Tracker but please Not Tracker

[nervous]

Hello, and welcome to my least interesting thread ever. Ready? Great!

I just went to activate the Tracker on the bike I bought in December, and already the money-grubbing semi-cartel operating folks at Tracker have annoyed me. Apparently the internal battery in my Tracker cannot be charged up or replaced which means I need to replace the entire unit, even though it's only 2 years old. I loathe Tracker. They're rude, unhelpful and greedy, God only knows what they'd be like if I ever actually needed them. I used to have a Tracker by Tracker on my 911 and for 2 years after I sold it they would call me every time the new owner drove it and would always be pissy with me when I patiently explained to them that I've told them this already and that it's 2am and if they could grasp that I no longer own the car I'd be ever so grateful.

Anyway, given that the unit now needs to be replaced, can anyone recommend please another type of tracking unit that will have a positive effect on my insurance and mean the bike can be tracked if someone steals it? Are there details somewhere online of the their effectiveness/ reliability/ cost/ reduction to insurance premiums? Can any of you recommend anything?

I'm so sorry for the dullness. Really I am.

Thanks in advance.
N.

[lindrup119]

I have this one https://trakking.net and it's been fantastic so far. Text alerts for all situations etc.

[RemaL]

lindrup119 said:

I have this one https://trakking.net and it's been fantastic so far. Text alerts for all situations etc.

I have just had the above fitted to my Kwak

can;t comment on how good it is as I've only had it less than a week

[jock mcsporran]

I was looking at Road Angel Bike Trac the other night. Seems a decent option.

[nervous]

Thanks boys. That link is a bit confusing. What are the actual costs of the unit, fitting and subscription? And how does it rate in terms of insurance premium reductions?

[nervous]

jock mcsporran said:

I was looking at Road Angel Bike Trac the other night. Seems a decent option.

Any ideas of cost/ insurance implications, chum?

[lindrup119]

The dealership insist on moving my bike around without the keys in it (saves the batteries apparently), and I always get a text alert. Great in a way though as I then know when they've started working on my bike

When I took my battery out to charge it last week I was instantly contacted with a text, then an email, then 1 minute later a phone call.

Hopefully I won't have to use their full recovery service but so far so good.

EDIT: my unit was £200 fitted by the dealer with the first year subscription included I think. I won't be renewing as I'm moving the bike on but I can't imagine it being crazy expensive to renew. As far as insurance discounts go I'm not sure, but as my bike lives in London it was more for peace of mind. I also have a screaming disk lock and a hefty chain that sits on it so it's fairly well covered.

Edited by lindrup119 on Tuesday 22 March 15:04

Edited by lindrup119 on Tuesday 22 March 15:05

[nervous]

lindrup119 said:

The dealership insist on moving my bike around without the keys in it (saves the batteries apparently), and I always get a text alert. Great in a way though as I then know when they've started working on my bike

When I took my battery out to charge it last week I was instantly contacted with a text, then an email, then 1 minute later a phone call.

Hopefully I won't have to use their full recovery service but so far so good.

What did it cost to install and what's the sub? Sorry, I'm sure I'm being dense. That link gives a range of prices.

[nervous]

Just seen your edit. Thank you. Much appreciated.

[boyse7en]

http://autocom.co.uk/motorbike-gps-tracker.html

£129 and no subscription fees

[jock mcsporran]

nervous said:

jock mcsporran said:

I was looking at Road Angel Bike Trac the other night. Seems a decent option.

Any ideas of cost/ insurance implications, chum?

Looks like about 300-400 fitted and 99/year or 230 for 3years. Thatcham 6 & 7 rated and some insurers appear to offer up to 25% discount. Think Ducati insurance is one of them.

[fergus]

Matt, try one of these (can be hardwired) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-GPS-Tracker-Magn...

Perhaps suitable as a backup. Does what the others do, although is not independently monitored. You can set up geo-fences, etc and it will send you alert texts for various alarms.

[lindrup119]

fergus said:

You can set up geo-fences

I accidentally turned this on on mine once. And then had it parked on Finsbury Circus while I was at work. It looked like I had a very needy boyfriend called Yusuf (due to my bike's name and the number being saved in my phone, sad I know...) as it kept buzzing each time the fence was broken, which was about every 30 secs to a minute.

[2wheelsjimmy]

I've got a biketrac.
The service is bang on. The cost is ok. Paid 3 years upfront.

It is motion detected, so rocking the bike can set it off.
They will call you and other numbers if it's set off.

I've set mine off just cleaning it so have experienced the service.

Can't vouch on recovering it. But peace of mind if parking up somewhere. If bike is moved I'll get a call.

[Jetblackonetenth]

RemaL said:

I have just had the above fitted to my Kwak

can;t comment on how good it is as I've only had it less than a week

My son has had one of these on his bike for a few months. You can turn off text alerts when you are working on the bike or cleaning it. The Bike Alarm Man fitted it for him and the service and fitting were excellent

[nervous]

Wow. You lot are ace. Thank you.

I'm going to look at the various options tonight that you've suggested and get one of one of them ordered. Thank you so much everyone, this would have taken me days of dispiriting slogging.

You lot rule.

[nervous]

boyse7en said:

http://autocom.co.uk/motorbike-gps-tracker.html

£129 and no subscription fees

Apart from the cost, is there any difference between this one and the one Fergus suggested, chum? Both look excellent, especially given that I'm responsible for its monitoring rather than some bored, listless, inevitably feckless office worker. I'm afraid I'm a bit thick when it comes to understanding the minutiae of this form of tech.

[nervous]

fergus said:

Matt, try one of these (can be hardwired) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-GPS-Tracker-Magn...

Perhaps suitable as a backup. Does what the others do, although is not independently monitored. You can set up geo-fences, etc and it will send you alert texts for various alarms.

F, do you think this would not be robust enough as a stand alone? My bike is never left, and is locked in a garage in a place that not only doesn't have crime it also doesn't have books. All the incest you can eat, mind.

[fergus]

nervous said:

fergus said:

Matt, try one of these (can be hardwired) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-GPS-Tracker-Magn...

Perhaps suitable as a backup. Does what the others do, although is not independently monitored. You can set up geo-fences, etc and it will send you alert texts for various alarms.

F, do you think this would not be robust enough as a stand alone? My bike is never left, and is locked in a garage in a place that not only doesn't have crime it also doesn't have books. All the incest you can eat, mind.

Sounds like a holiday destination. Anyway, I digress..... I don't doubt you could use this as a primary tracker, and it may well be fine, however I'd prefer to try one on something other than your bestest toy in the first instance to see how it works. For the money though, you can't go wrong (although you probably can, I.e. Your bike goes missing, and the tracker fails).

[nervous]

Thanks F. That's brilliant! What could possibly go wrong? (apart from everything). It can't fail! (unless it does).

Think I'm going to buy one anyway and track things. It might be fun (unless it isn't).