I'm seriously considering installing an alarm system on my new bike. I want a little peace of mind when I park it anywhere besides my carport. The Scorpio alarm looks pretty good, but I don't know which one I want. Would the i600 be sufficient, or should I go all out and buy the i900? I've watched the demo videos and they both look pretty effective.

Also, if anyone has a strong opinion on any other alarm systems, please let me know. So far Scorpio looks like the best one, but I can't be sure. Thanks!

 

i know it is a pain but ya the know the best alarm system? inside your house or apartment.

either that or the alarm that shoots out flames

 

For the price of a scorpion get Lowjack.

#1 98% recovery rate

#2 now they have the pager so if your bike gets moved tipped up started or anything it will alert you and you can come running.

there is no reason to spend money on a theft device that the cops don't use when there is one that they do use for the same or sometimes less price

 

Get comprehensive coverage and forget about it, imo. Even if you get your bike back after its been stolen, there's no telling what condition it will be in.

My two pennies.

 

OK, well let me throw out some more information. Currently I have liability only. I could either invest in preventive measures with either a Lojack or Scorpio etc, or invest in insurance coverage for when the bike gets stolen. I'd prefer to invest in prevention rather than cure, so with that said, what's better for me: Lojack or Scorpio?

Also, no matter where the bike is at any given time, it'll be locked up, so it won't just have a tracking or alarm system on it alone. At home I plan on anchoring it to the ground in the carport, as well as storing it in a Cycle Shell: http://www.cycleshell.com/index.html

So I'm already taking a couple steps in prevention. I agree with Chuckbear when he's says "there's no telling what condition it will be in." I don't want to bet on even getting it back in any workable condition and assume everything will be covered later on. However, I'm not a fan of giving insurance a bunch of money over time if nothing ever happens to it. Thanks!

 

I hear ya seca.. My buddy had 2 bikes stolen in college, one when he was in Tallahassee for a while and the other in Jacksonville. One they found mangled/totalled off of I75 and the other was never seen again... probably chopped up. He had only had liability on his first and parted what could be out and the second he had wised up to comprehensive and took the money and bought a YZF250 and 426F (dirtbikes).

That said, he was a college student who lived in apartment complexes right near the FSU and UNF campuses and the bikes were brand new and he was just an easy target I'm sure.. the one in Jacksonville was stolen out of the back of his truck!!!

Anyway, watching that, I know the risks of not having the appropriate protection. I absolutely hated clicking that extra $280 for comprehensive but I would hate to lose my bike and be without one because I couldn't afford to buy a second. I think about dropping it all the time cuz my bike's older and I hate paying that extra $20ish a month... but I'm in an apartment in orlando and my bike's outside a lot of the time.. heh.

But of course its personal preference, and has a lot to do with your own situation. Home/apartment, what area you live in, etc.

 

Definitely. It sucks to have something stolen no matter what it is. I remember getting my brand new bicycle stolen right in front of my house back in college. I was absolutely pissed, and that was just a bicycle. You're right that it has a lot to do with where you live and how you store the bike. I do live in a more family-oriented neighborhood, but I'm still in Ft Lauderdale, home of the shiny bikes.

So these are what I see as my two options (put very simply). A: I can pay extra for comprehensive insurance each month and it covers me for theft or vandalism. B: I can save that extra money each month and it also covers costs for theft or vandalism. Let's assume the bike gets stolen, it's recovered, but it's totaled. Whether I go with A or B, I have money set aside for me to use toward a new bike. [True, it depends on how long I've been saving for.] But let's assume it never gets stolen. The difference between A and B now is that in option A I don't get any money back from insurance, whereas in option B I still have that money sitting in savings.

So if I have comprehensive insurance for 3 years and it never gets stolen, then I've paid for my bike twice over without getting anything in return. In that case, I could have just saved that money and bought another bike. Like you say, it's all personal preference and I'd rather just save the money for a rainy day. But if you can afford to pay an extra $300/mo for insurance, then you really can afford to buy another bike. It just takes time and patience. It's that big IF that gets in the way though.

So that's kinda where I'm coming from. I'd personally prefer to buy something that will effectively prevent my bike from being damaged or stolen in the first place. That's why I'm anchoring it, storing it in a shell (behind the house), and putting an alarm on it. Altogether, this costs the same as making about three of those comprehensive insurance payments, but that's it. I don't mind paying out of pocket if something were to happen, but I'm pretty sure that taking these steps will make that a lot less likely.

With that said, anyone else have an opinion on the Lojack vs an alarm system like the Scorpio? Which one would work best for me and why? Thanks again.