Best motorcycle security with alarms, tested by MCN | The prime thief deterrent

We’ve said before that creating layers of security around your bike is key to helping prevent it from being stolen – and a motorbike alarm can be a great additional layer of motorbike security.

A disc lock will stop a thief from snapping the steering lock and pushing it away, either on foot or with an assist from an accomplice on another bike.

A chain and lock, particularly if secured to an immovable object like a ground anchor, will prevent this as well as several thieves picking the bike up and loading it into a van.

Jump to

• Why alarms are important
• Types of alarms for your bike
• What to look for
• Best alarmed motorcycle security
• Frequently asked questions
• How we test motorcycle alarms

Why alarms are important

Something else thieves dislike intensely is noise; they prefer to ply their trade in the dark and in silence so anything that creates a lot of noise as soon as they begin to attack a bike is a very good thing – it draws attention which is something they hate and hopefully, will make them give up and move on.

Types of alarms for your motorcycle

There are several forms of bike alarm; ones that are fitted to the bike and wired in permanently so they cannot be immobilised, standalone alarms that are taped or fitted to the bike with a strap, others that form part of another security device such as a padlock or disclock, when the siren sounds when they are tampered with.

An alarm to create attention if the bike is tampered with is a useful addition in your armoury of security devices – just make sure you choose (and set-up) one that is stable and doesn’t suffer false alarms or excessive battery drain, and you’ll be good to go.

What to look for in a motorcycle alarm

Motorcycle alarms act as a deterrent for thieves. Naturally, they do this by emitting a loud siren to draw attention to the crime. This hopefully scares the thieves away, or will at least alert your attention so that you’ll know to call the police. If you report the crime while it’s still in progress, it’s much more likely that you’ll get to see your ride again, so motorcycle alarms offer some great peace of mind for parking outside overnight, or when you’re grabbing something from the shops. There’s a few things to look for when you’re in the market for a motorcycle alarm, to give your ride the best protection possible.

One thing to look out for is the volume the siren rings at. The volume of an alarm is measured in decibels (dB), and as a rule should be at least 110dB to act as an effective deterrent. Also, check the kind of siren used. Some sirens are dual-tone, meaning the sound will be more noticeable and will carry further.

You should also consider the sensitivity of the movement sensor: the part of the alarm that detects whether your bike is being meddled with or not. Although you may not know how sensitive it is until it’s arrived at your door, it’s worth testing it before you trust it with your ride. Some alarms offer sensitivity adjustment, which is useful since different bikes will require a different level of sensitivity to be most effective without sounding false-alarms.

If it’s an alarmed disc lock, there’s some other considerations to make too. Check to see if it’s Sold Secure rated, since that should mean it offers stronger resistance to breakage, although it will often cost more as a result.

You may want to consider any extra features too. Alarms can offer some nice extra features for convenience, such as GPS ‘finding’ functions, and remote starting the bike. You can find some with extra security features too, like ignition cutoffs, additional LED visual deterrents, or sensitivity adjustment.

The best motorcycle security products with alarms, as tested by MCN

Frequently asked questions

Why is an alarm effective?

As mentioned above, thieves hate having attention drawn to them, so the loud siren of an alarm that has been disturbed will likely send them running before anyone can call the police on them or intervene.

Will an alarm drain my battery while my bike is parked up?

There will often be a small drain on the battery from an alarm that is wired into the bike, but it will take several days to drain a healthy battery to a point where it will not start. Some alarms will have their own battery power source, especially things that are removable from the bike and require charging. To avoid battery drain it’s best to look after your battery with an optimiser or trickle charger.

Can I fit an alarm myself to my bike?

It really depends on your level of expertise. Fitting an alarm to a motorcycle will involve a good understanding of wiring and electronics. So the likelihood is that if you are unsure if you know how to then it may be safer to take it to an expert and pay have to have it done properly.

How MCN tests alarmed security products

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide you with opinions and evaluations you can trust, alongside news of the most significant developments in motorcycling safety gear. We want you to stay safe, enjoy your riding and hopefully look great while doing so! 

We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions.

That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on. To make it onto this list, alarms must have been used for hundred or thousands of miles or several months by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, and meet modern safety standards as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests alarmed security to a set of criteria, both subjective and objective, including how they fit, the alarm’s volume (if fitted), whether there’s a tether, how easy the battery is to replace, what the packaging is like and how easy it is to carry with you on a ride out.

We also regularly compare them with one another in the office, so collectively we’ve built the sort of knowledge base you can trust.

If you can’t see a review against an alarm on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

Here’s a brief run-down of the star rating system we use, and what each score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

– Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections – read why you should trust us.

- Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us.