Trustpilot

Will a motorcycle tracker work in a van, container or underground car park?

Yes. A Datatool tracker keeps working when a bike goes into a van. It alerts our team the moment the bike moves, keeps reporting its position and leaves a last known location in the app. Steel containers and basement car parks are harder for any satellite tracker, and that is where the Scorpion VHF+ radio layer, launching in the UK, makes the last stretch quicker.

  • Before it disappears: the alert and the last position come from your GPS tracker.
  • When it is hidden away: VHF+ gives a finder a radio signal to home in on, which makes the last stretch quicker.
  • Together: GPS finds the area, VHF+ finds the bike.

What your GPS tracker does first

Most of the work happens before a bike is out of reach, and this is where our trackers earn their money.

  • Last known position. The final place the tracker reported is saved in the Datatool app and with our team. It turns a country into a street, a yard or a car park.
  • Movement alerts on the Stealth S5. Carry the tag and all is quiet. If the bike travels about 150 metres without it, our team is alerted and rings you, and a tow-away alert catches the bike being lifted.
  • Movement alerts on the Quantum 3. Arm it when you park. If the bike then moves, we phone you, and it logs a location when a trip starts, five minutes in and when it ends.
  • Monitoring. The Stealth S5 is watched 24/7/365 by our vehicle recovery specialists.

Van, container or underground car park

A van

Bikes are often wheeled or lifted straight into the back of a van. Your tracker tells us the moment that starts and keeps reporting from inside the van, so our team can follow it on the move. VHF+ makes the final step easier: a finder homes in on its signal to pick out the right van in a busy street or yard.

A shipping container

NaVCIS, the police unit that leads on vehicle crime intelligence, says stolen vehicles are regularly found in containers and seized at UK ports. The window that matters is the hours before loading, when the tracker still reports, and the last fix tells searchers which yard to try. Radio helps at close range. A sealed steel box still weakens it, so we say so.

An underground car park or lock-up

Your bike is often fine on the first level or two, and the last position is on file either way. Deeper levels and brick or steel lock-ups are where a satellite or mobile fix can drop out. VHF waves are metres long, and they carry round and through structure well.

The VHF+ radio layer for the last mile

VHF is a band of radio frequencies, so VHF+ is RF tracking: a small unit on the bike that a finder receiver homes in on. Our page on RF and VHF motorcycle tracking explains how it works with your Datatool GPS tracker.

  • It does not replace your GPS tracker. The live map, alerts and journey history stay with GPS and 4G.
  • Finders listen as they drive, and one can be sent to the area the GPS tracker last reported.
  • The network runs under Ofcom licence 1419997/1 and is launching in the UK.
  • Radio has limits. A finder must be within range and the finder network is being built, so we do not promise a result.

Which Datatool setup

Quantum 3 with Scorpion VHF+ is the self-fit, wire-free version with the radio layer built in, at £269.99, or £578.99 with three years of monitoring included, launching. It draws nothing from the bike’s battery. Stealth S5 stays the tracker for a bike you ride every week, and a VHF+ beacon can sit beside it at launch. Register your interest or ring 01257 249928, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The motorcycle trackers page shows the whole range.

Frequently asked questions

Will a motorcycle tracker work in a van?

Yes. A Datatool tracker keeps reporting from inside a van, and our team and your app know the moment the bike starts to move. The Scorpion VHF+ radio layer, launching in the UK, makes the last step quicker by giving a finder a signal to follow to the right van.

Will a motorcycle tracker work in a shipping container?

Your GPS tracker has already told you where the bike was last seen, usually before the doors close. A closed steel container is a hard place for any satellite or mobile signal, so the radio layer carries the rest: a VHF signal gets out through gaps and doors more readily, though a sealed box still weakens it.

Will a motorcycle tracker work in an underground car park?

Near the entrance and on the upper levels the signal often gets through, and the last position it sent is saved either way. Deeper down it can drop for any tracker. Scorpion VHF+ adds a radio signal that a finder can follow into those levels.

What does Scorpion VHF+ add to my GPS tracker?

A second signal on a different band. GPS and 4G keep running the live map, the alerts and the journey history. VHF+ is the last-mile layer, so a finder can home in on the bike when it is somewhere the first signal struggles to reach.

Can I add VHF+ to the tracker I already have?

The VHF+ beacon works alongside any tracker, so in principle yes, and that includes a Stealth S5 or a Quantum 3. Pairing and fitting details are confirmed at launch. If you want a single self-fit box, Quantum 3 with Scorpion VHF+ is £269.99, or £578.99 with three years of monitoring included, and launching.

Is VHF+ certain to find a bike inside a container?

No, and nobody can promise that. A finder has to come within range, a sealed steel box weakens any radio signal, and the finder network is still being built. VHF+ improves the odds of the last mile and works with the GPS layer rather than instead of it.

What should I do if my bike is stolen?

Ring the Datatool Vehicle Recovery Team on 01257 240945 straight away and report the theft to the police. The team uses the last known position and the movement alerts already on file to start the search.