Tracks of my fears

For too long I've assumed that motorcycle theft was something that affected other people. It's all very cosy living in a (relatively) low crime area, but sooner or later my luck could run out, or my beloved bike ('Tony the Tiger') could be nicked while parked in another city or left outside a hotel during a weekend ride away from home.

Until now I've relied on a (fairly chunky) disc lock, which I keep under the seat, for extra protection when my motorcycle is left unattended in risky situations. While that might deter an opportunist, or possibly make my machine less appealing than the majority, which are left unprotected, it isn't going to stop some low-life lobbing into the back of a van and heading off into the sunset.

I like to travel light, so the idea of lugging a heavy-duty lock and chain around with me didn't appeal, and I'm not sure that people respond to alarms any more, assuming they hear them in the first place, so I contacted the good people at Datatool to enquire about trackers.

They sent me a Datatool TrakKING device, specifically designed to fit the Triumph Tiger 800 XRx (2015 model). In spite of the fact that this is a plug-and-play device, I decided to enlist the help of the professionals to fit it, and I'm very glad I did.

Pete Mouncer, The Bike Alarm Man, came round and cleverly concealed the (relatively tiny) TrakKING unit, so that it's virtually invisible. Money well spent, because it the thieves check for a tracker during the theft, it's unlikely they'd locate it.

Then it was simply a case of downloading an app to my 'phone and subscribing to the tracking service.

Does it work? It does indeed. I can check my bike's location using the app and it's impressively accurate. If I move the bike without turning on the ignition, when I wheel it outside to wash it for example, I receive a text alert to inform me that movement has been detected.

One of my big concerns was battery drain - I'd heard horror stories of trackers flattening batteries withing a matter of days - but I'm pleased to report that the Datatool TrakKING requires very little 'juice' and the Tiger fires up on the button, even after several weeks lying idle. Occasionally I connect my OptiMate smart charger as a precaution and to keep the bike's battery in peak condition, but it's never been required to recover a flat battery since fitting the tracker.

Incidentally, the Datatool TrakKING will send a low battery alert to my phone and there's also the option to sign-up for a 999 alert, which will contact the emergency services if the bike is on its side for more than a minute. It's also approved by Thatcham - the insurance industry's test centre - so I'm hoping to get a discount on my premium when I renew.

Fitting electrical devices to motorcycles can often be a fraught affair, but I'm happy to report that the properly designed and professionally fitted Datatool TrakKING has been 100% hassle-free and I certainly sleep easier at night when on my travels.