SPY 5000m Motorcycle Alarm Incl Pager.

[Descolada]

I apologise in advance for this post, it's going to sound extremely feeble.

Have just received my SPY 5000m Motorcycle alarm for my 2010 DL650 GT and there are a few more wires to connect than I was expecting. There is a wiring diagram, but before I plough into that I wondered if anyone here had already installed one of these so I could ask for guidance should I get stuck?

There goes my new box of Posi-Taps.

Des

[KYPSELI13]

hope you already have a solution , I just got mine , indeed a few too many cables , I think I understand the backround but reluctant to start removing things and cutting cables , never done an alarm before.

How did yours go ? on the bike and in full order?

thanks

[Descolada]

I'm afraid its the one thing I keep putting off. The colour scheme makes little sense to me and the final wire is an isolation wire, which requires cutting the main line to the ignition key. That's a mutilation I am very reluctant to make. This thing also requires some stripping back of the main loom covering in order to get a clean connection.

To be frank, I am, for now, more than a little chicken-shit.

However, if you manage to get it up and running I would be very interested to know the steps you took.

Sorry I can't of any more help.

[MartinW]

I've got one of these and fitted it myself (albeit 5 years ago).

I have Strom specific instructions I can scan and EMAIL to you if you PM your addresses.

Ironically I am looking at taking mine out as I get nervous about all the stories of alarms causing grief on bikes and as I don't use it anyway.

[Gassoon]

to be honest - and sorry if this sounds negative gents - but the one thing I kept putting off was getting the alarm (Datatool) removed from my Strom. It was fitted professionally by the previous owner, but I dislike them, as they are accidents waiting to happen. Sure enough, I put off getting it removed until it started acting up , chirping like a canary on coke, disobeying the fobs, and almost having me stranded in the Highlands! My bike is an 08 and the alarm had lasted 3 years...

If you've got them in nice boxes still, think about getting shot of is my (admittedly unasked for and very jaundiced!) advice!

Just read what you said, Martin..its about weighing the risks, as usual. There'll be people whose alarms will never act up or fail. I just saw the risks as too high for any value received, especially as the bike got older. But it is a personal thing, and depends on circumstances. If I was parking in London maybe I'd think differently about the risks.

[Jacko]

My advice follows the above, get it on eBay. If you must have something that makes a noise use the money raised to buy an alarmed disc lock.

Bike electrics are complicated enough without adding an extra layer of aftermarket control.

[Juvecu]

Gassoon, if my Datatool chirps it's warning me that my fob battery is dying on me.

When I recently stripped the bike I cut one of the wires because the muppet who installed it wrapped it around the frame in such a way that you couldn't get the loom off the bike without cutting the alarm. It looked like 2 wires that were taped up so I cut them thinking I can figure out which one goes where later. Unfortunately it turns out there was 4 wires in there and they are all black. I think I might have a bit of a problem getting the right wires connected in the right place again, at least there's only 16 possible combinations

[Andy M]

Send it back and get a refund.

No one will do a damn thing if you bike is wailing as some scratter pushes it into the back of the transit. If the pager goes off you've got less than 2-minutes to get back to the bike and either kill said scratter or set up a counselling group to talk about how **** his childhood was and how stealing bikes is just an outlet for his pent up desire to express himself. The electronics or where it is chopped into the loom WILL fail at some point leaving you stuck. Electronic alarms are the single biggest reason the RAC and AA are called out, people get fewer punctures. Call your insurers, chances are the discount for having this ticking time bomb in your loom is somewhere between miniscule and non-existent (they know the above). You will never save the cost of the alarm in the insurance and reduced PX value of an bodged loom bike.

Use what you get back to buy the biggest, 5-minute rated, insurance approved lock and chain you can plus an alarmed disc lock for when you are in the tent next to the bike or just off for a pee. If your house is alarmed, get that extended into the garage, the hard wiring and industry standards mean these don't fail or can be repaired.

Andy

[hookie]

A lot of people, including me, have had problems with alarms. Had a Spyball on a VFR800 where the circuit board corroded after about 3 years and rendered the bike completely dead. Had a Datatool on the Vee which went on the blink and when I pulled the clutch lever in the starter motor would engage, even if the engine was running. Not good and I spent a few days dismantling quite a lot of the bike to remove it all. As has already been said most people won't take any notice of someone fiddling with your bike. Safest thing is to use an approved highly visible lock and chain or disc lock and hope any potential thief looks elsewhere. If your insurance company says you have to have some security device this is probably the best option.

