Where to hide a tracker on a motorcycle or scooter

What makes a hiding place good

• It needs tools to reach. Anything openable by hand gets opened.
• It is not on the wiring. A wired unit is found by following the loom, which is the first thing a professional does.
• It is not sealed in metal. Bluetooth passes through plastic and foam. A steel box is a shield.
• It survives water. Everywhere on a bike gets wet.

Places that work

Under the seat foam. On most commuters the seat unbolts or unlocks and the foam has a gap at the nose. Plastic and fabric above it, nothing conductive around it.

Inside the tail cowl. Scooters and sports commuters have a hollow behind the rear panel, usually four or five screws away. Dry, plastic and awkward to reach in a hurry.

Behind the headlamp cowl or number plate. Roomy on most bikes, though check the plate is not steel-backed.

In the toolkit cavity. Present on many Indian motorcycles, almost never opened, and a tracker sits in it without rattling if you pack it with a little foam.

Places that do not

The open storage box under a scooter seat. The first place anyone looks, and it opens with the ignition key.

Taped under the frame. Visible from below, exposed to water and road debris, and the adhesive gives out.

Inside the battery box. Metal on several sides, and the first place a thief disconnecting an alarm will already be working.

Anywhere it can rattle. Noise gets investigated.

Fitting it so it stays

Use the adhesive pad on a clean, dry, degreased surface, then add a cable tie or a wrap of self-amalgamating tape if the spot vibrates. Ride for a week and check it has not moved before you forget about it.

One thing worth doing on the day you fit it: open the app and confirm the tracker reports from its hiding place. Bodywork attenuates the signal, and it is far better to learn that now than after a theft.

Frequently asked questions

Will a metal panel stop the tracker working?

Fully enclosing it in metal will. A panel on one side usually will not, but test it in place rather than assuming.

Should I tell my mechanic where it is?

Only if you trust them, and remember servicing may remove panels. Check the tracker is still there after any workshop visit.

Is one tracker enough?

One well-hidden tracker beats two obvious ones. If you want redundancy, make the second hiding place different in character - a hard-to-reach cavity rather than a second easy one.