Motorbike thefts up in 2018

Motorcycles thefts are up 7.3% across Australia in 2018 with many older bikes heading straight to the junk yard for the scrap metal value, says the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council.

Thefts increased by 597 to a total of 8746 with a recovery rate of just 47%.

Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hrambanis says the biggest rises in motorcycle theft were in NSW and Queensland.

The council is currently investigating the efficacy of tougher penalties for vehicle theft.

Theft by state

State or Territory 2017 2018 % change
Thefts Thefts
ACT 126 107 -15.1% 
NSW 1679 1968 17.2% 
NT 126 82 -34.9% 
QLD 1510 1696 12.3% 
SA 521 555 6.5% 
TAS 122 141 15.6% 
VIC 2013 2092 3.9% 
WA 2052 2105 2.6% 
AUS 8149 100.0 8746 100.0 7.3% 

Opportunistic theft

“In most cases vehicle theft is almost always opportunistic, with the vehicle being stolen for short-term use and later recovered (78% in Queensland),” she says.

Unlike most modern cars which have self-alarming engine immobilisers, many motorcycles need owners to lock them with a chain, disc lock or an alarm switch.

She says they can easily be stolen without requiring any keys.

“Motorcycles have their own set of challenges due to their ease of portability, the high demand for parts and poor identification,” she says.

“Two in three motorcycles are also stolen from the home, making home security, protecting keys and considerations of where the bike is stored also important.

“In Queensland, around a quarter of all bikes stolen are off-road bikes, which often makes recovery difficult as they are not subject to a registration system.”

Brands stolenLock theft stolen Lock Insurance theft motorcycles thief reduce thefts

The most brands stolen were also the most popular brands on the market.

They were followed by many dirt bike and scooter brands which are easier to steal than heavy road bikes.

Make 2014 2018
Honda 1601 1786
Yamaha 1496 1529
Kawasaki 691 782
Suzuki 752 751
KTM 465 619
Harley Davidson 150 235
SYM 194 229
Piaggio 115 203
Kymco 120 200
Triumph 111 194
Hyosung 152 152
Longjia 196 147
Husqvarna 107 128
Aprilia 83 115
Ducati 69 91
Vespa 81 91
TGB 131 83
BMW 41 71
Polaris 53 63
Bolwell 99 61

Theft hotspots

Motorcycle theft hot spots keyring thieves miserly CCTV black friday thefts
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South East Queensland is the worst hotspot for motorcycle theft.

Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan and Moreton Bay were all in the top 10 local authority regions for bike theft.

State or Territory LGA 2014 2018 % change
QLD Brisbane (City) 292 435 49.0% 
VIC Melbourne (City) 134 246 83.6% 
QLD Gold Coast (City) 169 244 44.4% 
QLD Logan (City) 118 159 34.7% 
WA Swan (City) 119 154 29.4% 
NSW Sydney (City) 115 151 31.3% 
WA Stirling (City) 153 147 -3.9% 
VIC Port Phillip (City) 62 136 119.4% 
QLD Moreton Bay (Regional Council) 149 132 -11.4% 
NSW Newcastle (City) 44 130 195.5% 

Click here to find out what can be done to keep your bike safe from thieves.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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