According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, motorcycle thefts rose two percent in 2016. During that year, 46,467 motorcycles were reported stolen compared to 45,555 in 2015. While California is the top state for bike thefts, the trend is alarming and should be a concern for motorcycle owners across the country.
The article lists the following bike brands as most likely to be stolen:
- Honda
- Yamaha
- Kawasaki
- Suzuki
- Harley-Davidson
- KTM
- Ducati
- BMW
Unfortunately, recovering a stolen bike is not as easy as a car. The recovery rate for stolen bikes is about 42 percent; only about 18,000 of the 46,467-motorcycle reported in 2016 found their way home.
Here are some tips to make your bike a less likely target:
- Keep it out of view. Thieves can’t steal what they can’t find, so if you have a garage, basement or temporary shelter, it is strongly recommended you park your bike inside.
- A disc padlock might inconvenience joy-riders, but determined thieves can simply hoist such a bike onto a waiting truck. If you add a cable and anchor that to something solid, you make it much more difficult to steal.
- Watch your back. Thieves will often follow you, then wait for an opportunity to make their steal. When riding home, keep an eye out for suspicious behavior from someone driving a flat-bed truck or van. Watch your mirrors for several blocks and make some riding maneuvers that will indicate the suspect is indeed following you.
As with anything of value, if someone really wants something they can find a way to take it! However, you make theft less likely by following these safety precautions.