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The smartkey feature, though convenient, can still put motorcycles in risky theft situations. Photo: Tuấn Khanh. |
The smartkey on motorcycles can be considered the most valuable upgrade since its introduction. Instead of breaking the lock in a few seconds with conventional motorcycle locks, thieves are almost helpless against smart lock technology.
Of course, the conveniences of smartkey also bring some troubles for the bike owners, partly because of its convenience, and partly because of some limitations of this technology.
Ms. Mai Trang (Hanoi) shared a story of almost having her motorcycle mistakenly taken because two bikes of the same model both use the smartkey system with the same paint color.
Risks of hanging the smartkey on motorcycles
Ms. Trang recounted that her husband borrowed a Honda Lead motorcycle to buy breakfast for the whole family. In a hurry, he also did not bring the FOB (handheld controller) but left it inside the front compartment of the bike.
At that time, another person who also shopped at the same address mistakenly believed that Ms. Trang’s Lead was his motorcycle.
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Ms. Trang’s bike (left) was mistaken as the motorcycle of the other person’s home. Photo: NVCC. |
“Because my husband left the FOB device still on inside the compartment, the bike started immediately. That person saw the bike start, mistook my family’s Lead for his own bike, and sat on it and rode normally,” Ms. Trang told Zing.
Afterward, thanks to the help of the online community, the two were able to contact each other and return the bikes to their rightful owners.
“This is a lesson not only for our family but also for those who use smartkey-equipped motorcycles. No matter what the circumstances, we should not be careless,” Ms. Trang concluded.
Ms. An Nhiên (Hanoi) also shared her experience of mistakenly taking someone else’s bike because of the smartkey system.
According to Ms. Nhiên, her bike and her relative’s bike are both Honda Lead equipped with smartkey. On one occasion, when they attended a local party, both of them were quite careless and did not turn off the FOB and left this device on the bike.
When the party was over, Ms. Nhiên rode her own bike home about 20 km without realizing that she had taken the wrong bike. It was not until she opened the trunk of the bike to take something out that she discovered that the LEAD she drove home was actually the other person’s bike.
“Because the party was full of friends, both of us put the FOB device without turning it off inside the compartment in front. That’s why the distance between the bike and the FOB is not too far, making the bike operate normally without any warning or engine shutdown. Luckily, it was just a case of mistaken identity with a friend’s bike, not sure if my bike had been swapped,” Ms. Nhiên happily recounted.
Some people also shared similar cases. Most of them hung the FOB directly on the bike or left it inside the front compartment without turning it off, so anyone could sit on it and start the bike normally.
However, most said that this only happened when they parked the bike in the same area as acquaintances or due to simple confusion between bike owners, and no loss was reported.
Getting used to the use of smartkey
In situations where users hang the FOB directly on the bike due to carelessness, criminals can easily take the bike without any obstacles. This is basically similar to users forgetting to take the key out of the bike using mechanical locks.
In addition to the example above, users of smartkey on motorcycles often leave the vehicle without turning off the signal on the FOB, leading to potential risks.
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The light on the FOB turns red, the bike will not start. Photo: Phong Vân. |
Bikes using smartkey technology can start the engine when the FOB is within a distance of 3 meters, within the signal reception range of the FOB. Therefore, in some specific cases, such as when the rider gets off to shop but still stands near the bike at a distance above the threshold, the situation of taking the wrong bike can occur.
According to the manufacturer’s recommendation, the FOB should be turned off every time it is away from the bike. This is clearly stated in the accompanying user manual when purchasing the bike. Turning off the FOB is similar to pressing the door lock button in a car, ensuring the safety of the bike.
Of course, in practical use, many users regularly put the FOB in their pockets or bags and do not completely turn off the FOB when leaving the bike. This still ensures safety when the bike is left in safe places such as parking lots, parking garages, and users pay attention to the signal and lock lights. For times when the engine is turned off but still standing near the bike, it is best to turn off the FOB to ensure safety.
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