DataDot Technology- Microdot Identification

[DaveB]

I got my new bike 2 weeks ago. It's not fitted with any tracking device, but has loads of DataDot stickers on it:
http://www.datadot.co.za/

Apparently a new law came in to effect here last September that all new vehicles sold in this country must have DataDots applied. This came as a surprise to me because I'd never heard about it before- I'd never seen anything in the press or seen any adverts for it. The dealer applies the Microdot stickers and in the case of motorcycles they are typically applied to the big central parts of the bike; the frame, the crankcase and I assume the cylinder block. I'm not sure where else they are fitted but I understand it is in seven locations on the bike.

I don't know how effective this anti-theft measure is proving to be in this country. The most important aspect is that it is accepted and endorsed by all the insurance companies. The other interesting feature is cost. On my last bike I was paying ZAR 130 per month + bank debit order charge of ZAR 15 p.m. = total ZAR 145 p.m. = USD $ 16 p.m. subscription for the TraceTec tracking unit (an approved tracking unit was a stipulation of the local insurance companies).

The cost of the DataDot application is a once off charge of ZAR 500 = $ 55. Presumably when you sell the bike you notify DataDot Technology and the new owner can subscribe and I assume there would be an ownership transfer administration fee. Therefore from a cost point of view the DataDot treatment is the equivalent of just 3 1/2 months' tracking unit subscription!

A lot of riders don't want to retrofit a tracking unit to an older bike- case in point is my 11 yr old Daytona. I have enough electrical problems with it as it is and I definitely don't want to fit a tracking device. Often it would appear that costwise it's not worth fitting a tracking unit to an old low value bike. But I may well consider having the DataDot treatment applied to it, just for peace of mind.

 

[Rocky]

I had never heard of this program before either.
Nothing like that here.

 

[DaveB]

DataDot Technology (Global) is an Australian company.

Crikey mate, I've got Aussie spots on my bike!

 

[DaveM]

First time for me as well. This does not look like a tracking device at all so only when your vehicle is recovered does it come into play. Just think over time they will be returning bits as they recover them off other vehicle's . I wonder how they know where each one is placed on the vehicle if some have been removed already. I just don't know if I would get too excited over this type of thing in SA, I think your best bet is a tracker so recovery can be made ASAP after the theft

 

[DaveB]

How easy is it to find a tracking device on a motorcycle, remove it and crush it? Very easy I would say. I've never thought about this before because I don't have a criminal mind.

The intention of the DataDot and its sticker is to act as a deterrant. I think there are 3,000 Microdots on the sheet and I think the dealer/fitter is supposed to apply them all (in clusters, obviously).

But will it work here? We get kilometres of cable theft here every month. A significant proportion of that is fibreoptic cable because a lot of the criminals can't tell the difference between regular copper cable and fibreoptic cable.... Doh! So what chance does a Microdot warning label have as a deterrant?

Off topic, but related. I recently heard a story from here whereby a gang of thieves stole a dude's Suzuki Boulevard 1800 from his yard. They lifted/carried/manhandled it over a security wall topped with either razor wire or electric fencing!

 

[CarlS]

I have not heard of this technology here. It sounds similar to the chips we use in pets to encode the pet's name and veterinarian's name and phone number. All animal control or the pound has to do is scan the animal's neck to read the ship. It works; I got my Rottie back via this after my ex took him to animal control in another county.

I have never used a tracking device on my motorcycles. They are too easy to find and remove. Bike alarms are totally useless. My Tiger 800XC has an immobilizer, as does my my truck and Mabel's truck.

 

[DaveM]

Dave I have never had a tracker on a bike as well and have no idea how easy it would be to locate and crush. The thing I suppose is too try and get it back within a short period of it being taken. I think the same applies to a car with the same device. Talking about the thieves and stealing stuff, I also thought cell phone were so well locked up now that even taking one of them would be a wast of time. However as we see daily this tends to be one of the common things taken from people this side all the time. Yeah our criminals are not the brightest of the bunch I suppose

 

[DaveM]

Just thought I would check on a tracking device for a bike, not sure if this type of thing is available this side NEO-TRAC

 

[DaveB]

I had TraceTec tracking devices on both my earlier new Triumphs; the Sprint and the Tiger 1050. Your talking about a small unit but once you get the bike's seat off it's easy to find.

Cellphones should be completely theft proof. If you lose your cellphone or if it is stolen, the network operator can/will 'stun' the phone. The phone has to be accredited/logged on to the system and the operator can reverse the process and render the phone unusable. But, you have to give the phone's IMEI number to the network operator, so you have to write it down or record it somewhere for safe keeping!

 

[DaveM]

I have never even seen a tracker on a bike but I suppose it is hard to hide it as you say.

I had my one cell phone stolen so I gave them all the details to have it blocked. The next minute the wife's phone stops working, it turned out I had given them the wrong info. Nothing I could do could get it sorted out so I ended up being out 2 phones. So how the criminals get around this who knows but they must be seeing cell phone are continually being taken.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

This is what we have in the UK

http://www.datatag.co.uk/

 

[keystiger]

I've been working on a system that would just THE LIVING CRAP out of anyone but me who gets on the Tiger. A modified mega high voltage version of one of these in the seat might just do it.
http://www.safepetproducts.com/scat...gclid=CMnnx4OCk7UCFUKoPAodeycAMA#.UQqb5B1lX3U

 

[DaveM]

How effective is it then

 

[keystiger]

Don't know yet.....still working out the engineering side of it.