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Tourer
Posts: 460
Centennial, CO | Ok...stopped into the dealer to pick up my bike (finally after 3 months...long story that I will not post here). I asked about Lo-Jack and found the price a bit steep. He quoted me just at 1,000 bucks installed with 100 bucks off if I did it right there.
Questions:
1. Worth it?
2. Is this a bit costly?
3. Are Visions on the market for theft?
Thanks! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | use that money for a better insurance policy!! add more coverage.. That way you know for sure your covered.. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 935
Rockford, IL | I don't know how good or bad LoJack is but I would think you could add a kick-butt alarm system for a third of the price of the LoJack. And from they way I understand LoJack works it is only good in major metro areas. So if someone steals your scoot and heads for the country...you're screwed. And I don't think Visions are high on the theft list because if they were I'm pretty sure we would have seen a post or two around here from folks who have had thiers stolen. p.s. me thinks we would love to hear the the story behind the 3 month ordeal 
Edited by Lotzafun 2009-01-20 9:35 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 261
Sugar Land, TX (Outside of Houston) | You are right Lotza - LoJack relies on Police Departments to install the receiver gear in their patrol vehicles (although they pay for it) and they concentrate only on high volume areas. We have receiver units in some in HPD, but we don't go beyond Harris County. So you would just have to hope it got stolen in a major city that participated in LoJack. |
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | Let's face it, an alarm, no matter how expensive, is basically just a big noise maker. After all, how many times have you heard alarms going off, and just walked by. I have had alarms for years, and with the exception of perhaps of an ignition cut off, they don't really do much good. If someone really wants your bike, he is going to get it.
I installed a LoJack in my Vision (the first LoJack I have ever tried). Here in Los Angeles, the police do have the equipment to monitor a LoJack signal, so maybe I am a bit better off than some other parts of the country. But to be honest, the reason I got the LoJack was its notification system. If your bike is moved, I get a call on my cell phone and at home, and another one on my email. It basically is a pre recorded message that lets me know that my bike may have been moved without my permission. That's enough to me to check it out if I suspect something is going on, and if it is, either intervene (carefully!), or call the police sooner rather than later.
And it does work! I have even been waiting for service at my dealers, and gotten calls on my cell phone when they did their test ride. It works, and doesn't take very long to get the notice.
Yes, it is pricey, and may not be for everyone. But for me, it was far better spent money than just another expensive noise maker, and I have tried many of them over the years on both cars and motorcycles.
Before you just blow it off, you may just want to at least look into it as a possible alternate to an alarm. Personally, I was surprised at its ability to notify me if my bike is moved, and that is what really got me to give it a try.
If someone tampers with your bike and an alarm goes off, it could be a long time before you know it. If someone moves your bike with LoJack, you find out right away (at least within a few minutes). At least that's been my experience. And even if the police don't have the equipment to track it, the sooner you can notify the police when something is wrong, the better chance you may have of getting it back.
Anyway, that's the choice I made, and am not sorry I did. And for the record, no, I do not have any interest in LoJack......it just works for me.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Let 'em steal it, that's what insurance is for. I figure this way, there are too few Visions out there, so it would be easy to find as this is not an ever popular sheep bike. I think my deductible is less than a thousand, which would save me some dollars, then spending it on trying to save a couple of hour to notify the police that someone stole my bike. I keep the turn lock on every time I park it. Now, what I would really like to spend a dollar on is the keyless start that I believe is out there, for me that is money well spent. The only problem there is you can't do away with the key because of the gas tank filler. That notification Lojack may be cool to if it is backed with Smith&Wesson, or even a keltec.
Edited by varyder 2009-01-21 5:55 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 600
Linwood, MI | Yeah, I'm with Varyder. Just check out KBB to see what the resale value on the Vision is. Right now, there's not much demand for them. HDs are a far more common target for theives than Visions because of their popularity and market demand. Use the money for good insurance and some bike goodies.
But ultimately the decision is yours. If LoJak would ease your mind and make you more comfortable, by all means go for it. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | I have the LoJack on my SSG Vision.
I also use the fork lock and a disk lock (with a bright orange bungee) every time I park the bike (even in my garage).
Is it worth it? I wont know until I need it. Its like any kind of insurance; you dont need it until you need it, and then it better be good.
Im working on the theory that if you cant replace something, then you protect it.
While other machines are more popular targets of thieves, why give some punk (who thinks he's stealing a custom HD) with a pick up and a couple of friends an easy target of opportunity. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I'm counting on the theft doing his homework before jacking, and if he has then he won't touch the Vision. Too many recalls, problems with fit and finish, no resale value, basically a total lemon. That is if you listen to the few that have had those problems, you'd think it was across the board, so why bother. So I figure that I'm safe, I keep insurance on my stuff with a reasonable deductible. Besides, a theft is not really better off just because they steal, their already in bad shape if they think they have to steal just to get ahead. But we all do what we think is best and the beat goes on. Peace out.
Edited by varyder 2009-01-21 11:45 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | The new Lojack has a proximity key fob, which must be within a certain distance if the bike is moved. If the system sense bike movement without the fob being close (in a truck, hauling your bike with you in the cab would be OK) it will instantly notify LoJack, they will call your wireless, send you an instant text message, email, or all 3, telling you your bike is being moved. If 'jacked, you call the police , who activates the system, tracking your bike. LoJack guarantees to be able to locate the device within 24 hours, or they will refund the cost of the device. The LoJack is powerful enough to be found inside a steel shipping container that is closed.
