From its launch in 2001, the Datatool System 3 very quickly became the best selling Thatcham approved Bike alarm in the UK after its entrance into the marketplace. Already known as the market leader, Datatool now had an alarm and immobiliser with full insurance approval, which was simply miles beyond the competition.

Many believe that the reason for this is that unlike other Bike alarms, Datatool is designed purely for the Biker and is not a derivative of a Car alarm.

Many of the features the System 3 came with were innovations, like the automatic arming, otherwise known as passive arming, which armed the system 30 seconds after the ignition was turned off, so the Bike was never left unprotected.

You could even change the secure over-ride PIN code to a more memorable number, which enabled you to continue to use the system without a remote control and delete stolen or lost remotes and program in new ones. The batteries supplied within the remote controls were long life lithium and had a life expectancy of 3 years, which was almost unheard of at the time.

And with just a 2mA current drain, System 3 could never be accused of being the cause of a flat battery! Its intelligent sleep mode, monitored the level of power in the battery at any given time and slowly reduced the current being drawn from the System 3. Another innovation was the siren itself, which wasn’t just battery back up but had 8 different tones, so you could select the tone that was most recognisable to you.

However, as with everything, the System 3 was superseded in the guise of the Datatool S4 C1 Red. The S4 C1 Red has an even lower current drain and even more sophisticated sleep and winter mode. The remote controls can even house the Bikes ignition key so the Biker doesn’t have to carry a key-ring.

Even the siren has been improved, coming with a metal nose cone, which increases its resistance from attack. Another additional benefit is that of the Trovan tagging system, which is included with the alarm and enables the Bike to be located even if it is stripped for spares or given a new identity.

However, for those of you that still have a System 3 installed on your Bikes, you will be pleased to know that you can still purchase almost all of the replacement and spare parts needed to service the alarm to keep it running and protecting your Bike for years to come.

Serviceable parts stocked include replacement PCB boards which come with a new remote control; replacement 117dB battery back-up sirens, remote control batteries and battery seal kits, LED’s and of course, the actual remote controls themselves.