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Saacattack

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Here's the story first...

I moved into this apartment complex about 2 months ago in a decent area in westerville. There are no garage / storage units so my motorcycle is currently at my parents in their garage.

I don't want to keep in there in the spring, summer and fall. So it'll be in the parking lot outside my apartment.

I was looking into some security stuff for my 05 kawi 636. I'm thinking of getting an alarm and that device called LoJack. I can't afford both at the moment but I can get one of them by spring and get the other next winter or whenever I have the funds to do so.

I'm not sure which to get first because they both have their ups and downs without having both.

Worst case scenario...I didn't hear my alarm, then what? I'd really have a slim chance of getting it back.

Where as if I get LoJack, I can at least call the police and they can track it. From my understanding at least.

So What would you guys get first? and alarm system or LoJack?

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Lojack. No one pays any attention to alarms and if you hear it so what....you are going to hear it as it goes off into the distance. However I would go for option three, do nothing. You have insurance right? The cost of a lowjack compared to the cost of your deductable.

MAYBE some locks for the disk brakes so they have to pick it rather than roll it.

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I have insurance, but it's minimum.

Lojack will cost you 550 plus a yearly maintenance fee. See what it would cost to get full coverage...and then count in the deductible. Or talk to your insurance agent about getting the theft insurance fixed up by itself.....

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LoJack works, but it's expensive. I'd go with full coverage and maybe a disc lock or a Kryptonite New York chain. The latter comes with a disc lock and can easily deter any wanna-be thief because it's nearly impossible to break in a short period of time (that's what I used to protect my SV650 in college). I'd agree with Tonik, you'd benefit more from full coverage and probably get more money back in a claim if anything did happen to it.

I have the same problem at our apartment where we have no covered parking or garages (we're on the Columbus side of the Westerville line). We have full coverage insurance on our bikes and really don't do anything else for them, maybe a cover every now and then for the rain/snow.

Aside from the insurance, we're not too concerned about theft. My FJR is very well-known and very undesired, and nobody knows what a Z1000 is (at least at Q-S-L bike nights). :D

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make your own lojack out of a cell phone and gps module.

This is the cheapest and best option if you don't want full coverage.

Or, instead of full coverage, put liability + comp on it and ditch the collision part of the insurance.

Comp covers fire, theft, vandalism -- I believe comp would even cover you if you hit a deer, since it's not your fault. Collision is what covers you and your ride if you do something stupid and it's your fault. So, don't do anything stupid that's YOUR fault or you end up eating the cost of your own mistake.

Collision also happens to be the most expensive part of the policy too, so drop that -- keep liability (so you're legal to ride) and comp (to cover other disrespectful a$$holes and mother nature) with a high deductible and you should be covered cheap.

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there are advantages to making your own lojack, over the real thing.

first is cost.

second is you dont have to involve any cops if you dont want.

wanna go steal your bike back? go for it.

wanna bust some heads? do it. cops arent gonna let you do that. they hate fun.

wanna burn their house down? now you can.

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disc locks won't prevent most thefts. A 3 man crew with a van can literally steal your bike in less than 10 seconds. You'd want to secure it to an immoble object like ground anchors plus chain. If your apt offers a carport, then you could chain it to the frame of the port. ground anchors would only be feasible without a carport if you have a reserved spot with your landlord's ok to bolt it to the ground.

Again if you have a carport, you could park your bike infront of your car which could slow the thieves down.

Personally I wouldn't want lojack. If someone stole my bike AND took it for a joyride, I wouldn't want it back. I'd rather have the insurance check and get a new one.

Here are some reviews:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-alarms/

They also make a covered barn, but you'd want to find something they couldn't just cut through. Coneptually like this but with more of cut resistant fabric http://www.thebikebarn.net/standardmodel.html

Personally I can't imagine leaving it outside uncovered. That's just me. I wouldn't be able to sleep. A lot of inconsiderate drunks would be sitting on it and most likely knock it over as well. Your parents place or a closer storage unit would be a better idea IMO.

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there are advantages to making your own lojack, over the real thing.

first is cost.

second is you dont have to involve any cops if you dont want.

wanna go steal your bike back? go for it.

wanna bust some heads? do it. cops arent gonna let you do that. they hate fun.

wanna burn their house down? now you can.

:bow:

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In an open parking situation like described here, the first step is to reduce the amount of attention the bike draws. Take it easy on the throttle in the parking lot- nothing screams "Steal my bike!" or "Fuck with my ride!" like a yosh pipe at 8,000 rpm. Next, put a cover on it. Yeah, it'll help protect the bike from the elements, but more importantly, it'll keep it out of sight from anyone driving around looking for targets.

Disk locks, cable locks, and alarms are just going to stop the local punk or junkie from taking or messing with your bike. These will not stop a pro that wants it.

LoJack is pretty good for getting stuff back, but thieves will usually rack up a decent amount of damage pretty quickly so you'll still be paying out of pocket.

The only way to completely protect your bike is to insure it VERY well.

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