The device is designed for larger cities, with law enforcement capable of tracking LoJack. Your bike is located by a directional signal strength locator in a police car. While seemingly expensive, it does add some peace of mind, acts like a motion sensor alarm, and adds resale to your bike, and in some cases, an insurance discount.
Edited by buddahead 2009-01-21 11:56 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | buddahead - 2009-01-21 11:55 AM The new Lojack has a proximity key fob, which must be within a certain distance if the bike is moved. If the system sense bike movement without the fob being close (in a truck, hauling your bike with you in the cab would be OK) it will instantly notify LoJack, they will call your wireless, send you an instant text message, email, or all 3, telling you your bike is being moved. If 'jacked, you call the police , who activates the system, tracking your bike. LoJack guarantees to be able to locate the device within 24 hours, or they will refund the cost of the device. The LoJack is powerful enough to be found inside a steel shipping container that is closed. The device is designed for larger cities, with law enforcement capable of tracking LoJack. Your bike is located by a directional signal strength locator in a police car. While seemingly expensive, it does add some peace of mind, acts like a motion sensor alarm, and adds resale to your bike, and in some cases, an insurance discount. Great insight and information mr buddahead. I personally fail to take in account the residual benefits that may in deed help pay for itself. I chime back in as you reminded me about the motorcycle safety course I took that reduced my insurance. Not as much when I took my son off the policy, but every little bit helps, and since the course was free, the benefit was all on my end. I'm curious though, how much aggrevation would it cause on a windy day or even noisey area? or the sensity not that great. I just know that heavy winds or loud noises will set off car alarms, is the lojack affected the same way? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | I was led to believe that the motion sensor would require the bike to be tipped full upright, like being sat on off the sidestand, or moved continually, like pushed down the street. Wind or noise would not affect it.
The proximity sensor has a range of about 50 feet, so would work at a hotel or restaurant, as long as you have a cell phone on you. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 293
Arkansas | I have the Bulldog keeless system. Works great and cuts out the power and ignition unless you are in proximity.
However, if I were to do it again, I would get the alarm module without the keeless feature, because it is half the price
and all you do is replace the starter relay with the Bulldog one. The difference is that it will allow power to come on if hotwired
but bike will not start . Also you don't have to cut wires.
Very high quality stuff from Bulldog-uses RFID keyfob. |
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | My bike has sat out in the wind and rain, crowds and noisy conditions, and the only time LoJack has ever notified me is when the bike was actually moved. Heavy winds or loud noised will not set off the LoJack alarm like it will with other alarm systems. At least that's my experience. |
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Tourer
Posts: 354
20 miles west of Chicago. | I think I'd want to do a cost/benefit analysis on that one before laying out that much. One of the often unrecognized benefits of owning the "other" American motorcycle is that they have not become very popular with thieves. I have only heard of one Vic being stolen, several years ago, in a post on the VMC site. That one was taken in a burglary of the owner's garage along with his son's bicycle and I believed it was eventually recovered. It would be interesting to take a poll of confirmed reports of Vics being stolen. I think that I would have to agree with those advising that a good insurance policy would be the better way to go. Even if the bike was stolen and later recovered as a result of Lo-jac, it might be in the sort of shape that would bring a tear to your eye if the thief went down fleeing the police.
Edited by Mudge 2009-01-21 3:05 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | I have not done it yet but I plan to install the Amateur Radio version of Lo-Jack called Automatic Packet Reporting System.
Of course you need an Amateur Radio license to use it.
Before there was a Lo-Jack, an Amateur Radio Operator developed a system that used a GPS receiver and a low power transmitter to report the position of different moving objects. It is now quite a system. Now with a small 12 Volt battery, a GPS antenna (placed under part of the molding on the Vision) and a device the size of a cigarette pack, I can track my bike. With the battery it can run for days even with the motorcycles battery removed.
If the device senses motion it starts transmitting its position. Radio receivers pick up the transmissions and send the data to servers on the Internet. Every few minutes or more often when you make a corners, the system transmits your position again.
If they put the Bike in a garage where the GPS can not pick up a signal. You can find out its last position on the server and start from there with a transmitter. The transmitter will talk to the radio on the bike. Once you connect to the bike it is easy to find it without the GPS.
If my wife is wondering where I am she can look the information up and know that I am still alive and on the way home. (For some of you this might be a problem)
If the Vision got stolen I can take my laptop and a radio and find it myself. Of course I will have one of my three friends who are Hams and Law Enforcement Officers to ride with me to find the Vision.
They will call in the troops and I will get my Vision back.
It is less then $250 of equipment that I can use for other purposes down the road.
I can map out an area that I run in and tell the server if my Vision is outside of this area email and page me.
This system is now used for races and marathons all over the US and the world. Hams put the devices on the lead car to find the front of the race, on the ambulances, on the buses, the rest area (that do not move) and on race officials so hams can help with logistics.
All of the data can be placed on a map so everyone at the race knows where all of the resources are.
FYI, There have been known recovery's of stolen vehicles using this system in US and Canada.
Ride Safe!
Edited by radioteacher 2009-01-21 9:47 PM
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Lo-Jack
