The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is out with its latest report on motorcycle thefts in the United States. According to NICB data, In 2017 there were a total of 44,268 motorcycles were reported stolen. That is down slightly-- a decrease of five percent-- from the 46,467 reported stolen in 2016. However, most of the motorcycles targeted by thieves were stolen in California.
California had 7,532 reported motorcycle thefts in 2017. Florida had 4,323 that year, and in the state of Texas there 3,525 such thefts reported.
The drop in thefts during 2017 comes after two consecutive years of increases during 2015 and 2016.
According to Frank Scafidi with the NICB in Sacramento, California tops the list primarily because of the climate. Good riding weather throughout the state mean motorcycle owners "cruise 12 months out of the year." But even in California, most of the thefts come during the months of July and August.
Scafidi also say most motorcycle thefts are crimes of opportunity committed by individuals and not organized criminals. "They're not as big as cars, so obviously you could get half a dozen guys to pick up a big Harley and toss it into the back of a truck."
Avoiding motorcycle theft, says Scafidi, means keeping your bike secured when not riding. "Unlike (cars and trucks), motorcycles, once their stolen, are hard to recover." He suggests using any of the various smartphone apps which can help you not track your motorcycle if it is stolen. There are also many different anti-theft devices available for purchase via websites like Amazon.com.
The top ten most stolen motorcycles in 2017 in order were American Honda Motor Company, Yamaha Motor Corporation, American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Harley Davidson, Inc., Kawasaki Motors Corp., Taotao Group Company, KTM Sportmotorcycle AG, Genuine Cycle, Ducati Motor Holding, and Kymco U.S.A.