General Questions

1)There are countless motorcycle alarms on the market with prices ranging from below $100.00 to over $300.00 and they all seem to have similar features, why should I choose the TW-1000? That is an excellent question and one that we get quite often. Let me address the inexpensive alarms first. I doubt if these alarms are FCC certified, this is usually because they are of questionable quality and reliability and could not pass the FCC requirements. These alarms are usually imported illegally (see question 3), and sold for a quick profit with little or no support. FCC approval is expensive and adds a cost to the alarm. The legitimate alarm companies (which there are several) are generally high quality products with FCC certification and the price disparity comes from several factors such as features on the alarm, marketing costs such as advertising, customer support and methods of distribution. For example selling through distributors adds a layer of cost, but allows quick delivery to dealers. I would say that Internatrix pricing falls around the midpoint, we have been in business for years, our product is FCC certified, we have great customer support and we keep cost down by minimal advertising and not selling through distributors.

2) What is the actual distance from the motorcycle to the remote pager, under realistic circumstances ? The distance depends on several factors such as where the antenna is mounted, the terrain, where you are with the remote and what the FCC permits. On the average you should get a range from 1/4 to 1/2 mile, but it could be greater.

3) What is so important about FCC certification? FCC certification assures that the device meets certain requirements set up by the United States Government, it is the law on commercial devices that transmit any substantial RF power like Paging alarms. It prevents things like changing your TV channel when arming your alarm. If it does not have FCC approval or certification chances are it is not a very good device because it could not pass the stringent requirements set up by the FCC. In addition the penalty for importing and or selling a device that has not been FCC certified is extremely costly. See the following: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/UnauthEquip.html

4) What type of Motorcycles does the TW-1000 work on? The TW-1000 Security System is for all 12VDC motorcycles and Scooters with a negative ground which is all makes sold in the USA and Canada.

5) Why don't you provide an optional wiring plug/harness for different types of motorcycles, like some other manufactures do, so I do not have to mess with my wiring? We do not feel it is necessary and here is the reasoning: To wire the basic system, their are 4 wires required, one to frame ground, one to battery negative, one to battery positive and one to the ACC on the ignition switch or any circuit that gets +12VDC when the ignition is on and no power when it is off. With these 4 wires connected the alarm will function with exception of directional signal blinking and ignition disable.

The system has 4 additional wires that at your option are connected into the motorcycle wiring. Two wires can be connected to the directional signal wiring, if you want the directional signals to blink when the system is alarming. These wires are installed using posi-taps (http://www.positap.com) connectors so no wires will need to be cut or spliced.

Finally,the other two wires are used for the ignition disable. Note: Optional wiring harnesses do not generally support ignition disable functions. We are trying to keep the system as simple as possible and the cost on the system as low as possible. The cost of the harness might be better spent in a service manual with the motorcycle wiring diagram.

6) Your on line shopping cart only gives me a choice between PayPal and a check, I want to pay with my credit card, how can I do it? The PayPal choice costs you nothing and allows you to pay by a credit card, you do not have to create a PayPal account. If you prefer you can call us during normal business hours 9:00AM EST to 5:00EST and we can accept VISA or Master Card. To expedite Your order you may want to go to the shopping cart and fill out a customer profile.

7) Will an Alarm installed on my Motorcycle save me any money on my insurance premium? Some Insurance companies will give up to a 20% discount and some give nothing, it depends on the company. Worst case you should be able to get something off your comprehensive. If you do not ask you will not get anything.

8) Why don't you mount all your components like the siren and antenna in the control unit, like some other companies? Every company tries to make the best decision to make the customer happy, but we all have our own ideas as to what this is. We feel that having the siren, and antenna as individual components, the customer has more flexibility in mounting the components. The control unit can be smaller, it can be mounted in areas that are confined that if the siren were internal it couldn't be heard. Same with the antenna, it can be positioned for greatest range. On a motorcycle with limited space having several small components that can be mounted in different nooks and crannies can be an advantage.

9) Are you planning on offering a GPS type alarm in the near future? No, there are plenty of companies out there that provide a good GPS system for the person that believes they need it. We feel that in most circumstances the TW-1000 provides adequate protection at a substantial cost savings.

10) Is this the same wiring harness that is used on the TW-400? Yes, if you are replacing a TW-400, you just need to unplug the TW-400 Control unit and plug in the new TW-1000. You can even use your existing LED and Perimeter sensor. You will need to remove the speaker that is no longer needed, and replace the siren with the new siren, THE OLD SIREN WILL NOT WORK ON THE TW_1000. Finally, remove the old antenna.

11) Do you offer an alarm with a remote start feature? I am sorry but we do not offer this feature. We feel that this would compromise the purpose of having an alarm. Remotely start the bike and have some thief drive away with it, not good. In addition there are some technical reasons. Many motorcycles can be started while in gear ( which is usually how you leave them so they do not roll), again this would not be good, and many new motorcycles must have the clutch pulled to start the engine.

