Re: Empulse Burglar Alarm

[Roland Stone]

Reference my 10/24 post about a 12V hot connection for a burglar alarm installation on my Empulse......

Good suggestions and advice from all, but am going with Shinyside’s Xena XX disk lock referral.  My reasons are, - can’t install the Scorpio/FM system on my Empulse without some aux battery set up and whereas the Scorpio i900 will  “alert” you your bike is being disturbed, if the alarm doesn’t worry potential thieves, the lack of any mechanical restraint (Xena) won’t interfere with their travel plans.  Also, the Scorpio is electronic and only as reliable as.  Both systems put out 120 decibels but the Xena disk lock makes the bike a pound+ heavier for the minimum 4 people it would take to hoist the Empulse onto the back of a truck.  Alternatively, with both the handlebar lock and disk lock engaged, no one’s likely to roll the bike very far.  And as Shinyside pointed out, the Xena is significantly less expensive.  The only con with the Xena is, - like a gun, if you leave it at home because you don’t like lugging the weight around, it’s not going to do you any good.  Actually, more likely someone will have a go at my Rizoma 4-D's if they can do it very gently.

Just wondering, Shinnyside, where you pack your Xena when you’re heading out on the bike?

[frodus]

I almost always ride with my Ogio Mach 1 backpack with the lock inside at the very least. I bring the cable only when I go somewhere its not as safe. Its not that heavy really either way.

[Roland Stone]

Stopped wasting time obsessing about a 12V hot connection for the Empulse and rather went ahead and ordered a Xena XX10 Disk-Lock Alarm.  Decided on the XX10 over the XX14 if only because it’s 130g lighter, - less than 3/10ths of a pound, but lighter never the less.  The locking pin is 10mm vs 14mm but even at that, a potential thief is going to set off the alarm while fantasizing how to remove the hunk of smooth stainless steel attached to the disk, and that’s the important feature of the lock for me, - creating a ruckus.  I doubt a thief is going to be paying much attention to the locking pin size once the alarm starts screaming.  And like frodus, I’ll probably also carry the lock in a backpack or my Norman Rigg tail bag.  ………. whichever, - won’t leave home without it.

[Shinysideup]

Somewhere on the interwebs I read an article by a reformed Los Angeles moto thief. He recommended the Xena stainless X-xx series because their shape made it difficult to get a purchase on it.

OTOH, I've seen a video of a thief stealing a bike with a disc lock, chain to post, locked ignition, and alarm system in under 3 minutes. A battery operated cut off wheel can make short work of even the hardest steel. Of course the super pros just lift the whole bike into a van and deal with the locks later at their leisure. They've been known to truck away entire bicycle racks full of bikes on U.S. college campuses.

I came to the same conclusion you did: make them make some noise. Even better: present them with a honkin' hunk of steel so they'll move on to easier pickings. Don't forget the coily thingie that alerts YOU to the disc lock!

[littlefreak3000]

I was thinking about getting one of these. http://roadlok.com/products/zzxra-307-black. No alarm though, but you'll never forget to bring your lock with you or risk having banging up your forks.

[Shinysideup]

My first impression... That's a cool design! 

But then I was less than impressed with two other considerations:

1) The cost seems excessive.
2) What would keep a thief from merely unscrewing the caliper mounting screws to remove the lock?

Also, the ad copy says if you forget to disable the lock, the bike will merely stall and no damage will occur. I'm not so sure that would be the case with electric bikes with their no-stall, high-initial torque characteristics.

[Chocula]

My first impression... That's a cool design! 

But then I was less than impressed with two other considerations:

1) The cost seems excessive.
2) What would keep a thief from merely unscrewing the caliper mounting screws to remove the lock?

Also, the ad copy says if you forget to disable the lock, the bike will merely stall and no damage will occur. I'm not so sure that would be the case with electric bikes with their no-stall, high-initial torque characteristics.

If you unscrew the caliper mounting screws, it would act just like any other disk lock.  I agree, this would be cool if the cost were not so high.

[Shinysideup]

If you unscrew the caliper mounting screws, it would act just like any other disk lock.  I agree, this would be cool if the cost were not so high.

Hmm... my understanding must be missing something. It appears to me that the assembly bolts to caliper and then a pin locks into the brake disc. If you were to unscrew the lock from the caliper, could you not then just slide the assembly laterally, sliding the pin out of the disc, and defeat the lock?

[littlefreak3000]

It goes on the back and the front of the rotor so it would be just like any other rotor lock when unscrewed from caliber. Yes it is expensive which is the only reason I haven't gotten on yet. My guess limited demand results in higher cost. Yea our bikes won stale but what happens when you throttle it with the front brake fully engaged? That's pretty much what this would do as it locks up the front tire. You will probably just skid the front wheel a few inches and the fall over.

[Shinysideup]

OIC!

[Shinysideup]

Found one on eBay for $120 + $10 shipping. The seller has different models and didn't show the XRA-307-0205. I emailed him and he promptly wrote back saying he just posted it, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on yet another farkle I don't really need, but, hey, that's the point of farkles, right?

Seller:  wilsonsmotorcycles559

[Shinysideup]

OK, I talked myself into this farkle and it promptly came in the mail from the eBay seller mentioned above. Installed it today and here's what I learned:

At first I thought they sent the wrong one because the envelope of spacers is labelled for several Japanese bikes. Turns out that I just aligned the bolts, lock housing and brake caliper and tried different spacers until a disc hole lined up with the lock hole. A flashlight helps. The second longest spacer set worked fine.

Next came the torque spec label on the inside of the box: 36.5 ft. lbs. (49.5 Nm) I didn't trust it. Where did they get it? Was it as accurate as the label on the spacer set? So I called my local Brammo dealer's service dept. who looked up the proper value: 25 Nm. Quite a difference.

The unit came with two lengths of caliper mounting bolts and the shorter ones fit. They were coated with some yellow stuff which I assumed is thread locker.

In use, it's pretty slick. The locking pin is spring-loaded into the locking bolt. So you just put the bolt in the large hole and turn the key. Then you roll the bike a few inches until you hear the snapping noise of the pin finding the hole in the brake disc. No searching for the hole. The instructions say you may have to push on the fork tube a bit to release pressure to remove a stuck bolt, but in several times in my garage, the bolt came right out with a slight pull.

I'm thinking this will allow me to lock my bike more often throughout my day in San Francisco. The extra hassle of retrieving my heavy Xena alarm lock from the side case I will reserve for sketchy neighborhoods. Then two locks may be better than one.

So is this purchase worthwhile? Maybe. But as a farkle, it seems well made and the mechanical part of me likes it. I'll see how I actually use it over the next few weeks and months.

[littlefreak3000]

Thanks for the report. I might spring extra for a red one lol. Also may I suggest you use the Xena alarm on the rear. How about a photo?

[Shinysideup]

Good idea about locking the rear wheel. Thanks.

When I went to register my key, the phone number was no longer in service. I had to go to their site, register an account, then register the key, necessary for duplicates. They include two with the lock.

I was concerned about grit: their site says use no lubricants, wash out the key way with a hose nozzle stream and blow it out with compressed air every 2 or 3 months.

I know, I know, without pictures, it didn't happen... The second image shows a plastic plug that fills the lock bolt hole when not in use.



Roadlok 1

Roadlok 2

Roadlok 3

[Chocula]

Now that you have had the Roadlok for a few months, how do you like it? 

I am looking for something that would provide little bit of a deterrent, but still be convenient.  This seems like it would have the added bonus of keeping the bike from rolling off the side stand.