Hello all. First let me say I'm thrilled to have my 2000 GS500 - it's my first bike and I love it. All black, very low key and smooth. 5k miles, great shape. I love her.

But, in my neighborhood in DC, it wouldn't hurt to get an alarm. I've tried some research but not come up w. much in the way of comparison. If you do a simple eBay search for motorcycle alarms, there are plenty. I don't need anything fancy like remote-startup, but if it could alert me that my bike is being touched that would be very useful as I park it about 200 feet from my apartment.

So, suggestions are very much appreciated. Thanks.

Justin

Check out the scopion alarm. it has FM based paging feature, meaning the key fob will alert you if the alarm is triggered. It is the only pager alarm available for bikes as far a I know. It's a little steep, about $300 US, but a lot cheaper than a stolen bike.

http://www.scorpioalarms.com/sr-i500.aspx

While on the subject of security, to prevent mine from simply being lifted from my apartment lot and thrown into the back of a truck, I lock mine to a garbage can full of concrete using heavy steel cable. The can must weight about 600 pounds. I know that given enough effort and time, thieves could cut the cable and jack the bike, but I figure the alarm will warn me and the cable will slow them enough for me to come out and introduce Mr Louisville! Hopefully it never comes to that and they just move on upon seeing the can.

Well, I've never had an alarm on my bike, so I can't speak from firsthand experience, but I'd get something with a tip switch. Or a lojack! I've never done the research...but my hunch is that more bikes are picked up and thrown in the back of a truck rather than hotwired. That happened to my cousin. He parked his ZX-7 in a crowded supermarket parking lot in the middle of a sunny day and ran into the store for less than 5 minutes. When he came out the bike was gone. A little old lady saw a pickup truck pull up next to the bike, 2 men jumped out, lifted the bike into the bed, jumped in the bed, and the driver sped off. It took about 30 seconds from start to finish and nobody got a plate number or anything.

Anyhow, point being, an ignition kill wouldn't have done anything in that situation. Honestly neither would a tip switch. The thiefs just would have cut the siren off as they were speeding away.

I think that a good chain, connecting the bike to a relatively permanent object would be a better theft deterrent.  A cover will help too, because nobody wants to steal an unknown quantity; and nobody is going to take the cover off just to see what's under it.  Instead, they'll move on to steal the bike they can see.  

After a chain and cover, the alarm is probably the 3rd thing to add; I'd consider one of the combination alarm/lock things that locks to the disk rotor: cheap and simple.  But the alarm has its uses: it can wake you up in the middle of the night in time to stick your head out the window and see which of your neighbors just backed into the bike  

The bike must be parked on a street that is relatively  busy and one lane - so that it would be difficult for someone to load the bike onto a truck/van/etc - and if an alarm went off I think they'd abandon their desire. So I am definitely seeking one of the systems available that is mounted in the bike with a remote switch. Thanks for the suggestions and please keep them coming; I'll post more when I get one. We can all learn...

I just got my gs500 not too long ago and was wondering... Has anyone had a problem with a bike being stolen from their garage? I keep my bike and a friends in a garage but leave the door unlocked because my friend doesn't have a key to it yet. I definately don't want to go outside in the morning to find either of our bikes missing...

I haven't personally had a bike stollen out of my garage, but I've had a bunch of tools jacked stollen on two seperate occasions at two different garages. (neither were locked)  I've also heard of bikes ripped off out of the garage.

I wouldn't wait to get a copy of the key to your garage to your friend. That's the cheapest and best security for your bikes and whatever else you keepp in there.

Beyond that, some people chain their bikes to a permanant object in a locked garage, that's probally a bit overkill but better safe than sorry.
As far as alarms go, I like the idea of the disk lock with an allarm. I think that they're pretty cheap and it'll keep someone from rolling it away, plus you don't need to install it. A bonus, is that if you forget to take off the lock, the alarm goes off, so you don't try to drive off with it still on the bike.

As said before, the only thing that's going to keep someone from throwing it in the back of a truck is a big chain. A small chain or cable should slow them down though

I think if someone wants to steal your bike, they will, so it's a matter of making it less desireable to be stolen. One great way is to have a crappy old bike

If you really want an alarm to protect your bike, make sure you get one with a battery backup and a proximity sensor. Otherwise anyone with enough time and a flashlight could locate the alarm and disable it pretty easily, not too many places to hide things on a bike... Honestly though, I'm pretty sure that a few big guys with a truck could pick up your bike, toss it in the truck and be on their way long before you can respond to the alarm. If they're prepared and know what they're doing, the whole thing could easily take 15 seconds. Since they're probably going to part it out, doesn't really matter if they toss it and beat it up a bit.

Plus, the reality is that no one else really cares about an alarm. If it's dark and late, everyone who hears it will just get pissed. If someone sees them trying to steal the bike and hears the alarm going off, at best they might call the cops. I guarantee no one will put themselves on the line to save your bike That just leaves you, and the question that remains is are you capable of getting down there and doing something before they can heave your bike into a truck? And are you willing to put your life on the line to save your bike from thugs who could possess any kinds of weapons?

yeah so, I'm not a big alarm fan I don't think that spending $350 on an alarm for a $2,000 motorcycle makes much sense, not enough protection for the money. Get a solid chain or cable, go with that. A bike with an alarm takes the same amount of time to steal as one that doesn't have an alarm. A bike with a chain takes much longer to steal, especially if it's a really good chain attached to something really solid. Plus, it's cheap

Wouldn't it still be easy to push a bike away while the disc lock is on? I mean couldn't you just cut the brake line and it'd release the pads from the rotor.

hmm...

I feel quite doubtful about just disconnecting the brake line, a disc lock would hit hard on the brake caliper even if the line had been cut off or similar,wouldn't it?...probably it'd be more effective to unscrew the caliper away from the fork, but lifting the bike's the quickest option yet. But just my humble opinion...

As regards the chain: since there's barely any room under the seat for documents, stock tools and a fix'n go tyre bottle, how do you fellow GS riders manage to take a chain away with you? I had to buy a disc lock which I'm currently using, instead of the solid chain I used when I rode my old Aprilia 250 scooter(seat compartment is the very only thing I regret about my Leonardo)...
Any hints/suggestions to a poor n00b like me?



Lamps,
simon.

For everyones general knowledge about bike theft watch this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck&mode=related&search=
I know it's promotional video but it really is that easy to crop the chain

P.S. I carry my chain in a bag on my back
I know that's not smart but have no alternative yet

I don't want an alarm to prevent theft..I don't want people touching my bike...like the joker who thought it would be ok to move my bike (with the forks locked) across the parking lot...I want the parameter alarm so it scares the bejesus outta them. don't touch my bike fools!