YamYam Installs an Alpha-Dot.

So the second of this fantastic double header is me installing an Alpha-Dot marking thing on my beloved MT-01.

I go by the theory that if someone wants your motorcycle enough, they’ll just take it. There’s nothing you can do about it, they’ll just get a transit, drive up to your bike and two heavies will lift your bike in to the van and be off. 20 seconds if that.

Obviously the MT is extremely heavy, so maybe 3-4 heavies would do it.

So what then? Well unfortunately I also go by the theory that if your bike is nicked, that’s the last you’ll see of it, especially if it’s of the MT standard (and by that I mean not a rusted knockabout…something similar to the GSR then)

But in a bid to make the possible breakdown and sale of my once loved motorcycle more difficult, I like to get a wee Alpha-Dot system in there. Just in case. As a possible deterrant.

It goes something like this:

You get the package through the post, it was £15….wow. I just checked the website and the price has went up to £24.99. Nice one!

Anyway, you get a wee credit card type thing with a registration code, 2 Alpha-Dot stickers and a tube that looks like this:

Inside this tube you can see lots of little black dots. These black dots are the Alpha-Dots. On each and every dot is the code that corresponds with the code tied to your bike. The theory is that when your bike gets nicked, broken down and tried to be sold, the police can shine a black-light on the parts and these wee discs glow, thus showing it to be a stolen part and the “perp” get’s a “cap in their ass”, or in Scotland they get a smacked bum.

Now, I like you, thought “aye, these dots are just black. I cannae see the code.”

Well today, with the help of my Da’s uber cam, I did a wee macro and wow:

See the codes yet?

No?

Well, how about now?

!!!!!

So these tiny dots of code are immersed in a PVA type adhesive with black-light reactiveness shit (technical term) embedded in. You then blob these all over your bike as thus:

The trick is to try and mark as many bits as possible on your bike with this stuff, thus making sure that if your bike does get broken down, there’s little that isn’t marked.

As you can see, there’s a lot to paint. It took me about 25 minutes going around the bike and I still had a lot of wee dots left in the tube should I want to continue or if I get aftermarket parts.

The blue liquid dries clear leaving a varnished like area with the dots molded within. Not sure of the durability or indeed the tamper proofing of these areas but its more of a peace of mind thing.

Lots of bits to paint.

As a wee testament to the minute size of these dots, here is one on the bar end weight….and here it is magnified:

So there you go.

When I entered these “secure markings” in to the insurance quote, it certainly did a bit to reduce the premium, so even if it doesn’t save my bike from being nicked, at least I am saving some money…

Alpha-Dot Website

Brilliant.

Thanks for visiting all. I will update you with the results from the bent alloy issue when things develop. It’s late and I’m going to bed.

Night all

YY