Is your motorcycle among those most often targeted by thieves?
Honda Motor Corporation, Inc.
The good news is that motorcycle theft in the U.S. was down by six percent last year according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The bad news is that still accounts for 41,674 bikes purloined during 2018.
The NICB says the motorcycles, listed by brand, that were most frequently driven off by thieves during 2018 are:
- American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (8,260 thefts)
- Yamaha Motor Corporation (6,655)
- American Suzuki Motor Corporation (4,882)
- Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (4,861)
- Harley-Davidson, Inc. (4,769)
- Taotao Group Co. Ltd (1,851)
- KTM Sportmotorcycle AG (780)
- Genuine Cycle (515)
- Ducati Motor Holding (455)
- Kymco U.S.A., Inc. (413)
The NICB’s says that the top states for motorcycle thefts in 2018 were California (7,035), Florida (4,279), Texas (3,073), New York (1,777), South Carolina (1,743), North Carolina (1,466), Indiana (1,229), Missouri (1,194), Georgia (1,174) and Colorado (1,109). Not surprisingly, the cities that suffered the most stolen bikes last year are among the most densely populated in the nation, including New York (1,310), Los Angeles (628), Miami (595), Las Vegas (540), San Diego (527), San Francisco (520), Houston (460), Philadelphia (404), Austin (329) and San Jose (322).
In fact, the data shows that we are in the middle of what amounts to prime time for motorcycle thefts, with the most occurring in July, August, And September, so if you’re a biker, you’ll want to take extra care to protect your precious ride.
The NICB recommends using common sense when parking your bike, including choosing a well-lit area, locking the ignition, and taking the keys with you, even if its stored in a closed garage. The latter may sound obvious, but too many motorcycles and autos become easy theft targets when the keys are left in the ignition or a storage area.
You might want to invest in additional aftermarket locks and/or a security system with GPS tracking capability as an extra measure of security. The bureau also suggests placing unique markings on your motorcycle and take photos of them that can help identify the bike should it become stolen.
Finally, the NICB cautions riders to never store a motorcycle’s title and registration in the bike’s storage compartment. Rather, keep these documents secure at home, preferably in a fireproof container, or in a safe deposit box at your bank. Not only would it be laborious to get a replacement if it’s taken, it’s easy for a crook to use a purloined title to create fake replicas. Experts say you should instead carry photos of the documents stored in your cell phone.
