[Agent0090]

Woo hoo! First post!



This reminds me of a doojiggie that I saw the other day (don't ask me where) for cars that records speed, throttle, and brake inputs for later downloads to a personal computer. I thought that all it needed was a GPS system to record where the car had been (and maybe a Wi-Fi link). I think that within the next year or two you'll be able to get the automotive equivalent of a Flight Data Recorder at least for your car, and maybe for your bike. That might make accident and theft investigations better, and maybe save us on insurance a bit. Bring on the technology.



Oh yeah, it might also allow THE HIGHWAY MAN to track the Asian Attrocity Cycles and upload the data directly to NORAD for targeting by the DEATH LASER SATTELITE. Every new technology has its dark side, I suppose.

 

[19332]

Never mind the highway man, my kids will be getting their drivers licenses soon. Can ya imagine? "Sure you can use the 999 (OK the chevette), so long as you go straight the to Library and back". Bein a kid just ain't gonna be what it used to be.

 

[5709]

If the officers of the law had access to what we had been up to, in the hour or miles prior to an accident or speeding ticket, it could get interesting. I don't know many sport bike riders who don't boot it up to 100+ at least a couple of times every ride.

 

[cbrfx]

This is scary stuff. One car rental chain in the U.S. installed GPS in its cars, and then fine print in its contracts saying the renter would be fined for each instance of speeding. After the car is returned the renter's credit card is billed accordingly. Some cars on the market have electronic systems that record the last minutes of engine and road speed and this information has been used in criminal and civil cases against drivers. And some manufacturers can download info like maximum rpms in order to deny warranty claims. It's bad enough that our computers at home and work record everything we do. We don't need our bikes doing the same thing.

 

[Chango]

I guess I must be some kind of weirdo. I only boot it up to 100+ a couple of times per month, usually because some Ex(crement)cursion driver wants to be in my lane while I'm still there...

Remember kids, it's always easier to do things the hard way. Chango

 

[jmeyn]

Maybe, if you can turn it off!

Without the ability to cloak it I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

 

[sarnali]

"Yes Mr. Sarnali, even though Officer Friendly stopped you for 70 in a 60, your CycleRatz 1200[tm] gps system indicates that you usually travel in excess of 85mph and, on occasion your vehical engine speed exceeds the EPA rpm limit of 6000rpm, We'll just ammend your citation accordingly, shall we?"

 

[111]

Re: Maybe, if you can turn it off!

Let 'em bring it on! We'll have the requested "cloaking device" fully beta tested... only problem, you'll still have to de-cloak and drop shields to fire weapons systems... oh yeah, and it's not too stable at warp drive speeds...

 

[The_Aerodynamic_Head]

You know, if the occifers o'the Law get this tech to use against the Citizenz, the ACLU would be suing faster than you can say "Jackbooted thugs" to force said occifers and their vehicles to be likewise monitored.



There was a thread a few months back about the behaviour of Law Occifers on the roadways. I wonder: Would anything change if there were objective and immediate consequences (enforced by automated computer system) based on their driving habits in the "company car" while off duty/not answering a call?



Of course, it's not much of a stretch (in theory) that such a SkyNet system of GPS/speed/RPM/local-speed-limit reporting could be tied into an automated ticketing computer. We wouldn't need the highway patrol at all. The States' Police and States' Bureaus of Investigation could/should handle the violent calls, and the excess money could/should be returned to the citizens as some minor recompense for their curtailed liberty.

 

[cbrfx]

...to force said occifers and their vehicles to be likewise monitored.

It's already commonplace for police vehicles, ambulances and commercial fleets of all kinds - even pizza delivery cars - to be monitored real time for their location, etc.

 

[TheFox]

No more donut runs.

You are correct. My friends in the Cook County Sheriff's Dept. say that if they are in one location for more than 5 minutes when not or a call or their reported in lunch break, they cut in on the radio to ask if you're ok. They can't hold still in their car without good reason. Something about transponders in the radios.

--The Fox

 

[Mahnken]

Try www.vehicletrack.com they're based near San Diego, CA. You can put this on anything. You can set it up so you can kill the ignition, or even have it work as a governor (keep the kids under the speedlimit). This device uses cell towers to get you the GPS information. I plan on getting one and putting it on my sport bike. I like the fact the it can page you if you wish.

 

[SV650TX]

A small point about cars: I used to work for a BMW dealer, so I know how techy those crazy Germans are. I also know how much pride they take in their product. They replaced thousands of V8 engines for people simply because they were making a harmless noise at idle. They knew it was their own fault, so as long as your 530, 730, 540, or 740 had fewer than 100,000 miles on it, you got a brand new powerplant at no cost. Your post reminded me of a young punk with an M3 trying to get a free engine after he floated the valves. These engines come with rev limiters, so the only way he could have jacked the engine is by forcing it into the wrong gear at a high speed. The e.c.m. showed that the crank got up to 11,500 rpm before the scatter. BMW rightly said "Up yours, buddy." As for the bike tracking, I would like to be able to find who took my Suzy so I could pound him. Guess we'll see if the system backfires.

 

[gooseman_1]

I'm not a conspiracy-theorist type; in fact I'm usually the opposite. But I agree with sarnali on this one, this sh!t is scary! (At least potentially)

 

[Mo0kie]

Re: Maybe, if you can turn it off!

It's relatively simple to "cloak" a non-military band GPS system.

http://www.phrack-dont-give-a-*****-about-dmca.org/show.php?p=60&a=13

 

[Mo0kie]

Re: Maybe, if you can turn it off!

durn, it censored the address, just go to phrack.org and do a search for GPS. It's a pretty cool and cheap homede device that blocks the low power signals that the GPS puts out

 

[1163]

No thank you, Cycle Trak. I'm not going to be rooked into buying the "features" provided by your company. Even the threat of Big Brotherism is enough to keep me away from such technology.



I prefer to keep my own log entries and receipts when doing my IBA events. I will continue to eliminate the risk of theft rather than working to recover a stolen bike. A security system, Kryptonite wheel lock and chain have served me well over the years.



Before I became more theft aware I had a bike stolen and when I got it back it had been trashed.



Lock 'em up whenever you leave 'em. That means in the garage at home too.

 

[sportbike_pilot]

Re: Maybe, if you can turn it off!

You are darned tootin! This system, while useful for tracking stolen bikes has much potential for mischief in the wrong hands - which would be nearly all of them but your own.

sbp