Motorcycle alarms

	Mainland China's Zhongshan Hongmao offers the HT-2005 model featuring shock sensors with an adjustable sensitivity level. Price is $28.50.

KeeLoq, FSK and smart cards enable code hopping, long-range transmission and fast authentication.

Motorcycle alarm suppliers in Taiwan and mainland China are stepping up R&D to boost theft-protection capability.

One- and two-way models are being equipped with the KeeLoq cipher, which prevents a code grabber from intercepting and replaying the disarm code to neutralize the unit. Adopted usually in advanced car security systems, the mechanism employs rolling code algorithms to generate randomly a new sequence each time the alarm is activated. This renders any information captured by an unauthorized person useless.

Data transmission is done through frequency-shift keying technology. Companies featured in this report said the FSK modulation scheme enables long-distance communication and increases efficiency by 30 percent. The effective range of such designs can exceed 800m.

For handsfree, quick and secure arming or disarming, a smart card using the radio frequency identification method is installed in the latest releases.

To inhibit the towing of the vehicle, makers are incorporating tilt and shock sensors with an adjustable sensitivity level. These trigger the alarm when a certain movement is discerned.

Some units are even fitted with a microwave detector that can scan the activity along the motorcycle’s perimeter. This is particularly useful when the vehicle is parked in an isolated area at night.

As in all electronic devices, alarms require power to operate. To ensure sufficient energy and avert failure, new versions have a battery-monitoring capability. Several models include a 9V backup battery and anti-cut wires to hinder thieves from compromising the electrical system. Preventing such an act is a priority because it not only disengages the alarm but also causes vehicle breakdown.

One-way motorcycle alarms constitute the majority of output at most companies.

This holds true in Taiwan as many suppliers are shifting focus back to one-way units. The move is driven by buyers’ waning interest in two-way systems, the bulkiness and the usage complexity of which are cited as the major concerns.

Glory United Enterprises Co. Ltd and Remostar Technology Corp. are among the manufacturers doing so. Both offer universal models targeting the DIY segment.

New motorcycle alarms from Glory United can run using either the vehicle’s power or the 9V battery included in the set. These come in compact structures and have shorter time alert intervals than previous versions.

Yisen Technology Co. Ltd, however, is still concentrating on two-way units. Products from the company incorporate code-hopping and call-out functions.

In the mainland, one-way motorcycle alarms account for 65 percent of production.

Such designs represent all output at Zhongshan RD Auto Accessories Mfg Fty.

The rest of mainland makers interviewed for this report, on the other hand, yield both one- and two-way multifunction models. Exports of these products are on the rise because of growing demand for high-security and intelligent systems.

Shipments of multifunction units from Zhongshan Thor Security Science & Technology Co. Ltd are up 5 percent from last year’s. Designs from the company are priced between $9 and $40.

At Quanzhou Giant Alarm System Co. Ltd, exports have increased 50 percent since 2007. The supplier’s models go for between $6 and $20.

Steelmate Co. Ltd’s two-way versions, which are equipped with a battery-monitoring feature and LCD panels on the transmitters, are from $40 to $80.

Motorcycle alarms at Zhongshan Hongmao Electronics Co. Ltd can perform remote engine start or cutoff, tilt and shock sensing, location tracking and emergency override functions. Prices start at $11.

Products are shipped to North America, the EU, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Sixty percent of exports are under OEM or ODM contracts.