How Often Do Motorcycles Get Stolen?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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There are more registered motorcycles in California than in any other state. However, it also had the most thefts of any state, accounting for 17% of all motorcycle thefts in the U.S.

Which motorcycles are stolen most?

Characteristic Number of thefts American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 8,122 Yamaha Motor Corporation 6,495 Harley Davidson, Inc. 4,737 American Suzuki Motor Corporation 4,686

How do I keep my motorcycle from being stolen?

  1. How To Prevent Motorcycle Theft. …
  2. Lock Your Steering Lock. …
  3. Keep Your Lock Off The Ground. …
  4. Lock Your Motorcycle To Something Heavy. …
  5. Use Multiple Locks On Your Bike. …
  6. Buy Quality Locks And Chains. …
  7. Install A Hidden Kill Switch. …
  8. Park Your Bike In A Well-Lit Location.

How are motorcycles stolen?


Bike Jacking

While you are riding, a group of motorcycle thieves, typically 2, 3, or more, rams into your bike, and they steal it. It could be at gunpoint, but that’s not usual in most states. When the criminals ram into your bike on motion or not, it appears like an accident.

How do thieves start motorcycles?

Thieves often steal a bike by

breaking the steering lock and wheeling it away

. Use a chain lock through the back wheel (the front wheel can be removed). Secure your bike, with the lock taut to an immovable object such as a ground anchor or street furniture.

Why are motorbikes so easy to steal?

Steering locks, alarm systems, and key fobs are, in most cases, the best a motorcycle manufacturer can do. The rest is up to you. In addition,

motorcycles are simply physically easier to steal than cars

. Two wheels are easier to move than four; there’s no need to break windows or come up with elaborate lock picks.

Where do most motorcycle thefts occur?

Of motorcycles nabbed, most occurred in

California (9,483), Texas (4,448), and Florida (4,223)

. As might be expected, the summer months tend to be when thefts occur with most in August (6,214) and July (5,855).

What percentage of motorcycles are stolen?

There are more registered motorcycles in California than in any other state. However, it also had the most thefts of any state, accounting for

17%

of all motorcycle thefts in the U.S.

Is it OK to leave motorcycle in the rain?


Rain will not damage your motorcycle

. Motorcycles are designed to be used in the rain. Their electrical components and other sensitive equipment are sealed off and protected from the rain. However, prolonged exposure to rain can cause some parts to rust and corrode, which can be bad for the motorcycle.

Are motorcycle thefts common?

Characteristic Number of thefts Los Angeles, CA 1,423 New York, NY 1,196 San Diego, CA 1,032

Are motorcycle alarms worth it?

As alarms can help prevent the theft of your bike, some insurers require that you use them when locking your vehicle. Otherwise,

the use of an alarm may help drop the price of your motorcycle insurance

. All the security alarms featured in our list are Thatcham approved, the most esteemed standard for vehicle security.

How do you make sure a motorcycle is not in your blind spot?


Use your rear and side view mirrors, and physically look over your right shoulder to the rear of your vehicle

. Rolling the window down to make this check can enhance visibility. If your vehicle is equipped with assistive technology designed to provide blind spot visibility, use it.

Are Harleys easy to steal?

To answer the first question,

there are many ways thieves could steal your Harley

. They could break into your garage and steal it. They could hot-wire the bike and ride off with it from the pavement where you parked it. However, all these methods are variations of two classic motorcycle theft techniques.

How do you lock a motorcycle?

When using a pin-style disc lock, place the pin through a hole in the rotor. When using a shackle style disc lock, place the shackle towards the center of the disc brake. When locking a motorcycle with non-disc style brakes, like a drum brake, use a u-lock to capture the rotor.

How do you lock up a motorcycle?

How hard is it to steal a motorcycle?

How do thieves steal motorcycles?

Sometimes it’s as easy as throwing a leg over and riding away

. The thief walks up to your bike, disables anti-theft devices and locks, jump starts the engine and hits the road with your bike. It just takes one person who can get dropped off or take a bus to get within walking distance.

Do people steal motorcycle parts?


Thieves steal motorcycles to resell the whole bike or to strip it down and sell the parts

. The fact that motorcycles are small and relatively easy to move makes them particularly vulnerable to theft.

Are disc locks worth it?

Our data shows that

a disc lock can make your bike three times less likely to be stolen

. If your machine doesn’t have an alarm already, getting a disc lock with one can be a great idea. Yes, people do often ignore them, but they can put a thief off and could alert you to an attempted theft.

Is it easier to steal a motorcycle or a car?


Bike thieves may be less intimidating than car thieves

, but they are considerably more common. In fact, bicycle owners are three times more likely to have their bikes stolen than are car owners their cars.

Where do stolen motorcycles go UK?

Stolen bikes are often left in

alleyways, little side streets, abandoned parking spaces

, and so on. Drive around your local area and see if you can find your stolen motorcycle yourself. If it has been thrown into a van or car trailer, it’s probably already far away.

Can I keep my motorcycle outside?

You can keep a motorcycle outside in the winter as long it has been properly prepared for the season and it is dressed with a good, reliable cover to prevent any water or moisture from getting in places that could cause damage.

How many stolen motorcycles are recovered?

In 2019, just over 23,600 motorcycles were stolen. That’s down from 2018’s almost 27,000, but only about half of them –

49%

, helped in many cases by trackers – were recovered.

How many motorcycles are stolen in the US each year?

Characteristic Number of thefts
2019


40,830
2018 41,674 2017 44,268 2016 46,467

Do cruiser bikes get stolen often?

A study by Progressive Insurance Companies confirms that

cruiser-type motorcycles, especially small ones, are crashed and stolen less frequently than sportbikes

.

How many Harley Davidsons are stolen each year?

U.S.: number of reported motorcycle thefts, by state 2019

This graph shows the number of reported motorcycle thefts in the United States in 2019, by state. In 2019, California had

6,913

motorcycles reported as stolen.

Is it safe to bring a motorcycle inside?

If you own your own home,

it is possible to store a motorcycle indoors when the motorcycle is not in use

. You will need to take safety measures to prevent fumes as well as store it in a place that’s not near any source of heat. It is not advisable to store a motorcycle in an apartment or condo.

How many motorcycles get stolen at Sturgis?

An average of a quarter of a million dollars worth of bikes are taken during each rally, according to the Web site of the Sturgis, S.D., police. “

This year, there were only six bikes stolen

,” said Sturgis Police Chief Jim Bush, “and, of those, we recovered all but two.”

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.