Please note: The content of this article is only to advise you. Should to wish to implement any advice, you do so at your own risk. Please ensure you follow the law at all times.
SECURING A BIKE / MOPED
The best way to secure your motorbike / moped is to use a ground loop. This can either be sunk into ground or surface fixed. Check out http://www.autopa.co.uk/ for more information.
SECURITY PRODUCT RATINGS
There are many types of clever additional alarms and devices that can be fitted, along with or incorporating immobilisers which require separate fobs or hidden switch contact pads that will isolate various electrical circuits, rendering the vehicle un-drivable (but not immovable).
The Thatcham Research Institute test these type of devices and rate them for insurance companies from category 1, to cat.7 for differing features etc such as tracking and remote shutdown systems. This may reduce your car insurance if a Thatcham rated unit is fitted.
Thatcham Category 1 – Electronic alarm with immobiliser
Systems that fall into this class are the cleverest and most complex on the market. A Category 1 alarm will feature perimeter and ignition detection, and will incorporate movement or glass break and tilt sensors. There’ll also be a siren powered by its own battery supply that will sound if your car gets broken into.
Immobilisers are also a requirement to pass Category 1 tests and have to be passively set – that means without any action from the driver – while a minimum of two operating systems or one control unit used for normal operation must be isolated.
This excerpt is taken from the RAC website (http://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/what-is-a-thatcham-category-car-alarm) and it can inform you of the full details on this, if you are interested. Please do your homework before purchasing a system and ensure the device suits your requirements.
SIMPLE D.I.Y. IMMOBILISATION
There are some ‘old school’ ideas that still work fine and will immobilise a car via the electrical system, that are not complex to do yourself.
The Hella Style removable electrical cable in-line switch 9in cabin) and battery pole isolators (on battery itself) are electricity off switches (that can have bypasses to radios etc) .
Costs around £10 each and the simple hidden ‘secret switch’ is just a simple switch (£2), one wire in, the other to earth that kills one essential electric circuit such as ignition feed or fuel pump once thrown.
The electronic immobiliser systems basically tend to have 5 or 6 circuit breakers instead of just one, with an electronic coded key.
The concept is the same turning of the electrics somewhere sneaky!
