Used to be motorcycle security meant a locked garage, a pit bull, or a big chain thick enough to moor a ship in a typhoon. No longer. Car recovery tech company LoJack is introducing its first, and the first ever, police activated motorcycle recovery system. The aftermarket product, which has a suggested retail price around $500, will roll out first in Massachusetts, then along the so-called "smile belt" from Florida to Texas and then Southern California, which bear the brunt of motorcycle thefts.
For those who don't know LoJack, It's not an alarm, so it doesn't sqawk, scream, make all of those obnoxious noises that wake up the neighbors or make your bike the target of aging produce.
Basically, if your bike is reported stolen - not to your mother-in-law, but to the police - the cops send a signal activating the unit in the motorcycle, which then starts transmitting a unique code, which police cruisers can track. LoJack's CEO, Joseph Abely, said the company's used it in cars since the mid-1980's. "It's tried and true," he says. "Over 90% success rate in recovery." The bike version will be sold through selected dealers, who will have to install it. "There are a million new motorcycles sold in the US every year, and the theft rates are about four times what they are in a automobiles, so we've always been interested in the market," he said. The problem, up till now has been technical. "We've gotten lots of calls over the years for it, but frankly, we needed to get the unit down to a smaller size, and it's only recently that the technology has allowed us to do that." Look for ads in your magazines. Find displays for LoJack at Big Twin East, at Daytona Bike Week and other bike shows. Abely said the company is targeting riders whose bikes are 350ccc or larger. He concluded, "It's more the size then the make".
By Karl Greenberg
Provided by MotoSavvy - Dedicated to bringing the Motorcycling lifestyle closer to the heart of the public
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