Kabrus Alarm Bicycle Lock

[Mick F]

Going on from the thread about D locks, I ordered a Kabrus bike lock from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kabrus-Lock-Sec ... 809&sr=8-1

It arrived earlier today, and I've had a good fiddle with it. I spent some time putting together a movie for YouTube and to be honest, I'm quite pleased with the lock so far.

It came with very basic instructions, three keys, and a set of spare batteries.

It weighs 575g but the shackle alone weighs 300g, so the electronic lock bit it quite light. It's small, and as you'll see watching the movie, I sussed out how it should be used. It wasn't obvious - to me anyway - and there were no specific instructions on how to use the lock.

It is supposed to be clamped to your bike frame, and the shackle is passed through a wheel and into the lock. If your wheel turns or the lock is tampered with, it goes off with a heck of beeping!!! I actually don't like it bolted to the bike, so I'll just carry it with me with a normal cable lock so the whole thing can be alarmed. To leave the lock unit bolted to your frame when you don't need it seems a bit daft to me. After all, what are you supposed to do with the shackle when you're riding? You may as well carry the whole thing.

The movie soundtrack belies the volume of this thing. It is loud and makes your ears bleed and your head explode! The camera's automatic volume control turns down the microphone gain, so you get a false impression of the volume.

At first, the lock beeps to let you know it's armed. If it is touched/knocked/disturbed it will alarm properly but then remains at a heightened sensitivity. Further tampering makes it more sensitive. Leave it for 30 sec and it goes down to lowest sensitivity.

If the alarm goes off inadvertently, you can unlock and remove the shackle to stop the noise, or you can wait until it finishes, wait 30 seconds and remove the lock with no more than a few gentle beeps.

Well, that's it. I await to use it properly to see how it goes.

Enjoy the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgR09Bj_SX8
Sorry about the Northern idiot who's narrating and pretending to be Cornish.

[CREPELLO]

I like the look of the whole package. The probability that the lock might not be quite as secure as some of the beefier locks available is less relevant, when you consider the deterrent value of the alarm. Also the fact that the only effective way of securing bike to immovable object is via a low security cable is also less of an issue if the thief can't carry the bike away without the alarm going off. I think the only thieves that would succeed would be those with a van at the ready, they would cut the cable easily and could then gently ease the freed bike into van without the alarm going off.

I would have thought an alarmed bike would be a fairly good deterrant. Have previous attempts at this sort of product not been so successful?
I'd give it a thumbs up though. And the colour wise, it's a perfect match for your Mercian!

[hubgearfreak]

are those inflatable rims tapes any good? where are they from?

[Mick F]

are those inflatable rims tapes any good? where are they from?

They are 20mm inflatables. Good eh?

Any road up, just been having another think and a play with my new toy ......

There are another pair of holes at right angles to the main ones. The instruction sheet doesn't say much about mounting and operation, so here's another go at my explanation.

I mentioned earlier:

To leave the lock unit bolted to your frame when you don't need it seems a bit daft to me. After all, what are you supposed to do with the shackle when you're riding? You may as well carry the whole thing.

Well, if you do have the unit bolted to your frame, when you ride away, you DON'T have to carry the shackle in your pocket, you lock it along the seat tube! Why didn't I see that before?

[hubgearfreak]

that makes sense mick, but the kink in the loop of the 'D' you've got titled backwards in the second photo must surely be pointing forwards so as to not rub the paint

[Mick F]

It's got a rubber thingy to protect the paint, but I still won't use it like that.

If one was to use it regularly, it may be useful to have it bolted on. Perhaps commuting etc, but I don't. A trip to town every now and again would be enough for me for that, so it'll remain off the bike and carried separately if required.

Anyway, it spoils the look of the clean lines of a classic frame, don't you think?

[DavidT]

If one was to use it regularly, it may be useful to have it bolted on. Perhaps commuting etc, but I don't. A trip to town every now and again would be enough for me for that, so it'll remain off the bike and carried separately if required.

Anyway, it spoils the look of the clean lines of a classic frame, don't you think?

Absolutely, I'm with you on that Mick! Many thanks for a great bit of feedback. Appreciated. I'm now considering a purchase.

[hubgearfreak]

Anyway, it spoils the look of the clean lines of a classic frame, don't you think?

'spose so, but then so does the front mech

[[XAP]Bob]

I was looking at this for the trike - thinking of mounting it to the "chainstay" section.
They do look good actually, they are reasonably heavy, but I can't imagine there's much better deterrent than that sound.

I'll not suggest you try it, but how muffle-able is it? Would a can of expanding foam quieten it down much?

[Mick F]

Muffleable? I don't know, but when it goes off, all I wanted to do was stop it! Honestly, it's that loud.

The noise comes out of set of holes, but it has little tabs on, so even though you can put your finger over the holes, it doesn't stop the noise.

Also, if it's bolted onto you frame like it is designed to be, you can't get at the holes anyway. Perhaps you could squirt foam in there, but you would have to know it was going to alarm before you touched it. I suppose a "decent" thief would know all about these locks and would be tooled up for it.

[Mick F]

PS:
I took it down to the pub yesterday evening and showed it off - but only outside!

When it went off, Jane-the-Barmaid came running out to see what the alarm was! Remember, we were outside 25 yards from the pub building, the doors were shut, the pub has double glazing, and she still heard it and came running!

[[XAP]Bob]

PS:
I took it down to the pub yesterday evening and showed it off - but only outside!

When it went off, Jane-the-Barmaid came running out to see what the alarm was! Remember, we were outside 25 yards from the pub building, the doors were shut, the pub has double glazing, and she still heard it and came running!

It's the coming running bit that's surprising...

[Mick F]

She probably thought it was her car!

[squeaker]

Nice try Bob: must be the recumbent take on life

[Si]

I looked at the link and the pix, but may be missing something......if mounted like you have it, Mick, can it only be used to lock the back wheel - i.e. you can't lock the bike to anything like a sheffield stand?

If you want to use it to lock the bike to something do you just mount it sideways (thus you can't lock the rear wheel as well with it?)