The system is finally up and running after having it installed a few days ago. I just had to do some manual tweaking of the wires and switch changing to clean up the cluster inside. Brutus is the first cruiser ever to carry TACS and I'll say it confidently that the bike won't start till I say so. Even if the thief would be so brazzen enough to open up the bike and cut off the alarm, it still will not start - aside from the fact that it already alerted me of the intrusion. Neat huh?
There's a video of it in action over at MCP demonstrating its features.
I saw a similar gadget last night in Mel & Joey but it relies on GPS to track and monitor an already jacked vehicle. You need to text a command and it will disable the engine, similarly you need to text a command to engage the engine again. TACS will make a call, not send a text message - which can get lost or arrive late due to daily traffic signals, and it's up to you to answer and listen to what's happening around the bike, ignore, or just go to the bike to check. Point is you KNOW when something is happening. You can immobilize the engine remotely, trigger a horn blaster which can also be turned on or off, or speak to the thief via speaker, or probably make a scandalous report to people around the bike that it's being stolen.
Sound alarms today are ignored as a nuisance. People don't even look anymore or couldn't care less. Your security is now a personal matter. GPS requires subscription and is costly at P1500 a month. All I need to do with my alarm is load it with P50 and that would already last me a month. Missed calls don't cost - although Globe IS sly about things. But it beats P1500/mo anytime. Besides, the other system costs P29K to install, I shelled out just P4200 for mine.
When I take Brutus out I don't really let him off my sight for long. The only culprits I encounter are the guards themselves trying to sit on the darn thing. Having TACS is not an end-all for security, but it sure extends your fighting chance more than enough to take instant action. When it comes to something being stolen, time to be alerted is critical. Instead of having to return to the car park and finding an empty space where your bike used to be.
This isn't an exhaustive list of its features. Visit the link above for more details. Motorcycles, cars, houses, buildings, chastity belts, you name it TACS can cover it. Support this Filipino product.