Frequently Asked Questions

Thatcham is a place - but known as Thatcham within the Automotive Industry as the body that works for Association of British Insurers in calculating the Insurance rating of vehicles (through a combination of the damage that happens in an accident, the time needed to repair it and the cost of the parts). They also hold specialist training schools for technicians. For us, they specify the requirements of the Anti-Theft specifications and they also arrange the testing of products to that specification.

Most people need a Thatcham CAT1 - but there's two ways of getting there! If your motorcycle has a Thatcham APPROVED CAT2 system (Like most Honda HISS , Yamaha YISS - check on Thatcham's web site at www.thatcham.org) you only need the CAT21 system. Otherwise a full blown CAT1 will probably be needed.If your insurance company does not specify any particular Thatcham Category, think of the CAT3 range of alarms.For motorcycles without an ignition key, and/or a battery, use the CAT6

Some Motorcycles have an on-board, in built Immobiliser system straight from the manufacturer. Not all of these systems are Thatcham Approved, for whatever reason. To find out which motorcycles are approved, click on the Thatcham web site at http://www.thatcham.org/security/pdfs/categories/MotorcyclesCAT2.pdf to see if your motorcycle is listed there. If it isn't, your motorcycle does NOT have an insurance approved Category 2 immobiliser and you will need a Category 1 (known as CAT1) system. If it is listed, you will only need an Acumen CAT21(Category 2:1) system to take the motorcycle to a full CAT1 status. Some Insurers will require you to have a CAT1 system. Some will be happy with teh CAT2 Immobiliser, but you may still wish to upgarde with the Acumen CAT21 or even a budget alarm such as the Acumen CAT3.1

Some Motorcycles have an on-board, in built Immobiliser system straight from the manufacturer. Not all of these systems are Thatcham Approved, for whatever reason. To find out which motorcycles are approved, click on http://www.thatcham.org/security/pdfs/categories/MotorcyclesCAT2.pdf to see if your motorcycle is listed there. If it isn't, your motorcycle does NOT have an insurance approved Category 2 immobiliser and you will need a Category 1 (known as CAT1) system. If it is listed, you will only need an Acumen CAT21(Category 2:1) system to take the motorcycle to a full CAT1 status. 

When you return the Certificate of Installation to us, for your CAT1 or CAT21 system, this tells us what motorcycle you have, so we can send the correct key blanks to you. Until this point, we don't know what motorcycle - make and/or model - you have.

Over the years Acumen has made several different types of alarm - the 900 range, CAT3 range, CAT1 and CAT21 to name a few. If you need spares, accessories, or just on-line technical help you need to know which system you have. Click on "Technical Help" in the top right-hand corner of the home page to find out.