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Opinions on alarm

R

rick601

New member
Hi all,
Taking delivery on a 2016 RT next week. I'm in a position to get the alarm, but cant decide if it is worth it/necessary. I live in rural upstate NY, the bike is garaged. I DO go on trips, and DO leave it out at motels and DO park in destination cities and leave it for hours. But REALLY, how prevalent is theft, in your experience and, maybe more importantly, if you have an alarm, does it give you some added peace of mind?
 
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like next week is going to be a lot of fun!!

Before some others come along with current ideas, take a look at some of the Similar Threads pane at the bottom of the screen...there might be some ideas there.
 
My opinion is let them have it. A guy tried to stop thieves at a motel in Sikeston Mo last year and was killed by the thieves.
 
My 07RT came with the alarm option installed and I like it. It does give me an added sense of security knowing it will sound if the bike is tampered with but not really sure how well that discourages theft since an organized group can cart one off in about 30 seconds under the right circumstances.
 
Another similar, recent thread:https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?88055-Lojack-GPS-tracking-devices

BMW's are not popular theft targets, and my insurance is paid up.

Most recent National Insurance Crime Bureau report on motorcycle theft: https://www.nicb.org/newsroom/news-releases/motorcycle-thefts-post-increase-in-2015. (I expect they will be issuing a 2016 report very soon.) Note that BMW is not even listed in the top 15 brands stolen, five of which you've probably never heard of.

So I would not order a new bike with an alarm, or favor a used bike because it had an alarm.
 
20774 said:
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like next week is going to be a lot of fun!!

Before some others come along with current ideas, take a look at some of the Similar Threads pane at the bottom of the screen...there might be some ideas there.
Click to expand...

DOH...STFA Basic interweb practice...I'm ashamed!! Thanks.
 
BMW Triumphant said:
I don't use mine except on trips.
Click to expand...

actually, that's what I was thinking. I get theft-angst when I have to p[ark at a motel and I can't get a spot right in front of the lobby under a light....but the consensus and experience seems to be that it's an irratioinal fear compared to what else in this life can go wrong!
 
Back in the day when I did some repos. we used to get a kick out of nobody ever flinched while we were towing a car away with the lights blinking and the alarm screaming. I don't even look when I hear an alarm going off. If they want it they will take it. Insurance is your friend.
 
I agree with John. Alarms go off so frequently that virtually everybody ignores them. In a shopping center lot everybody keeps on walking. At a motel folks curse, roll over, and go back to sleep.
 
rick601 said:
Hi all,
Taking delivery on a 2016 RT next week. I'm in a position to get the alarm, but cant decide if it is worth it/necessary. I live in rural upstate NY, the bike is garaged. I DO go on trips, and DO leave it out at motels and DO park in destination cities and leave it for hours. But REALLY, how prevalent is theft, in your experience and, maybe more importantly, if you have an alarm, does it give you some added peace of mind?
Click to expand...

Alarms are nothing more than an insurance policy which may or may not be needed. You may never find out. BMW theft is certainly not prevalent but that doesn't guarantee you will never experience it. Although there are no guarantees are you willing to absorb the financial risk of losing the bike?
 
bwalker33467 said:
Alarms are nothing more than an insurance policy which may or may not be needed. You may never find out. BMW theft is certainly not prevalent but that doesn't guarantee you will never experience it. Although there are no guarantees are you willing to absorb the financial risk of losing the bike?
Click to expand...

If you want insurance, then buy insurance. Without insurance you could find yourself making payments on that bike and alarm after they were stolen. 😱

I was in a motel in Indy. At 2:00 AM a car alarm went off and continued for several minutes before being silenced. In the morning I saw just how it was silenced. Some irritated guest had broken the driver's window with a cement block that was on display in the driver's seat. The Good Samaritan then opened the hood, removed the battery and smashed it repeatedly on the now broken windshield. The owner, who was attending the same event as me, had a room on the opposite side of the building and did not hear a thing.
 
Get a good insurance policy. Park the bike where visibility is optimum, and get a good disk alarm, or factory-aftermarket alarm system.

The disk alarm, or factory-aftermarket alarm, will not prevent theft. However, if you're close enough, it will alert you and you can take whatever action you feel comfortable with.

I've been cross country a number of times and usually stay at motels, but I always park my bike in front of my motel room, or at the main entrance and attach the disk alarm and cover it with a generic bike cover.

You can't prevent theft, but if you have good insurance don't worry about it. There are plenty of more important things to worry about.

And don't forget to take a good book on that cross country trip!!

E.
 
Last edited:
easy said:
Get a good insurance policy. Park the bike where visibility is optimum, and get a good disk alarm, or factory-aftermarket alarm system.

The disk alarm, or factory-aftermarket alarm, will not prevent theft. However, if you're close enough, it will alert you and you can take whatever action you feel comfortable with.
Click to expand...

Here is a pretty good case for limiting that action to calling 911: http://www.kfvs12.com/story/32328815/3-people-to-go-to-trial-on-murder-charges-in-death-of-ks-man
 
My 15RT has the factory alarm, bike is garaged. Alarm gets set when parking out of my sight
Better idea in my opinion for overnight parking is a cover, never had anyone bother bike while covered
Besides BMW's are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to theft!
 
roncooper said:
My opinion is let them have it. A guy tried to stop thieves at a motel in Sikeston Mo last year and was killed by the thieves.
Click to expand...

NO way in Hell! When I go out to stop them, I promise you it will be them not me. I've worked too hard for what I have and I'm not going to let some low life just have it.
 
t6pilot said:
My 15RT has the factory alarm, bike is garaged. Alarm gets set when parking out of my sight
Better idea in my opinion for overnight parking is a cover, never had anyone bother bike while covered
Besides BMW's are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to theft!
Click to expand...

+1 on the cover. Just makes me feel better and keeps idiots from twisting, poking and prodding things on the bike. They are not likely to reach under a cover.
 
The first thing I did with my RRT with the anti-theft alarm was to take it off automatic. My wife gets headaches and if someone bumped into the bike in the garage when it was 'ARMED", and that alarm went off, I'd be a dead man. I'll hit the key fob to turn on the alarm when I want it activated.
 
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