Topic: Alarm installation

[theunrulychef]

Hey, I'm finally back on the road.   It's been riding great & it's a huge weight off my mind to have a running bike again.  I'll post pics when I'm done tweaking.

Now that I've fixed my bike up, I want to install an alarm seeing as how I live in North Philly (very high crime area).  The unit is about 3x4x1 and a 3x3x1.5 siren.

My question:
Does anyone have suggestions for a good - out of the way spot to mount these (77' 750F2)?  I was thinking of putting them in between the battery mount & the oil tank, but I'm wary about the heat from the oil tank.  I can't put them under the seat as of yet since it doesn't lock, & even when I put the lock in, there won't really be enough room.  I'm keeping the stock airbox, so there's no room there.  I guess I could put the control unit under the battery, but I'm not sure if that might damage it.

Thanks,
Jay in Philly

[apormarkos]

my only theft deterrent in south philly is a bike cover 
do you have pics of the completed bike?

apor

[Raul CB750K1]

I bought an alarm as an extra when I bought my car. The stereo has been stolen twice. Last time, they even disconnected the alarm. By the alarm sticker they know which one you are using, it took them 5 secons to open the hood and cut the wire.

I now think than an alarm is a waste of money, and they drain the battery too. I am more confident of ignition breakers. After all, nobody pay attention to alarm sirens anymore...


Raul

[Gordon]

You could just hire a very large man named "Tiny" to sit on the bike whenever you're away.

[SteveD CB500F]

At least with these big old bikes they are less likely to arrive in a van, pick it up and drive off.

That happened to an R1 outside our office last summer. (they didn't bother with my 500/4, even though it is not alarmed, immobilised, padlocked or anything)

[theunrulychef]

Yeah, I'm not confident about alarm sirens either.  The birds around here actually do the whole car alarm call - in correct series no less.  It's quite sad.  The thing is that the bike sits right outside my apartment, so I'll at least hear it go off if I'm asleep.  It also disables the ignition if tampered with so that's a bonus.  It'll also keep my idiot neighbors from sitting on it & knocking it over while plastered at 4am.  I know no alarm or security system can stop a good thief, but it's just another hassle a would be joyrider has to get through.  I'll also be installing a hidden ignition disable switch & sinking an eye bolt into the concrete for a chain. 

Apor, I do cover my bike most nights, but that'll only deteur people passing by.  At least it's not directly on the sidewalk.  They'll have to walk into our courtyard to steal it.    Also, I should be taking new photos soon - have to finish the seat upholstery & touch up a few installation scratches.

Modern bikes have all sorts of hiding spots - fairings etc.  Our bikes are pretty stripped though by modern standards.  That's why I'm racking my brain to come up with a  good, secure place to put the damned thing.  I'm even thinking I could weld a metal box to the rear of the battery box or something.  I was just hoping someone else had already found a good spot - as is.  I'm more psyched about riding right now than metal fabrication  .

On preview:  I like the idea of a large man named "Tiny".  It would be cheaper to get a bum from the neighborhood to piss on it every few hours though.   

[ProTeal55]

I have a buddy who installed an alarm/autostart on his Honda VTX 1800.
He mounted two of those little Pizao sirens under the factory sidecoves (friggin LOUD), and used a mercury switch to activate the system. So basically, when the bike is on the kickstand the mercury is where it should be , and all is good. When the bike gets picked up off the stand, the mercury moves, breaks the circuit and all hell brakes loose !

The autostart thing was just for the hell of it, and he actually uses it allot. I am still waiting for the time he parks the scoot in gear, and I get to see it riding itself down the block  

[mick750F]

   I use a Quorum™ Elert™. It's a battery powered motion detector about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Fits under the seat and makes a fair amount of noise. That along with a bike cover locked through the front wheel, a U-shaped lock around a rear shock and wheel spoke(Comstar), and the steering lock. It's all about slowing them down and making it a hassle.

Mike

[Bodi]

I had an alarm and the local kids enjoyed whacking the seat to set it off. Lovely.
Use the Mexican system: chain a large poorly fed dog to the bike.

[csendker]

I bought a cut-off switch, primarily because I thought I had a trickle-leak that I could not find killing my battery.  It works great as a po' man's theft deterent when I think to pull the handle out.  I just ran it in-line on the negative battery cable.  However, I suspect that it would take about 2 seconds to jump out.

[Raul CB750K1]

I designed an electronic circuit to cut the ignition, and is activated so slyly that nobody ever notices, but makes it impossible to start the bike unless you remove the gastank and know enough about electrics. Sorry I can't share that secret with you because I would have to kill you afterwards.... 


Raul

[dakeddie]

Someone stole my cover during the night last weekend.  It was all tattered, torn, and had melted bits of it.  I figure some passing by bum stole it to use as a blanket or maybe to hold pop bottles.  One f'ing expensive blanket.

Now my only theft deterrent is the steering lock.  Thinking I might chain my bike to a nearby telephone pole.

[clarkjh]

  Thinking I might chain my bike to a nearby telephone pole.

