The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and says that approximately 80,000 motorcycles are stolen each year in the United States. LoJack Corporation currently lists that figure at 70,000. Nearly eight motorcycles are stolen per minute, and a bike can be stolen in a matter of seconds.
The Chance of Recovering a Stolen Motorcycle is Low
A stolen motorcycle doesn’t have a very good chance of being recovered. Although the recovery rate fluctuates somewhat from year to year and from state to state, the recovery rate is usually less than 40% for stolen bikes.
Recovery rates for cycles equipped with a Lo-Jackâ transceiver have a much higher rate of recovery than the average. According to their website, Lo-Jack Corporation “boasts a 90% recovery rate” on motorcycles that carry one of their tracking devices.
More Motorcycles Stolen in Sunny States
Some states consistently have a larger number of motorcycles stolen than other states do. Does that mean that any given bike has a higher chance of being stolen in one state than it has of being stolen in another state? Does it mean that the states with the higher number of thefts have higher percentages of theft than other states do? Not necessarily.
Certain states may have a large number of motorcycle thefts because they are states with large populations, and thus there are more cycles in those states. Also, they may be states where bikers can enjoy the open road for more months out of the year than they can in most states. All of the top five states in the list from NICB (2007) are warm states where bikers can ride nearly year-round.
The current top five states for motorcycle thefts, according to the NICB:
- California
- Florida
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Arizona
Is Motorcycle Theft on the Rise?
Geico Direct Magazine says in its Spring 2009 issue that motorcycle theft is on the rise. The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s website states that motorcycle theft rates fell in both 2007 and 2008; rates dropped 5% in those two years.
Whether or not motorcycle theft is on the rise, thefts are still occurring, and they occur in every state, not just the ones on the top five list. Anyone who owns a motorcycle is at risk of having it stolen, and should take precautions to prevent motorcycle theft.
Bike owners should purchase motorcycle insurance that protects against theft as well as vandalism and other damage. Obtaining an insurance quote is fast and easy, and can be done online in as little as one minute.
For more information, see “Prevent Motorcycle Theft” and "Protecting Motorcycles With Insurance Coverage.”
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