Alarms

[crump]

What is peoples experience of alarms?
My vstrom which I bought last Friday has a Datatool alarm fitted, never had one before, think this is a decent quality one and going by the bumf I got was fitted professionally.
When I bought my bike, rode it home 60 miles, parked it up and have spent the time since doing a few jobs, started it once on Sunday.
Anyway, finally got my insurance sorted and went to go for a ride this morning, turned over slow at first, then after a few attempts battery was dead as a dodo. Plugged in my optimise and 3 hours later started fine (leaving it on optimise overnight)
So, do alarms flatten the battery if left for a week?
Of course it could be that the battery was a bit low when I bought the bike or the battery is toast.
What do you think?

[MartinW]

The general consensus on here will be to bin the alarm.

[crump]

to be honest that was my first thought when I bought it, but I'm surprised the battery has gone flat after just standing less than a week...as I said it could just be the battery, don't know if its still the original but the bike is u years old and has spent a lot of its recent life standing.

[Oop North John]

I'm lucky enough to not have to get an alarm because of insurance. Personally I'd not buy a bike with one of them fitted.

[crump]

I don't need one and didn't want one but it came with the bike....its coming off

[Rixington43]

My last Datatool did kill the battery but usually not for 2 or 3 weeks, sooner if I'd done any short journeys though as naturally the battery hadn't recovered the charge lost to start if not ridden very far.
Same as others, wouldn't choose to have one again although it wouldn't be an issue now as the bike is always on an Accumate when parked.

[mr_diver]

If I was seriously looking to buy a bike then find out it has an aftermarket alarm fitted - I would walk away from it and never look back.
WHEN (not if) they go wrong it's a major pita to remove and you'd be better off buying a second-hand loom and swapping out the original.

I have bought a bike once that had an alarm fitted, but truth be told, I'd started it, pushed it in and out of the workshop maybe 10 times before buying it for £500 having never sat on it- the first thing I did was remove the alarm.
Bike was sold 3 years later (after being used as a hack and washed only twice in that time  ) for £750

The flat earther that bought it asked me if it had an alarm fitted     
I handed him the alarm that was still sat on the shelf in the garage.

[crump]

Well I've already bought the bike so unbuying it isn't an option. I'm rubbish with electrics, a real numpty, but I do have a local mechanic who has done electric work for ne before.Surely it won't need a new loom, more a matter of making the loom good where it has been spliced?.....you've scared me now.

[mr_diver]

Removing naffed datatool and meta alrams was a regular thing in the dealers I worked in.

If its working and not flattening the battery you can leave it alone. But when alarms fail it tends to be when you're on a tour somewhere.

[kwackboy]

A decent auto electrician will be able to remove the alarm.

I've removed many and it's rare to find one that's been fitted really well.

[crump]

I've got paperwork from the bloke that fitted it and he's detailed how and what he's done, so I'm hoping it isn't a complete bodge job

[cooltshirt]

I would be careful not to blame the alarm too quickly. Probably worth doing some basic voltage checks on the charging system and assessing the battery. The earth connection is also another candidate. Cleary forum members have had bad experiences with some alarms, but there will be many who are virtually unaware they have an alarm as it causes them no trouble at all.
Enjoy the vstrom 

[Barbel Mick]

I'm with the take it off group but, as said, it might not be as easy as pulling a few wires out. It will have been connected into the ignition circuit and where that was split it will need re-connecting.
There will be a few posts on here about alarms if you do a search of the forum. Have a read, plus speak to your local man and ask him. If he knows what he is doing with electrics he can use a meter to find what the drain from the alarm is and tell how long the battery will last with the alarm connected.
In the meantime leave it where it is and keep your optimate connected. 

[Youngman]

Bin

[Barbel Mick]

This is one post on the forum about data Tool Alarm removal.....
https://www.v-strom.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=31295.msg375845#msg375845

reply #10 might be useful?

[Champy72]

Bought a Speed Twin 1200 last year (sold it after 5 weeks as it was awful). It did have an alarm - think it was an S4? Looked it up on line and found it really simple to get rid of! There was a multi pin in-line plug and socket, which you disconnect, and fit a dummy connector with two contacts shorted, about £5 if I recall. Then you just unravel the wiring from the disconnected join to the alarm, and deposit in the nearest bin.
Also learned that the Insurance Company doesn't even take it into any account!

[Mudster]

The Datatool on my Strom failed and cut the engine. In lane 3 of the M1.

Weirdly, it would start and run in neutral, but cut as soon as a gear was selected.

After being recovered and changing my underwear, I removed it the same day and the bikes been fine since (it was about 4 years ago).