Well I have basically had a mare this week. I had a datatool s4 alarm installed at the weekend. I read all of the posts on the net about them going wrong but I thought to myself ‘I’m sure mine will be fine’ well after 2 days of having it on the bike I hate it!! I rode to work on Tuesday and parked up right outside our HR managers window as I always do, after about 3 hours in work she phones me to let me know the bike was making a bit of a noise! I went to see if some thieving little sh*t was stealing it but no. The bike basically decided to set the alarm off constantly with no breaks in the tone and no turning off. My alarm fob didn’t help as it didn’t talk to the box anymore and turning the ignition on only made things worse! Basically I whipped out the toolkit and stripped the bike to get to the alarm (very well hidden!). I had to unplug the alarm box from the bike but as it’s a cat1 there is a battery backup so it continued to go off even louder now it was out of the bike!! I had to wrap it in a rag and hide it in the boot of my mates car to save me being fired or beaten up by our HR lady!! Anyway after work plugged it back in and the alarm actually stopped then but would auto arm after 45 seconds and then go off again! The bike wasn’t having any of it so I phoned the AA and they came out. In the mean time my mate who fitted the alarm popped down and diagnosed a flat battery!! Obviously he blamed me saying I must have left the sidelights on (which I still don’t think that I did!) and I blamed the alarm! Either way I'm sick of it, bikes ok now thankfully and no more probs yet. Anyway I wanted to let you know my experience, if something feels like a bad idea and everybody who has experience in the matter says it’s a bad idea then it’s probably a bad idea. Rant over!
I must admit before I buy almost anything these days I tend to read reviews when I can. I've done the same as you in the past, thinking I know better or I'll be OK and have lived to suffer. Hope it's completely sorted. By the way I'll be going down to the Nag's tonight (not on the bike if this weather keeps up).
Im exactly the same I google everything to research it, I just assumed I knew better I think! I haven't been to the nags for a while now so will have to pop in at some point I think.
My advice would be, unless your insurance company insists, avoid fitting an alarm. They're a battery draining, electrical time bomb, just waiting to bugger up your bike.
That's basically my advice now! I just wanted something to scream at any thieving little sods that try to pinch the bike but the only person that it actually stopped being able to ride it away was me!
Anyway who pay's attention to the alarm going off apart from the HR manager who has it parked up outside her office.... IMO a waste of money... Noone pays any attention to them...
That's a very good point I never thought of that! It was going off so loud it hurt and for 2 hours I stood there disassembled the bike and nobody even questioned it!! Plus the only reason the HR lady mentioned it was because it was doing her head in not that she was concerned it was being stolen! A good point well put screwball
any way sorry you wasted your money never good to hear that... But a leasson for all of us.. dont buy Datatool.... Its in their name really.........................................tool
If an insurance company insists that a certain alarm needs to be fitted i tend to go elsewhere to one that doesnt. Every bike ive ever owned that came with an alarm already installed, the first mod was always to remove the alarm.... One less hassle to worry about causing flat batteries & electrical gremlins.
