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Top 10 Motorcycle Theft Statistics For 2017

The latest Theft and Recovery Report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

May 19, 2017

Although no device is foolproof, a heavy-duty chain and padlock is one way that'll help you to avoid becoming a statistic.Photo: Brian Hatano

Nobody likes a motorcycle thief yet statistics show that this criminal act is a growing activity in certain parts of the country. The latest numbers compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) were released this week and it shows that 2016 delivered a two-percent rise in motorcycle thefts over the previous year. A total of 46,467 motorcycles were reported stolen in 2016 compared to 45,555 reported in 2015. On the positive side, bike thievery is down considerably—about 30 percent—from what it was 10 years ago.

Motorcycle thefts are on the rise and Honda continues to top the list of most-stolen brands.Photo: NICB

Any idea where most of those thefts occurred? Or what state had the least number of bikes stolen? We scanned the latest NICB report on motorcycle thefts and gathered up the top 10 statistics that we thought were the most interesting.

Honda is the manufacturer with the most thefts (in 2016) at 9,052. Number two is Yamaha, followed by Suzuki in third, Kawasaki in fourth, and Harley-Davidson in fifth. Scooter maker TaoTao is behind H-D in sixth, KTM in seventh, and Ducati is in eighth. BMW motorcycles rank 11th.

Motorcycle thefts ranked by manufacturer.Photo: NICB

Number of motorcycles reported stolen in 2016: 46,467
Statistics indicate that motorcycle theft is a seasonal crime. The summer months of June, July, August and September account for the most thefts with the peak in August.
Most Thefts: California tops the list for most motorcycles reported stolen in 2016 at 7,506, followed in order by Florida, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Indiana, Georgia, Missouri, and Nevada.

Motorcycle theft by state.Photo: NICB

The paradise state of Hawaii ranks 35th in motorcycle thefts with a total of 284 bikes swiped in 2016.
Least Thefts: Vermont had only 24 reported motorcycle thefts in 2016, the least amount of all states.
Of the top 10 states, Texas had the largest increase in motorcycles stolen over the previous year.

Motorcycle theft by year.Photo: NICB

The top 10 cities for motorcycle thefts in 2016 were New York (1,209), San Diego (849), Las Vegas (818), Los Angeles (760) San Francisco (616), Miami (610), Houston (607), San Antonio (411), Phoenix (347), and Austin, Texas, (343).
The month of August ranked highest in the number of stolen motorcycles that were recovered.
Of the 46,467 motorcycles that were stolen in 2016, 17,463 were recovered (through February 28, 2017), which is about a 40-percent recovery rate.