Nowadays, theft has become the order of the day, especially in countries like the UK and the United States. In London alone, the number of motorcycles reported stolen has doubled. As a matter of fact, in 2016 about 15,000 motorcycles were stolen in London and honestly, I do not want to imagine what the theft numbers are today.
How easy is it to steal a motorcycle? Well… easy enough that it takes only between 2 to 4 men and a truck to steal a motorcycle in just a few minutes.
However, if you secure your motorcycle properly I can assure you that you’ll lower the chances of your motorcycle being stolen.
If you have an expensive motorcycle, there is a greater chance of that being stolen than other cheaper models (which thieves are usually less interested in).
Yes, I know it’s very scary and daunting to buy a motorcycle, but if you follow all the safety instructions which I will show you later in this article, I assure you that you will be able to reduce the risk of saying an early and involuntary goodbye to your motorcycle.
These are the common questions I will answer in this guide …
- Why is it easy to steal motorcycles?
- What are the chances that your motorcycle will get stolen?
- Quick tips on what to do to avoid having your motorcycle stolen.
- What to do if your motorcycle gets stolen?
- Why is it easy to steal motorcycles?
Why is it easy to steal motorcycles?
The obvious reason why they are very easy to steal is because the process is very simple. Two men in a truck could easily pick up the bike and toss it into the back of the truck in less than three minutes and that’s it!
For example, a car is much harder to steal because it is very complicated and in addition, thieves have to struggle very hard which takes a lot of energy and attention and even after they manage to break into the car, moving the car is another herculean task.
So the main difference between motorcycles and other vehicles that makes them easier to steal is that the theft process is very simple and uncomplicated.
To further put this in perspective, here is the popular stealing method of thieves;
- The thieves choose the motorcycle they want to steal,
- Of course, they break all the locks and safety measures,
- They take it to the truck and that it, the motorcycle is gone.
- What to do after your motorcycle is stolen?
Now you must know that locks and chains will not prevent thieves from stealing the motorcycle, however, it could delay them. Strong chains locks will hold the thieves between 10 minutes to a 60 minutes and sometimes more. So, the more durable and high-quality your lock and chain is, the longer it will take for the thief to steal.
Maybe motorcycles are easy to steal, but who said there is a high probability that someone will steal them? Which leads you to the next step you need to know, so keep reading
What is the chance that your motorcycle will steal?
Granted, motorcycles may be very easy to steal. However, what’s the proof that there are very high chances of having your motorcycle stolen. You’ll be surprised that motorcycle theft in the world at large is not as common as one would imagine. In fact, the probability that your motorcycle will be stolen is very low, though, it varies from country to country.
The chance of theft depends on two main factors namely; the environment in which you live and the model of motorcycle you have.
Country and Environment
The country you live in is super important when it comes to chances of theft. For example, you are very likely to have your motorcycle stolen if you live in places like Bertinia where theft of vehicles is very common.
Just know that in the UK alone, 128,644 motorcycle models were stolen in 2016
On the other hand, if you live in an environment or country where theft of vehicles is not so rampant, then the chances thieves coming to steal your motorcycle would be considerably low.
For example, in India, there are millions of motorcycles that usually do not even have locks or alarms, but the theft of vehicles and motorcycles is very rare and hardly ever occurs.
Also, only in the United States, 46,467 motorcycles were stolen in 2016. The state with the most thefts was California, with 7500 thefts, followed by Florida, and South Carolina. So it is important to understand that in the United States, the case is much better. I am not saying that the situation is perfect, but it is certainly a good and even excellent situation so if you do not live in states like California, Las Vegas, and other dense cities.
Model and Motorcycle Company
Another factor which will determine your motorcycle’s chances of theft is your model and company.
Your company does matter and of course, if you have one of the biggest companies like Honda, Suzuki Yamaha, or Harley Davidson, then the chance of your motorcycle getting stolen is very high.
Interestingly, it is a very small factor compared to your motorcycle model, because if you have a luxury Motorcycle Company but your model is not expensive and prestigious then the chance of theft decreases significantly.
In fact, holding a very prestigious and expensive model increases the likelihood of it being stolen
Here is a table of the most stolen motorcycle models in the United States
| Rank | type of motorcycle model | 2016 thefts |
| 1 | American Honda Motor Co., Inc. | 9000 |
| 2 | Yamaha Motor Corporation | 7700 |
| 3 | American Suzuki Motor Corporation | 6300 |
| 4 | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. | 5220 |
| 5 | Harley-Davidson, Inc | 5000 |
| 6 | Taotao Group Co. Ltd | 2673 |
| 7 | KTM Sportmotorcycle AG | 762 |
| 8 | Genuine Cycle | 520 |
| 9 | Ducati Motor Holding | 460 |
| 10 | Kymco U.S.A., Inc | 453 |
| source |
And here is a table of the most stolen motorcycle companies in the United States
| Honda |
| Yamaha |
| Suzuki |
| Kawasaki |
| Harley Davidson |
| Taotao |
| Bashan |
| KTM |
| Kymco |
| Ducati |
| source |
The bottom line; if you live in a country where motorcycle theft is not common or if you have an inexpensive motorcycle model then the chances of theft are very small.
