I bought the "Gorilla" alarm from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse (1-800-241-2222, $70). White Brothers (1-714-692-3404) sells it too at about the same price.

Installation was as simple as the box claimed. I took longer than the advertised 20 minutes (about an hour), spending most of the time figuring out where I wanted to put the thing. I'll have a jpeg in about 2 weeks when the film is developed.   <>

Reasons for Buying

2. Small size - only about 2" x 3" x 3"

This model does not come with a pager, which seems to be what brings the price up so much on the others, but it has a neat little key fob remote control.   There is a shock sensor, a current sensor (to detect hotwiring) and a tilt sensor.

Installation (Remove seat and left side cover)

Wiring: The wires can be routed to the battery compartment by going right across the frame tube, but I chose to take the whole plastic compartment out (4 bolts, 10mm socket) and drill a hole through its back for neater wiring.

There is a red wire to connect to the + side of the battery, and a black one to connect to ground. I hooked both up to the respective battery terminals. The spade bits on the wires work fine.

The tilt sensor (1/4" by 1/4" by 2") fits on the fuse box, in front of the lid (adhesive velcro). There again, I made some adjustments to the wiring because the cables were way too long for a location this close to the battery. Stretch out the antenna wire along the frame, plug in the tilt sensor, replace side cover and seat, and you're done.

Function

The manual explains how to set shock sensitivity. I took the bike outside, set it to 6th highest out of 7, and had my four-year old hit the saddlebag with his hand. That set it off (the siren set the 4-year old off, too... now they'll investigate me for child abuse...), but outside the racket is more bearable although quite loud. The shock sensor can be turned off in case you decide to park on a subway grate or next to a rock crusher.

The tilt sensor is a little quirky but works. I experimented with various locations and angles and found the little space on the fuse box best. However, with the shock sensor off, I can only get the alarm to kick on if I take the bike off its side stand and rock it back and forth a couple off times. Merely setting it upright doesn't do it. However, I think that the act of the bike being loaded into a van will easily make it howl. That, plus the shock sensor of course.

Conclusion

Incidentally, the remote control comes with a second button and for $20 you can buy an extra gizmo that activates your garage door opener through that. However, I'll try to cheat it first to see if it won't work with my regular unit after some fiddling.

Other Thoughts on Security

The ProSport is a fearsome looking cable lock; a one-inch diameter steel snake, too fat for bolt cutters. ($50 at White Brothers; you'll find a review on Motorcyle Online.)