Hello!

I like the peace of mind of knowing where my vehicles are, but don't think the reoccurring expense of a GPS tracker makes much sense for me. After all, I do have theft coverage with insurance. So for the last few years I've been using an AirTag to do the tracking.

If you're not familiar, the way Apple AirTags works is by utilizing the "FindMy" network, where any iOS device enabled will pick up the low energy Bluetooth pings of the AirTag and uses it's own location to anonymously report the tag location to the network where only the tag owner can see the location (not even Apple can see!).

I picked up a pack of silicon AirTag holders and settled on this spot at the bottom of the gas tank under the seat. Not impossible to find - but secure enough that you'd need the key and to remove the seat to access.

Just wanted to share if anyone was considering something similar for their bike!

I thought about it since it appears to be a much cheaper alternative to a LoJack type device and given that I have an Apple phone it is a solution I could take advantage of. I have a question though ... you mention only the tag owner would know .... that sounds like it can be only tied to one phone, correct? IOW if my wife had an iPhone (she does not) it sounds like only she OR I could be informed but not both.

If my bike disappears it becomes the property of the insurance company. I don't want it back.

(06-18-2022, 07:36 AM)TriangleRider Wrote: If my bike disappears it becomes the property of the insurance company.  I don't want it back.

Agreed.

I like the idea.

(06-17-2022, 08:01 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: I thought about it since it appears to be a much cheaper alternative to a LoJack type device and given that I have an Apple phone it is a solution I could take advantage of. I have a question though ... you mention only the tag owner would know .... that sounds like it can be only tied to one phone, correct? IOW if my wife had an iPhone (she does not) it sounds like only she OR I could be informed but not both.

Currently AirTags can only belong to a single account, so yeah, only you'd be able to track it. It's tied to your account, not your phone though, you can use the FindMy app on any Mac PC or any other device via iCloud. I think Apple has future plans to allow sharing of AirTags, but they're also kind of in a holding pattern on AirTag development, since it's actually pretty easy to stalk someone by planting an AirTag on them (but that's another story).

(06-18-2022, 07:36 AM)TriangleRider Wrote: If my bike disappears it becomes the property of the insurance company.  I don't want it back.

I hear you there... I had a friend who had his CBR600RR stolen and it had one of those expensive GPS trackers. He tracked it - right across the boarder to Mexico...

For only $30 and no subscriptions tho, it's a nice bit of peace-of-mind, being able to see in real time where all of my vehicles are. If I'm away on a trip, and I park at the Airport or something, it's nice to know the bike is safe and hasn't moved.

It has value as a tracker, but it's not a GPS tracker and updates are sporadic. It depends on a concentration of devices to be trackable, so if you live out in the sticks it won't help you as much as if you lived in the city. Also, no back up service who will alert you or the rozzers if it's nicked.

(06-22-2022, 09:09 AM)Becksy Wrote: It has value as a tracker, but it's not a GPS tracker and updates are sporadic. It depends on a concentration of devices to be trackable, so if you live out in the sticks it won't help you as much as if you lived in the city. Also, no back up service who will alert you or the rozzers if it's nicked.

Thanks for that. Not being familiar with AirTags, I wondered about that especially given that it is so small. Also, secreting it somewhere in the bowels of whatever must interfere with transmission to some extent.

I was given an AirTag and keep it in my wallet (because I'm always leaving it around the house and can never find it!).  However, I find that when I'm out and about in an area with lots of people, it quite often chirps away irritatingly.  As far as I know, this is a 'feature' to alert me that someone is trying to track me (guessing most likely someone idly doing so out of curiosity) and that this is a safety feature (ie, imagine a would-be rapist secreting one in a woman's handbag in public and tracking her home).  If that's the case, it wouldn't take much for a bike thief to locate an AirTag hidden on your bike, if they chose to check for one...

This article is in this weeks MCN, thought it would be of interest to this thread: 6 minute bike recovery thanks to tracker,

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/motorbike-crime/

(06-22-2022, 11:43 AM)Freddyfruitbat Wrote: ...when I'm out and about in an area with lots of people, it quite often chirps away irritatingly...If that's the case, it wouldn't take much for a bike thief to locate an AirTag hidden on your bike, if they chose to check for one...

It shouldn't chirp at all if the owner of the tag is within range... If your goal is total stealth than it's possible to carefully cut open the AirTag and disable the speaker inside. That'll quiet any chirping, however anyone with an iPhone will be alerted that an AirTag has been following them after a few hours. I have a tag on my keyring and it alerts my partner if we spend the whole day together.

Another great use for this is parking. Let's say you're at a big event or unfamiliar area. If you can't find where you parked, you can check on the FindMy App. If you have a newer iPhone that has the 5G capabilities, then you can use your phone as a locating compass and it will direct you to the AirTag with a little arrow and distance estimate on the screen.