Do I really need a motorcycle alarm?

Q. My insurance policy is demanding an alarm is fitted to my Suzuki GSX-R750 but I’m no fan of them as, in my experience, they always seem to go wrong, drain the battery and no one takes any notice of them when they go off anyway. What can I do?
Mark Bowes, Maidenhead

A. Firstly, shop around for other insurance policies; many don’t require an alarm is fitted. And secondly, often the discount for having an alarm is tiny.

If you can’t find a relevant policy, don’t fear – today’s modern, professionally fitted motorcycle alarms drain far less power than they used to.