They'll steal the pole   Better to use a steal cable over a chain, takes a little longer to cut.  Any way to hook up a 12V fencer to the bike with a motion detector on it?  They move the bike and get a zap

James

[BobbyR]

A real hefty chain with an old inner tube wrapped around it always worked for me when I lived in the city. Either it went through the rear wheel and over the seat, or if a pole was handy I chained it to that.  I had a 6 month old Trans Am stolen that had a state of the art alarm and ignition cut. Well they cut out with my car and took every thing out of it but the alarm.  If they want it they will take it, all you can do is make it harder and hope they go look for an easier mark.

[Orcinus]

It may not help much, but do all you can to keep your bike.  Losing one sucks big time.  My last bike was locked safely (I thought) in my garage, I was in the process of moving across town.  While I was at the new house unloading, someone backed a truck up my driveway, kicked the back door in, opened the big door and loaded it up.  Neighbors thought it was someone helping me move, but it was someone helping themselves.  The real #$%* is I had just finished restoring it and was waiting for spring to re-insure and ride it.  I did eventually find out where it went...  after about 5 or 6 months of giving the hard eyeball to every similar bike I'd see (I was really hoping some dumb kid had it and would start riding it around as soon as they thought it had cooled off...) I met a guy at a local dealers, his bike was a year older than mine, but his was wearing my freshly restored and painted tank and side covers!  Identification was positive, it was an odd color and had one run that I never sanded out because it didn't show.  He was very apologetic and offered me my parts back, but he had a recent recipt from the local bike salvage yard (who I found out that day was a known chop shop) so I figured it was too late to find the rest of my bike and quit watching for it.  Turned the info over to the local cops who did NOTHING.  The loss of that bike has been gnawing at my gut ever since.

[csendker]

And as a side note to the high security of these bikes...I have two, a '75 CB550 and a '70 CB175.  I had both keys copied and I keep them on a single ring; unfortunately they look very much alike.  Recently, I've noticed that I've been accidentally using the 175 key in my 550 and it seems to be working perfectly? ? I wonder how many other bikes it works on?

[Gordon]

Recently, I've noticed that I've been accidentally using the 175 key in my 550 and it seems to be working perfectly? ? I wonder how many other bikes it works on?

When I had my '75 400F, I also had an '84 Honda Accord.  The Accord key would work in my bike ignition, and the bike key would open the Accord gas cap cover.  The bottom half of the Accord key was exactly the same as the whole lenght of the 400F key! 

[pmpski_1]

The bad thing about an ignition cut off switch is that it means nothing when they put the bike in the back of a truck. One of my friends has "NRA" stickers on doors and windows. The fact that she actually owns guns is beside the point. The idea is to deter someone because of the possibility that there may be a right wing gun nut on the other side of the door that they're breaking into. You may want to take the same tact, although a sticker on the tank may take away from the looks of your bike, which is awesome by the way.

If you want an alarm you'll figure out where to mount it. If you just can't come up with a place, think about a small flashing LED that makes it look like there is an alarm.

Bottom line, if someone really wants your bike they are going to saw through a steel cable or cut a chain and load it in the truck with the alarm screeching. But if it's just a crime of opportunity you can provide enough of a deterrent to move on to the next target.

Or just get an old van and park it in there

[ProTeal55]

If you want an alarm you'll figure out where to mount it. If you just can't come up with a place, think about a small flashing LED that makes it look like there is an alarm.

This is exactly what I am doing to my scoot when I get it back from the shop.  I am going to flush-mount two small red L.E.D's near the stock idiot lights, to give the effect that their is indeed an alarm on the scoot. Anything blinking should keep the majority of people from the bike.I am gonna wire it to a small little switch, that when the ign is "on" , it cuts the power to the LED's so they turn off.

If someone wants your bike/car/items, they will take it. No matter how big the chain, how expensive the alarm, etc.. All you can do is be smart about where you park it, and do the most to make it harder for the dirtbags to steal it..The more things they have to do to take it, the more chance they wont...

[Raul CB750K1]

I see... the burglars are smart enough to pick almost any kind of lock, but are stupid enough to believe that a blinking led is an alarm... 

Raul

[dusterdude]

uh,yea

[Gordon]

I see... the burglars are smart enough to pick almost any kind of lock, but are stupid enough to believe that a blinking led is an alarm... 

Raul

Who said it takes intelligence to use a hacksaw or bolt cutters? 

[Pinhead]

Same thing happened to me. Lost my '71 SL175 a few years back. Turned it into the cops and they told me that they probably won't find it. In fact, they won't even look for it. The only way I'd get it back is if they found a chop shop, raided it, and my bike was still intact.

[pmpski_1]

I see... the burglars are smart enough to pick almost any kind of lock, but are stupid enough to believe that a blinking led is an alarm... 

Raul

No, like I said, if a thief really wants your bike they will have it. However, this would be a deterrent for somebody walking by, trying to impress his friends by jumping on a bike or messing with it. It could also deter an inexperienced thief looking for an easy target.

[Jonesy]

Thinking I might chain my bike to a nearby telephone pole.

They'll steal the pole

My uncle told me about his buddy that had a 550 back in the 70's and he lived in Detroit. He had the bike chained to steel clothes pole in his backyard. So what did the thief do? He bent the pole over, slipped the chain off the pole and then bent the pole back up. I guess he figured if the pole was bent back up, no one would notice the bike was gone...