Why a tracker is the first thing to fit to a new motorcycle
Bikes are stolen in seconds and recovered in hours — if anyone knows where they went. What a tracker does, what it does not, and what to look for.
A motorcycle is the easiest vehicle to steal and the hardest to find. It fits in a van, it weighs a few hundred kilos, and once it is in a lock-up it is invisible. Disc locks and chains slow a thief down; a tracker is what gets the bike back.
What a tracker actually does
A GPS tracker with its own SIM sits hidden on the bike, wired to the battery. When the bike moves without the ignition, you get a notification — not the police, not an insurer, you — within seconds. You open the app and see the bike on a map, moving. You can immobilise it: the engine will not start again until you release it.
Every ride is also recorded: route, distance, speed. That is useful for the rides you enjoyed and essential for the ones you would rather not have to prove.
What it does not do
A tracker does not stop a bike being lifted into a van. It tells you it happened and where the van went. Recovery still needs the police, and most forces will act on a live location. A tracker also needs a phone signal to report; in a steel container it may go quiet until the doors open.
Travr trackers are not Thatcham-certified. Some insurers still discount for a fitted tracker; ask before you buy, and never assume.
What to look for
An internal battery, so it keeps reporting when the main battery is disconnected. A power-cut alert. An immobiliser that will not cut a moving engine. A subscription you understand, and a dealer who fits it out of sight and activates it while you wait.
That is the list we built Travr against. The tracker costs less than a good chain, and it is the one that comes with you when the bike does not.