Scorpio Ride Review

Flashwing

Wannabie Member
Apr 24, 2014
6
2
1
41
I ride a
2009 Yamaha R1
Hey all you crazy motovloggers!

If you're anything like me, you might be a bit paranoid about having your motorcycle messed with or even stolen. I'm going to be posting a review of the Scorpio Ride system soon, but I thought I would provide a little synopsis since there are very few reviews out there. While this isn't quite "maintenance", this seemed to be a pretty good place.

Owning a liter bike, I'm well aware that my motorcycle is a favorite target of thieves because of the greater ability to make cash off the parts. I wanted a device that would not only provide GPS location information of the bike, but also tell me when the bike was hit or otherwise even sat on.

I originally went with Kryptonite's GPS unit after seeing them make a presentation at the Phoenix International Motorcycle Show this year. I was impressed with the stated features and felt the $300 price was fair considering the service was free for the first year. The device was fairly simple to install, but the overall fit and finish wasn't there. Their online software was clearly a 3rd party application adapted for motorcycle use. I attempted to contact them because the unit wouldn't send me notifications until 3+ hours after an event happened. No response. Between the near carrier pigeon messages and lack of customer support, I opted to scrap it.

Enter the Scorpio Ride.

I've been very impressed with the unit. The core system retails for $219 but is modular so you can connect an optional security system and TPMS system as well. Be aware, however, that the tire pressure monitors require metal valve stems and/or valve stem supports on your wheel. Rubber stems will tear off.

The system requires a $10 monthly service charge for the cellular data access but there is no limit of any kind. They have a great smartphone application which shows you basic data on your bike including battery status, ignition status, location and fully integrates with popular social media. You can post ride information for friends to see.

There are two basic ways the device works which is active and passive. In passive mode, the device draws a 500ft geofence anywhere the bike is parked. If it moves outside that fence, it alerts you the bike is being stolen. In active mode, the device uses sensors to detect shock, tilt and ignition events. If your bike is hit, moved upright, or hot-wired, you will get an alert. Passive alerts may take a few minutes, but alerts when the device is awake are 60 seconds or less in arriving.

Overall, I believe this is a must have for anyone who worries about their bike being parked in a location where it could be tampered with. While the upfront cost is high, the peace of mind is well worth it.

Be sure to look for the motovlog review complete with pictures and demonstrations! I hope you guys found this informative.
 

Shirou

京平
Sep 20, 2013
765
218
43
Argentina
I ride a
Honda XR250 Tornado
Ninja EX250J
I look forward to see a full review of the system.
Here we have simpler alarms that are made in Brazil, they're good for the price but they don't have many advanced features.
Since importing a scorpio is pointless and expensive I was thinking about making my own system. Also Scorpio alarms seem to be popular, there is nothing worse than a security device being popular because people learn how to disarm it.
Nothing can beat a distributed hack-job alarm system spread all around the bike, it may be disarmed but it'll take a lot of time if the thieve doesn't know what he's getting into.
 

Flashwing

Wannabie Member
Apr 24, 2014
6
2
1
41
I ride a
2009 Yamaha R1
I look forward to see a full review of the system.
Here we have simpler alarms that are made in Brazil, they're good for the price but they don't have many advanced features.
Since importing a scorpio is pointless and expensive I was thinking about making my own system. Also Scorpio alarms seem to be popular, there is nothing worse than a security device being popular because people learn how to disarm it.
Nothing can beat a distributed hack-job alarm system spread all around the bike, it may be disarmed but it'll take a lot of time if the thieve doesn't know what he's getting into.

Traditional alarm systems, at least in the United States, are mostly pointless unless they have some kind of impact on the thief. As an example, a small trend I've seen is installing the alarm siren inside the cabin of the car to hopefully cause hearing damage or at least make being inside the vehicle nearly impossible. I doubt thieves carry around ear plugs! When car/bike alarms go off around here, no one really pays any attention. If the police saw a car or bike going down the road with an alarm going off, they might be inclined to stop you, but that's about it.

The only other method is to make the aspect of stealing your bike as miserable as possible. Using disc locks or even hidden kill switches to disable the ignition are ways to do that. The biggest problem is if thieves really want your bike, they are going to get it. The goal is to make them more likely to seek an easier target than your personal motorcycle.
 

Shirou

京平
Sep 20, 2013
765
218
43
Argentina
I ride a
Honda XR250 Tornado
Ninja EX250J
The idea is making it hard to steal in such a way that, if they want to ride away, the alarm is supposed to cut the ignition. For popular bikes it's not much of a problem to cut the wiring, short the ignition and start it. Here thieves use a tool that shreds the key slot and unlocks the bars and puts it in "ON" position.
The noise is just a deterrent to casuals, my alarm set off two times while I was riding and nobody cared, it even cut the engine and I had to stop and try to fix it. Nobody even came close to see what was happening. Not even the police that was present on one occasion.
 

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