RSparky Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 So, I've been wanting an alarm for a while now. I'm frequently to lazy to bring my bike into the apartment, so some nights it sits out on the patio, or even in the parking lot! This is Dayton, people. Some douchebag kids would steal a flower pot if they thought they could grow heroin in it.. I also commute, so I leave my bike unattended in lots of places I'd rather not have to.So, I ordered a Xena XX-10 from motorcycle-superstore for $90 plus tax, with free shipping. Find a better deal? TELL ME! Their new Buy-safe crap will pay me the difference. Anywho, it's a great little device. I chose the XX-10 because it had the same design as their top-of-the-line XX-14, just a (wait for it) 10 mm locking pin, instead of a (again...) 14 mm locking pin. I don't even know how one could begin to cut the pin though, as it is completely concealed in a big yellow steel blob. Pretty heavy too. Go caveman on somebody with it, and they're not getting up. A quick description:So, the locking mechanism: It is kinda tricky. Not really, but it has a "double locking mechanism" All that means to me, is you have to line up the slots before your key can go all the way in. Which, when under the pressure of having your ear drums blasted, can be... Tricky. I generally make sure that when I lock it on the bike, I rotate completely counter clockwise before pulling the key out, without rotating. That way, when I'm unlocking, I gently as possible, but quickly shove the key in, rotate clockwise until the spring-loaded pin pops up, and yank that thing off my disc. Soon as it detects motion it starts to beep, so I try to minimize those beeps. Which brings me to: the alarm. It's not as loud as a car, but it's not hooked up to 12 volts. It doe shave quite the blast, though. In one of those high pitched, make you want to rip your ears off, kind of ways. When the very sensitive tilt sensor detects motion, it begins to beep five times. I think they are faster than once per second, but idk. Then, it goes into "gtfo" mode and wails that high pitched siren... Makes me cringe thinking about it. The siren lasts for about five seconds. if you don't touch it any more. I haven't tried to keep it going, so idk if it would stay on longer.It is auto-arming, so you don't have to push a button. It works like this: There is a laser, or other wave emitting thing on one side of the lock, that bounces off the other side. When your brake disc obstructs that it gives you five seconds to either change your mind or get it locked and get out. Eh, kinda. It beeps, then gives you ten more seconds before it turns on the motion sensor. Pretty legit.My thoughts:It works. Literally on the night I got it, and installed it, some douchebags from my building apparently brushed against it as they walked by. I can't say if the bike woke me up though, because the dog was already howling like the retard he is. But, the alarm went off, and I heard their apartment door close by the time it shut up. The paint scratches off pretty easily. Mine looks a year older already just from scooting around under my passenger seat. I'll update on the rustability of their nickel-ey steel. Overall, it's a good investment. Eases my mind when I'm out. Win.btw, have fun getting the battery in and the reflector plate on before it wails in your face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagr Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 Yup. I have an older model with new guts. Pretty affordable piece of mind. Note for older model owners like me:They also sell replacement kits for the internals. The new set is def more sensitive and much louder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 Meh. GPS tracker. Totally passive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scheetz31 Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 i have an older model also...i was paronoid last year when i lived at my apartment, because i had no garage or other way to pull it inside. since it was outside in an open lot over nights, i had a bulldog cable lock and this...i slept alright after having both locked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 (edited) .So, I ordered a Xena XX-10 from motorcycle-superstore for $90 plus tax, with free shipping. Find a better deal? TELL ME! Their new Buy-safe crap will pay me the difference. http://www.speedfeenz.com/xdf1sgjnhg5ui2g8r-8rfhfd6/sfzonline/product_info.php?products_id=534&utm_source=google-modified&utm_medium=product_search&utm_campaign=google-modified Edited July 30, 2011 by 2talltim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
216cityboy Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have the grenade disc lock from IP. I'm considering the Gorilla Cycle Alarm though. Same setup as on my truck but a smaller version for bikes. Alarm goes off, remote beeps or vibrates. Although gps tracking would get me an insurance discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IN_NO_OH Posted August 18, 2011 Report Share Posted August 18, 2011 Good review. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted August 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 http://www.speedfeenz.com/xdf1sgjnhg5ui2g8r-8rfhfd6/sfzonline/product_info.php?products_id=534&utm_source=google-modified&utm_medium=product_search&utm_campaign=google-modifiedbut, reading their fine print definitely ruined it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 but, reading their fine print definitely ruined it. What fine print? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblosser Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Buy Safe looks like it's only good for the same merchant; i.e. if the price is lowered w/in 30 days you get the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Oh, the fine print on this "buy-safe" stuff. Right, fair enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Couple remarks after about a year of use. The paint is easily scratched off, but the bare steel is stainless so no worries. The battery died faster than it should. And rather than order xena's brand battery, I just got an energizer. Put it in and didn't use the alarm for a couple months, and I'm winding if it's dead too... Tried to lock it up last night, but it kept going off. Like noone around, false alarm going off. I'm puzzled. I'll try a brand new battery to see if it drained it somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JStump Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Can you hear this from inside your apartment? Because I am in the same boat where I have to leave my bike outside and after someone backed into it a few weeks ago, I am kinda paranoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conn-e-rot Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Vehicle alarms are really not that effective anymore. How many times have you heard a car alarm go off and not even looked to see where it was coming from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JStump Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Well this is not really a car alarm type of sound, it is more of a loud, high pitched annoying sound am I right? As well as it keeps the bike from being rolled away, granted this is not a guarantee someone wont just pick it up and load it into a trailer or something but it will deter someone from casually walking away with the bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Yes. The whole building can. Which kinda sucks when it goes off at 130 and it takes you a minute to get a robe on and disarm it.And idc if anybody else does anything when they hear it, but when I do, I can go out and stop whoever is messing with it. Even though the screeching alarm itself would make any normal person ditch. Then there's the disc lock part which would make it a major bitch to steal from my porch.Also, it would be squealing away as they drove the trailer... So I doubt that would get far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JStump Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) What kind of battery does it take? A watch battery or something? And does anyone have any experience with regular remote activated hard wired alarms on their bike? Edited March 23, 2012 by JStump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 It's a cr2. It's in the electronics section of wahl-mart. Usually used in fancy cameras. There were a couple posts, and one guy who had a system for sale last year. Tiger alarm or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crb Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Meh. GPS tracker. Totally passive. Plus 6 cameras monitoring the bike and all times. I may or may not have access to public cameras.FIFY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 FIFY! Can't dispute your changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted April 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Just an update:They're sending me a new alarm module for $9.99. it seems as though the reason was because my reflector plate popped off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted April 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 New Update...I'm getting fed up. The new one randomly goes off. And it DOES have the reflector plate.It helps a little to put it at 6 o clock on the disc, but it will go off when noone is around still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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