Alarms..... recommendations at the budget end?

I've looked in the FFAQ, and found nowt, so I'm asking here.

Anyone have any experience with the budget end of the alarms range?

I'm giving consideration to one, but have no desire to spend megabucks.

Here are some links to alarms I've spotted on ebay, purely as examples.

Let me know if you have any helpful comments, advice or recommendations.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2471253283&category=25643
Cheetah alarm/immobiliser.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7900228088&category=25643
sola-larm...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7900227270&category=25643
Acumen 911.

TIA, chaps

 

Fr Jack says...

Cor, if only you'd said. You could have had the one that now graces the
big wheelie bin at the Black Horse, previously in my T/ace.

I fucking hate the things, and took it out at the earliest opportunity.
I'll give you a clue as to how good they are. I ripped the self powered
siren unit/motion sensor out without hearing much more than a pathetic
squeak from it. It took less than a minute to disconnect properly and
remove.

 

The varlet known as Lozzo did proclaim to all assembled:

OK... Sola-larm off the list, unless anyone persuades me otherwise...

Any alarms you do like, mate?

 

I imagine this was meant to be somewhat of a clue:

"I fucking hate the things"

I don't think he was referring solely to Sola-larms, but to alarms as
a species.

BICBW.

 

The varlet known as Mark Olson did proclaim to all assembled:

OK..... you want to recommend any alarms?

 

We just fitted one of these to the TS (yeah, I know). It was reasonably
easy to fit and so far seems to work well, quite small also (about the size
of a fag packet, but reasonably shrill when activated). The only pisser was
the instructions were a bit vague about which ignition switch wire to
connect to so we dilligently checked the HBOL wiring diagram, and then
guessed anyway. The bike now only runs with the lights on, if you switch
them off, 7 seconds later it cuts out. We have decided to leave it that way
as it may confuse the local thieving scrotes that little bit more. On the
whole though, not a bad bit of kit (for an alarm / immobilizer). The eBayer
was also very prompt.

--
Dan L (Oldbloke)
My Bike 2000 Honda CB500
M'boy's Bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X (Heavily fortified)

BOTAFOT #140, DIAABTCOD #26

 

You may have trouble finding one worth buying at all, not just budget.
If you want it for insco discount, then it needs to be professionally
installed which will cost.

If you want it for the security then any cheap alarm that your average
Joe can install is likely to be just as easily uninstalled.

Add to that all the hassles such as an immobilised bike if it goes
wrong, false activations and the like - they're a lot of hassle. I'm
not going to remove the one from my bike, and I'd probably get another,
but that's only because without them the inscos won't quote me at all.

Have you thought about a disclock with an alarm? Won't immobilise the
bike if the electrics go wrong, easy to install, no wires to cut. ISTR
Abus made one.

 

And the discount will be disproportional. A thatcham cat 1 installed is
£300 approx. Saving if I had stuck one on the bandit? About fiftenn quid
or something ridiculous.

Not to mention the fact that no fucker ever takes a second glance when
they hear an alarm going off anyway.

 

When I had mine done on the SV it saved about 75% of the cost of the
alarm, so over 3 years I'm sure it paid for itself.

 

Christofire secured a place in history by writing:

Not typical IME. £15-25pa on several bikes.

 

What type of bikes? Not new group 16/17 sportsbikes I'd hazard a
guess.

 

I dare say not, but when you're a 20 yo trying to get insured on bikes
and being quoted over a grand for an SV650S, it makes a difference.

 

Fr Jack says...

Nope, but I am reliably informed that the Meta 357T is the most trouble-
free. This came from RAC and AA patrolmen

 

Mark Olson says...

You're spot on the money, old son.

 

Ben secured a place in history by writing:

No. In recent years a CB500, a GSX750F and a Sprint RS on which I was
paying something around £3-500. But, essentially, an approved alarm has
never been worth it, apart from possibly reducing the hassle of actually
having the bike stolen (and the concomitant several years of rebuilding the
no-claims bonus).