Technical Questions

1) How difficult is it to wire the TW-1000 on my motorcycle? The easiest way to answer this question is to look at two different levels of wiring the alarm. The first requires minimal skill and consists of connecting 4 wires, one to the battery positive(+), one to the battery negative(-), one to the motorcycle frame, and one to the Ignition switch ACC or any circuit that gets +12VDC when the ignition is on and no voltage when the ignition is off. Of course you will have to plug in the antenna, siren, LED and perimeter sensor. With these 4 wires connected the alarm has all the features, with the exception of ignition disable and flashing directionals. (see Getting Familiar with the TW-1000 for further explanation). Second, two wires can be added to the directional signal wires to cause the directional signals to blink when the alarm is alarming or changing functions. Finally, two wires can be added to disable he ignition. (Note: wiring to your directionals and the ignition disable require some knowledge of your motorcycle and some basic wiring ability)

2) Where is the best place to wire the ignition disable feature, and will it hurt the alarm if I do not use it? Second question first, it will not hurt the alarm if you do not connect the ignition disable. If you are not comfortable working with your bike's wiring, have a professional install it, the cost should be minimal for them to connect two wires. The best place to install the ignition disable is between the starter switch and the starter relay. When the alarm is arming the contacts will open and break the circuit so the vehicle can not be started.

3) I think a talking motorcycle is hokey, do I have to use the speaker ? We have removed the speaker and the verbal capability from the TW-1000.

4) What if my Bike doesn't have an ACC on the ignition switch where do I connect the brown wire? If your bike does not have an ACC on the ignition switch the brown or purple wire can be connected to any circuit that gets 12VDC when the ignition switch is in the on position, and no voltage when the ignition switch is in the off position, the most oblivious place would be the post on the ignition switch that gets 12VDC when the ignition is in the on position. The brown or purple wire also initiates three alarm conditions, when the motorcycle is running, +12VDC is applied to the brown or purple wire , when the ignition is turned off, the 12VDC is dropped and the alarm initiates the reminder sequence. When the motorcycle is off and the alarm is armed, if the ignition key is turned on by any means, the brown or purple wire receives +12VDC and instantly goes into alarm panic condition. Finally, toggling the brown or purple wire ON then OFF, disables the auto false disarm feature.

5) The specifications say the alarm draws < 6ma. static current, what does this mean as far as the possibility of running down my battery? First, the static current refers to the current draw the alarm draws when the alarm is not armed, which is less than 6 ma. When the alarm is in armed condition it has to capable of receiving signals from the remote and transmitting to the remote, and the current draw is about 18 ma. Motorcycle batteries are normally rated by their amp/hour (AH) capacity, or cold-cranking amps. First you have to know your battery AH rating, generally this is around 12 or 15 for a motorcycle battery. The number shows the total number of amps that can be discharged (used) at a consistent, even rate from a fully charged battery over 10 hours and still leave the battery with 10 volts of power. Figure that a12AH battery can produce one amp of current flow for 12 hours, or two amps for six hours, or 12 amps for one hour, etc. So in the armed condition we will assume 20 ma. to error on the safe side, we can calculate 12AH/.02(20ma) = 600 hrs/24 = 25 days. So, approx. 25 Days for a 12AH battery. Note: In the static condition the battery will last about 3 times longer or up to 3 months. If leaving the motorcycle armed for an extended time, use a trickle charger or pull the alarm fuse.

6) I am not comfortable soldering wires on my motorcycle, have you got any suggestions? You do not have to solder any wires we include Posi-Taps (http://positap.com) and connectors for the battery.

7) I wired up my alarm system and and it worked without programming the LCD remote, since it is working do I still have to re-program the LCD remote? For quality assurance, all of our products have a final test before shipping. During this final test the TW-1000 control unit and the remote are programmed, so the system will arrive already programmed. You do not have to re-program the remote.

8) I have read on a forum that connecting an ignition disable can damage your ECM, is this true? It should not have any effect on the ECM, the ignition disable function is just a set of normally closed relay contacts that open up when the alarm is alarming. Think of it as an automatic switch.

9) I did not ride my bike for a week and when I went to start it the battery was dead, is it possible that I have a short in my alarm that could have caused the battery to run down? A short in the alarm control unit that could drain the battery in a week is very unlikely, that much of a current drain in the control unit would damage the control unit, more than likely you have a bad battery or one that is going bad and can not hold a charge. You might want to read this tutorial on batteries at http://www.batterystuff.com/tutorial_battery.html, it is very informative. If your battery is not holding a charge, or can only take a minimum charge it is possible that the small 6 ma. current drain could help to deplete the battery. Reference number 5 above, on a good battery the TW-1000 would not deplete the battery for almost 3 months. A quick check to verify that the TW-1000 is not at fault is to pull the fuse and put a VOM meter set on milliamps across the fuse holder, a reading of < 6ma should be read with the alarm off and 16-18 ma with the alarm armed.

10) Can another signal sources such as a garage door opener or a TV remote disarm my alarm, I have heard that they could and that is the reason for the auto re-arm feature? No only your remote can turn off the alarm. The reason for the auto re-arm feature is in case you accidentally press the unlock button. It is added protection. We have had a few complaints about this feature being over kill, but nobody has come back and said "my remote was in my pocket and I accidentally turned the alarm off and my bike was stolen!"

For additional information, please see the  Specifications.