I myself have wondered if loJack was ever coming out with a sophisticated system to prevent motorcycle theft. I have had a motorcycle in the past and worried if I could ever increase security. When are they available in California, or could I ride to Florida, Mass. to get mine?
This is a little misleading. The system is not “global” – it relies on police cars being equipped with the receivers needed to track the units – only the PDs in major metropolitan areas are so equipped. If the stolen unit is moved outside the PD jurisdiction, they can’t be traced.
It sounds like LoJack is severly limited to police cars having this detection capability. What percentage of precincts have that capability? Why doesn’t LoJack go to shortwave. If we can use shortwave radios to pick up signals from china, don’t you think it might work well for this application?
Does anybody at the insurance journal even TRY to respond to these posts??? I would have thought the author of the article might do a little follow up and reply. Guess this is just a glorified “HELLO WORLD”
LoJack is a publicly traded company who spent a considerable sum on an \”independent firm\” who conducted motorcycle theft research that ultimately worked to add zest to LoJack\’s sales pitch.
While tracking systems do have their merits, there are three important downsides that are often overlooked: (1) battery drain on the bike, (2) service area coverage, and (3) monthly cost.
Virtually all tracking systems require you to pay not only for the product itself but also each and every month to keep the \”service contract\” alive. The long term cost of tracking systems may leave a bad taste in the mouth of the average bike owner. Think about how much you already pay per month (phone bill, mobile phone, internet, etc.) and you can see why tacking on another subscription is cost prohibitive.
LoJack claims to not charge any monthly fees, but the fact is that their least expensive bike system runs $595, and their coverage is limited to LoJack towers and some police towers. Once your LoJack \”protected\” vehicle exits the coverage area, its off the map and not traceable. Of course, LoJack will refund the price of the product, but that refund doesn\’t replace your bike. Nor does that refund cover any special installation fees you might have paid or any insurance deductable you might have.
Rather than spend all that money unecessarily, a hefty dose of common sense coupled with a solid, economically-priced security product may be all the doctor ordered.
Keeping bikes chained in a garage is useful when at home, but what about outings? On long trips, simple chaining alone may not be enough. A good electronic security system, like CYCLONE Motorcycle Security from Kiramek in Japan (kiramek.com/english/), can not only alert others to a theft attempt but also strike some fear into would-be thieves.
KIRAMEK also offers pagers to immediately alert you to a theft, which may be enough for you to either stop the crime yourself or at least phone the police at the time of the theft. The best part is, you pay for the system only once — no recurring fees.
Yet other bike alarm companies offer motorcycle alarm systems as well, but many of them are now moving toward expensive two-way pagers that drain the bike\’s battery quickly. If you ride your bike daily a 2-way system may be a good choice to consider, but something simpler (and less easy to break) may be all you need.
I myself have wondered if loJack was ever coming out with a sophisticated system to prevent motorcycle theft. I have had a motorcycle in the past and worried if I could ever increase security. When are they available in California, or could I ride to Florida, Mass. to get mine?
Anyways thank you for the article…
Definitely worth the $600 in my book.
This is a little misleading. The system is not “global” – it relies on police cars being equipped with the receivers needed to track the units – only the PDs in major metropolitan areas are so equipped. If the stolen unit is moved outside the PD jurisdiction, they can’t be traced.
It sounds like LoJack is severly limited to police cars having this detection capability. What percentage of precincts have that capability? Why doesn’t LoJack go to shortwave. If we can use shortwave radios to pick up signals from china, don’t you think it might work well for this application?
Does LoJack provide a list that show which motorcycle dealers can install them in So.Calif. and a list of the police agencys who support Lojack?
Does anybody at the insurance journal even TRY to respond to these posts??? I would have thought the author of the article might do a little follow up and reply. Guess this is just a glorified “HELLO WORLD”
LoJack is a publicly traded company who spent a considerable sum on an \”independent firm\” who conducted motorcycle theft research that ultimately worked to add zest to LoJack\’s sales pitch.
While tracking systems do have their merits, there are three important downsides that are often overlooked: (1) battery drain on the bike, (2) service area coverage, and (3) monthly cost.
Virtually all tracking systems require you to pay not only for the product itself but also each and every month to keep the \”service contract\” alive. The long term cost of tracking systems may leave a bad taste in the mouth of the average bike owner. Think about how much you already pay per month (phone bill, mobile phone, internet, etc.) and you can see why tacking on another subscription is cost prohibitive.
LoJack claims to not charge any monthly fees, but the fact is that their least expensive bike system runs $595, and their coverage is limited to LoJack towers and some police towers. Once your LoJack \”protected\” vehicle exits the coverage area, its off the map and not traceable. Of course, LoJack will refund the price of the product, but that refund doesn\’t replace your bike. Nor does that refund cover any special installation fees you might have paid or any insurance deductable you might have.
Rather than spend all that money unecessarily, a hefty dose of common sense coupled with a solid, economically-priced security product may be all the doctor ordered.
Keeping bikes chained in a garage is useful when at home, but what about outings? On long trips, simple chaining alone may not be enough. A good electronic security system, like CYCLONE Motorcycle Security from Kiramek in Japan (kiramek.com/english/), can not only alert others to a theft attempt but also strike some fear into would-be thieves.
KIRAMEK also offers pagers to immediately alert you to a theft, which may be enough for you to either stop the crime yourself or at least phone the police at the time of the theft. The best part is, you pay for the system only once — no recurring fees.
Yet other bike alarm companies offer motorcycle alarm systems as well, but many of them are now moving toward expensive two-way pagers that drain the bike\’s battery quickly. If you ride your bike daily a 2-way system may be a good choice to consider, but something simpler (and less easy to break) may be all you need.