alarm if my battery is gunna die wen im out and about...how long were u running the alarm for?

Usually around 8 hours at work. That alone wasn't enough to hurt the battery, but if I then rode the 14 miles home(I miss that short commute!), and armed it around 9PM, then by the morning, around 7AM, the bike would have a little tougher time starting. I didn't trust having it armed for more than 24 hours straight. It even seemed to have a small drain when off. I forget the voltage draw, but I did at one point check the battery voltage with the alarm hooked up(not armed), and not, and there was a slight difference. Keep in mind this was on my TW, which has a smaller battery and thus smaller capacity than the FZ battery.

With the Scorpio, I can leave it on for days and not worry about. If you have a longer commute, so that the battery can charge, I think it'll be fine. If your battery is getting old however, this *could* push it over the edge.

Since you have a battery tender, I doubt you'd have any issues with it. And a fuse is simply to protect the wiring should there be a surge in voltage/amperage larger than the wire and/or electronics can handle. The Gorilla alarm has one already wired into the power lead, so no worries there.

For a disc lock, I got a Xena X2. That thing is beefy! I certainly wouldn't want to try and get one off. lol

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I had one of the very first Xena disc locks (at least 5 years ago) with the alarm, if moved.

It shorted out and went off in the rain outside our motel room on a road trip. I'm sure they've fixed that by now.

I do have a none audible disc lock under the seat of the FJR (for road trips). I just clip the disc key to the ignition key so I don't forget. You can do some damage and hurt yourself if you forget its on...

 

[kdburtch]

I had the Gorrilla 8017 alarm on my old ZZR600. It was a great alarm. The pager worked from the parking lot at my apartment into my apartment over 100 yards away. And I would leave the bike armed for 3-4 days without starting occasionally with out a charger with no problem at all, I never left it longer than that but I dont think it would be an issue. The only trick with this alarm is the tilt sensor can be a little tricky to set perfectly (15 minutes at the longest) and you use velcro to install it. I highly recomend this alarm. I would have one on my FZ except it is in a Garage at home and at work so no real need.