Arizona Automobile Theft Authority

According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, 1.25 million new households have purchased a motorcycle since 1998. In 2003 alone, bike sales in the U.S. jumped to nearly 1 million, which is the 11th consecutive year of growth.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports that motorcycle theft increased more than 55 percent from 2002 to 2003 in the U.S. and Canada, which translates to one bike stolen every 9.5 minutes.

Tips for motorcycle theft prevention:

Similar to auto theft prevention, a layered approach to protecting your motorcycle from theft is recommended.

Below are a few common sense measures to help deter thieves from stealing your bike:

When at home, always keep your bike in a concealed garage or storage area.
When possible keep your bike out of thieves' sight.
Never leave your keys in your bike.
Be wise about parking your motorcycle - Park in a well lit area. Don't park between vehicles because it provides cover for thieves. Look for a parking spot in view of a security camera.
When selling your bike, be wary of test rides - some thieves actually pose as buyers and will take your bike for a "test ride" and never return.

Use theft deterrent devices to provide an additional layer of protection to deter thieves:

Use a bike lock - lock two bikes together if possible. Make sure the lock is tight around your bike. Lock your bike to a secure immovable object. If possible, loop the chain through the bike frame.
Install an alarm. Alarms and locks can be an effective combination.
Install a hidden kill switch. Kill switches either disable the ignition or cut power to the fuel. Kill switches offer the added protection of disabling the thief from starting the bike and riding off with it.

Install a tracking and recovery system. Tracking systems emit a signal to a police or monitoring station when the motorcycle is reported stolen and are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen bikes.

Last revision: 13 September, 2007