Quick tips on what to do to avoid stealing a motorcycle
Cover and hide your motorcycle
The one tip I can give you to avoid being the victim of theft is to try as much as possible to hide your motorcycle because not only does it significantly lower the chance of theft but it also shields your motorcycle from public eye. The best way to hide your motorcycle is with a black cover that can perfectly cover all parts of the motorcycle
Another advantage of hiding your motorcycle with a cover is that the thief has no idea what theft prevention devices you have in your motorcycle, which typically would scare the thieves away.
But it is important that you also know where to cover your motorcycle. For example, covering your motorcycle in obvious places like your garage and your driveway could hint the thieves that theirs is a motorcycle underneath the covers.
So, it’s very important you change the location of your covered motorcycle from time to time and ensure that it’s as inconspicuous as possible.
Install an alarm on your motorcycle.
One of the most important and effective things to install is an anti-theft alarm. In my opinion, this is mandatory for any rider.
The best thing about the alarm is that in the second someone touches your motorcycle, it begins to beep loudly. Also, some alarms have the option to send you an alert on the phone, which is very useful.
In addition, you will also need to know how to use the alarm correctly and install it in a good place on your motorcycle; a place that is concealed. This would throw the thief off balance, as he doesn’t know where the sound is coming from.
I personally recommend this alarm; it’s the best alarm on the market today and it gives amazing value and it is now sold on Amazon at a very big discount just for the next few hours so you must look
A GPS device to prevent motorcycle theft
This is indeed a must have. The GPS tracker can provide real-time information on the location of your motorcycle in the event that it gets stolen.
The best thing about a GPS system is that it is very difficult for thieves to detect it even after a few days after the theft.
I personally use this GPS tracking and in my opinion it’s the best out there. I can say from experience and I am happy to tell you that after many very poor GPS tracking, this GPS is the best. Feel free to buy it on Amazon where it is sold at a very cheap price.
Station your motorcycle with more
The best thing you can do is park where there are at least 3 other motorcycles around and trust me it greatly reduces the chances of the thieves paying attention to your motorcycle, especially when you park beside motorcycles that are much more expensive and better than your model.
Also, if thieves are trying to steal your model, chances are that another motorcyclist will be on the lookout and eventually confront them, preventing them from touching your motorcycle. Believe me, riders are always protecting each other.
If you park in the garage, make sure that it is properly maintained and can resist hacks
Also, if you want to see more tips to avoid motorcycle theft, I recommend that you read this post click here to view
What to do if your motorcycle is getting stolen (and you get to see it happening)
So after showing you all the chances of having your motorcycle stolen, it is time to talk about what you are supposed to do if you see someone stealing your motorcycle.
What to do if you witness a motorcycle theft? (While you Watch)
So a lot of riders happened to park their motorcycles for a few minutes, only to come back to see that thieves were trying to steal their motorcycles and then the issue which came up among the riders was whether to confront the thieves or call the police.
The simple answer is; don’t ever try to fight thieves because your life is so much more important and believe it or not, thieves do have guns and make sure they aren’t afraid to use them.
In fact, a lot of cases have been reported where riders tried to confront thieves but were killed in the process, just like in the video below.
What you have to conclude from this is that you should never try to confront the thieves because it can end up being bloody. Instead, try to do everything you can to catch them afterward, which leads us to the next thing.
What to do after your motorcycle has been stolen?
Well, after realizing that you don’t have too much to do if thieves steal your motorcycle, here are a few things you can do after it is stolen.
Call the police – As soon as you see the that motorcycle is stolen, you have to call the police and tell them the size of the motorcycle, the license plate, the place and time, and also provide the police with whatever GPS tracking you have installed. The faster you do it, the easier it is for the police to catch the thieves. It is important that you also know that most thieves do not have an idea of how the police work so the chances of the police finding them are very high
Find witnesses who saw the theft – The immediate thing you must do as quickly as possible is to look for all the people around who were close to the theft event and just take their phone numbers in case the police requires eye witnesses.
Notify the insurance company – The next thing you will need to do is inform your insurance company so they can contact the kitchen immediately to make sure your motorcycle is actually stolen and that you are not lying.
Tell your friends – Another thing you can do is tell your friends or even share on social media so more people would be aware of the fact that your motorcycle has been stolen.
Summary
To summarize, today I have shown you everything you need to know about why a motorcycle is a very easy vehicle to steal and how you can avoid and lower the chances of having yours stolen.
Bottom line
Motorcycles are very easy to steal but bear in mind that the odds are not so big to steal them and of course it all depends on what environment you live in
If in your area there are more vehicle thefts like the UK, then the risk of a motorcycle being stolen is very high. However, if you are living in an environment where there are not many vehicle thefts like India, then the chances of you suffering from theft will decrease significantly.
