2001 M900Sie Vs. immobilizer bikes.

[CTKurt]

What are the advantages in owning a non immobilizer bike over the newer models and visa versa? I admit i am not much of a mechanic. Thanks.

[Bigbore4]

Beats me, I have an old one.

Of the top of my head from reading the board:

NO RED KEY REQUIRED!

[Fresh Pants]

+1

And if you ever decide to get a new speedo (or simply have to replace it), you have many, many options since you don't have the immobilizer to deal with.

[ADG]

I miss my '01. Sold it to an air force kid who killed it, and damn near himself.

[Vindingo]

if the bike is stolen, a non immobilizer bike can be ridden.  If it has one, that shit is getting parted out. 

On my 02' which has an immob. the turn signals crapped out and the only way to fix it would be getting a new cluster = $$$ 

The blinking yellow light on the imob. seems like a good theft deterent, but who knows...

[Big Troubled Bear]

Immobilizer bikes run their batteries down quicker

[Speeddog]

Advantages:
Simpler ECU.
Mechanical speedo.
Old-school instrument lights AFAIK.

Disadvantages:
I *think* they're the low-output alternators, but I'm not sure.
851-style frame, but that's microscopic.

Basically, there's not much wrong with an '01 M900Sie beyond being 7 years old.

[ADG]

That last sentence makes you sound like a pedophile.

[Speeddog]

That last sentence makes you sound like a pedophile.

Hmmm.. well, OK. FWIW, I'm not.

[bigiain]

Disadvantages:
I *think* they're the low-output alternators, but I'm not sure.

Only the early ones, I think it was 97 or 98 they went to the three phase alternator, my '99 certainly has the high output one...

big

[NvrSummer]

I love my 01 900.  Only wish is was an S model, the suspension is crap.

[toaster]

i wish i had a non immobilizer bike.  i really wanna get rid of a few things and change the gauge cluster, but i cant without getting rid of the immobilizer (not possible that i know of) or take the gauges and disassemble them and put the board still on the bike.  i would most likely trade my 04 800 for a earlier efi 900 if it had lower miles.

[2001cromo]

2000 and 2001 900's both used the 1.5 ECU for the FI system and there are infinitely more options you can mess with and not have barriers to deal with. Plus it's got a well sorted FI system. The entire electrical system is easy to work on/with.

2002 and newer all use the 5.9 ECU which has the immobilizer which IMO is the achilles heel of the newer design. To quote another member here "the immobilizer is only good at stopping the owner from riding their bike".
I've had to deal with waaaaay to much of this crap and really dislike the system. I honestly don't care that you can't ride it away if you steal it, because the owner all to often can't ride it and they OWN IT!  These electrical systems are also far more difficult to work on.

There are other features of the newer bikes which are nice, but I can't stand the immobilizer and will NEVER get a bike that has it. If I do, it will immediately be removed with some other ECU replacing it.

This is only my opinion based on my experiences with both systems. I have a 2001 M900 and my girlfriend has a 2002 that started as a 620 until I shoehorned in a 900 from an 02. I've put roughly 30,000 miles on my bike since I got it and I have no clue what's on my girls as we've replaced the gauges (I think) 4-5 times.  The running joke my girlfriend has/says is "her's is the only Duc that doesn't like water".

[CDawg]

I hate my immobilizer.

HATE IT

The only good thing is I get some theft protection discount from insurance, but I'll gladly trade that for a cool instrument cluster.

[Speeddog]

FWIW, if you have a non-O2 sensor bike, the FIM U59 ECU will allow you to ditch the OEM gauges.

Not a particularly cheap option, but it's there.
Not many tuners around, but the maps they have are pretty good.

Wish there was a better answer....