Beating bike thieves with clever tracker tech on new Super Soco
Bargain scooter shows big brands how anti-theft tech is done
This week, electric specialists Super Soco unveiled a new scooter called the CUmini. The 50cc scooter equivalent is now the smallest model in the firm’s range with a 28mph top speed, 600W motor and removable battery. Not exactly earth-shattering so far, but things start to get interesting once you look at the new machine’s security measures. That’s because the CUmini features an alarm, real time GPS location and the scooter’s movement history via your smartphone as standard. That’s right, despite being the runt of the Super Soco litter, it has the sort of security tech that some £20k★ bikes can only dream of.
So, how does it work? Owners of compatible Super Soco machines simply need to download the smartphone app to see the current GPS location of their bike. They can also power it on or off, check the movement history, see the battery level and range, run fault diagnostics and – if the model has built-in cameras – turn them on too.
No price has been set but it is expected to cost under £2000. Very few conventional machines come with trackers or other devices, which is why the Motorcycle Industry Assocation (MCIA) has created a scheme to rate bikes on a scale of one to five to make it easier for buyers to know how secure they are. “Crime hasn’t gone away, so MCIA welcomes any initiatives that combat theft,” says MCIA representative Nick Broomhall. “Additionally, the MCIA Secured programme allows buyers to compare the standard fit security kit on bikes and scooters from a range of brands, so it’s easy to check how well protected your next bike is.” Super Soco aren’t part of the scheme so far, so there is no rating available.