45,367 Motorcycle Thefts Reported in US in 2013

Americans reported 45,367 stolen motorcycles in 2013, down 1.5% from 2012, reports the National Insurance Crime Bureau‘s latest Motorcycle Theft and Recovery Report. According to the NICB motorcycle thefts have been on the decline every year since 2007 when 65,678 motorcycles were reported stolen, though the overall trend appears to be leveling off.

Japanese motorcycles continue to be the most popular target for thieves. Honda motorcycles especially remain the top target, with 8,557 reported thefts in 2013. Yamaha was next with 7,038 thefts followed by Suzuki at 6,78 and Kawasaki at 3,907.

Broken down further by both make and model year, the top target for thieves were 2007 Suzuki motorcycles, with 1,012 reports, while 2006 Suzukis came in second with 936 thefts.

Unsurprisingly, states with more motorcycle riders have more reported motorcycle thefts. California leads the way with 6,637 reports followed by Florida (3,735) and Texas (3,407). California also saw the largest increase in thefts, with 555 more reported thefts in 2013 compared to 2012.

The NICB report also supports the rather obvious assumption that motorcycle thefts are more likely to occur in warmer months when more motorcycles are on the road. More motorcycle thefts are reported in July than in any other month, while the summer months of June to September account for 44.4% of all thefts.

And while theft rates were down last year, stolen motorcycle recoveries were also lower than in 2012. Of the 45,367 reported thefts in 2013, only 16,864 or 37.1% were recovered. By comparison, 17,757 of the 46,061 motorcycles reported stolen in 2012 were recovered for a 38.6% recovery rate.

[Source: NICB]

By Dennis Chung