Bike security: Tagging and tracking

 Alpha Dot Motorcycle/Scooter marking kit £24.99 www.alpha-dot.co.uk

Each Alpha Dot dispenser contains over a 1000 tiny microdots, each with a unique PIN which is registered to you. The UK police have 24/7 access to the registration database and can reunite the stolen property instantly. Easily applied, the glue is virtually impossible to remove and lasts a lifetime.

 Datatag £65.95 www.datatag.co.uk

In 2012, a number of manufacturers came together to launch an industry wide anti-theft initiative. The manufactures who have signed up to the scheme, mark their bikes before they are sold.

When motorcycles are stolen, they are often broken into parts and sold, if these are security marked it makes them much less appealing. The system provides an electronic finger print on key components, chemical etching and approximately 1000 Datadots on minor components; this enables the police to find the identity of the owner. Thieves know if they see a Datatag it makes the crime a much less appealing steal.

You can buy your own kit and do it yourself

 BikeTrac Unit £299 + subscription fee + fitment www.biketrac.co.uk

A small tracking device, approved by Thatcham and Ducati, that once fitted to your bike lets you see where it is through the use of an internet portal, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A Secure Operating Centre also receives alerts, and works with the authorities on your behalf to track and recover stolen bikes.

You can also use the online secure portal to see your recent journeys and share them with friends.

Know this…

• Check your insurance documents – often insurance companies will set out the ways in which your bike needs to be protected in order for them to pay out.
• Look for ‘Thatcham Approved’ or ‘Sold Secure’ ratings when choosing security products.
• When chaining up your bike, keep slack out of the chain to keep it (and the lock) off the ground – this makes it a lot harder for thieves to attack it.
• Parking your bike in a public place can help, but don’t rely on harassed shoppers to take much notice of a bike alarm, or even a balaclava-wearing hoodlum wheeling a bike into onto a trailer.
• A disk-lock is a handy deterrent, but a thief can always pop the wheel on a skateboard to make it easier to roll your bike into a van.
• Always use the best possible security you can, but a massive chain will only secure your bike if you actually use it.