[frez]

A few years ago when my son was still on a 125 some thieving scum tried to steal his bike. They smashed the lock but failed to get it started. We then put an alarm on his bike, a cheap £20 one (the Cyclone), but being wary of bike alarm failures I didn't wire in the immobiliser circuit, so all it did was set off the alarm if someone messed with the bike and flashed a blue led when it was armed. Nobody messed with it again.

Alarms do cause a lot of problems, you only have to chat with your local motorcycle mechanic to realise how much. A cheap noise box like I put on my sons bike won't give you any discount on your insurance, but may act as a small deterrent. Unfortunately, the Cyclone alarm no longer comes with a blue flashing led when armed and that was one of the major selling points for me for its deterrent use.

You can now get alarmed disc locks which may be just as effective.

[Abercol]

I fitted a homemade "immobiliser" by wiring into the ignition kill switch and the bikes horn on a tiny single DPDT switch hidden under the rear light unit of my CB900F some 28 years ago, the instructions/wiring diagram were published in the Used Bike Guide. It was really easy to do and you just flicked the switch when parked up, so if someone tried to start the bike, it wouldn't work and the horn would sound untill you threw the switch again.

I would love to do the same thing again, but lost the wiring diagram shortly after fitting it (staying in bedsits at the time - kept nowt but bags of clothes and tools for the bike...)

It was really easy to use, never caused any wiring headaches and stopped joyriders. No use for scum with a Transit, but then, neither is an alarm wailing away.

[hookie]

The other potential disadvantage with alarm/immobilisers is the current drain. Although on modern ones should be very small, one of the worst things you can do to a battery is to have a small constant discharge. Apart from flattening the battery over a period if the bike isn't used, it can shorten battery life quite substantially.

[Abercol]

Yes, I'd be very concerned if I had a small constant discharge too....  

[Juvecu]

Your clock is already a small constant discharge on a bike.

In South Africa the simplest immobiliser was a hidden switch that could cut the coil wire. You park, flip your hidden switch and no one will get that car started unless it's turned back on. I've been considering something like this for my bikes. No one will bother with the Strom, it's too big to get into a van single handedly after having to struggle with the steering lock. It's more likely to get hotwired and for them to ride it away. The DR-Z is an issue though, light enough for 2 people to pick up and put in just about any van, even some of the smaller ones. Ideally it needs to be locked to something, but that's not always possible and dependant on where you park.

[mjc506]

I'd have thought a better deterrent would be to wire the coils up to the grips and saddle

[loggamatt]

I would recommend my Abus Granit Detecto 8000 disc lock, but mainly because I like saying Abus Granit Detecto 8000 as it sounds like a 1980s robot

Anyway, 'tis bloody loud as I can attest to when my fumbling fat fingers haven't got the key in it and disarmed it quickly enough. But other than my clumsiness, I'm not aware of a single false alarm with it so seems pretty good to me. It is the most expensive alarmed disc lock out there though I think, so it really should be good for the money. You can also buy an Abus chain designed to attach securely to it, for more physical security.

I guess the only downside is, what if the thief can remove the front wheel quickly enough to take the bike before the alarm brings people to look. But to be honest, I don't think people with those kinds of skills are going to be stealing DL650s. If I had a really expensive bike, I'd probably fit a tracker to it as well so I can see where the bad people are taking it and let the Police know.

[Gassoon]

Gassoon, if my Datatool chirps it's warning me that my fob battery is dying on me.

hehhe - I know what you're thinking, but notice I said 'fobs', plural, and I still tried new batteries...no it was definitely going mentalistic on me
I've just remembered decades ago fitting a simple switch under the tank of the Bonnie...but back then couldn't get decent (it was Lucas) or waterproof switches, it was always a liability...

Maybe some suitably qualified/expert/handy forum member could invent a secret Strom-exclusive theft deterrent? It would have to be simple...oh and expandable, cover the ignition side, deliver an electric shock and a loud warning sound - and a remote control would be nice, and....Oh.....  

[Descolada]

Erm, thanks for all the feedback. I think that message is well and truely 'got'. I have a disc lock with billion decibel alarm so will continue to use that instead of the hassle of fitting the alarm.

[Andy M]

Ebay it  

Andy

[john williams]

greetings, flog it nowt but trouble big stick is free .