Get your motor runnin’ — not stolen

California received the dubious honor of most motorcycle thefts in the nation in 2005, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The Golden State recorded 9,110 thefts in 2005, compared with 9,213 in 2004. The state was followed by Florida, which had 6,324 thefts in 2005. Texas, with 5,755 thefts, rounded the top three on NICB’s list.

Arizona, Washington and Colorado showed relatively high rates of thefts as well, placing sixth, 11th and 15th on the state ranking of motorcycle thefts in 2005. Arizona came in at number 6, with 2,464 thefts in 2005 up from 2,082 in 2004. Washington followed closely at number 11 with 1,871 thefts last year, a decrease from 1,948 motorcycles stolen in 2004. Number 15 Colorado had 1,357 motorcycles stolen in 2005, slightly down from 1,372 stolen in 2004.

Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana and Utah placed in the middle of the listing. Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming had lower rates, close to the bottom of the list.

Nationally, 70,613 motorcycles were stolen last year — a slight decrease from the 71,108 stolen in 2004, the NICB said. That number represents a loss of more than $434 million to motorcycle owners and the insurance industry.

In the 2006 Motorcycle Theft Report, the NICB used seven motorcycle style definitions to extract data from the FBI NCIC:

• Minibike – Any motor-powered cycle with one or more of the following: less than 10-inch nominal wheel rim size; less than 40-inch wheelbase; a seat height of 25 inches or less measured from the ground to the top of the seat cushion.
• Minicycle – A small motor-powered cycle with the capabilities, characteristics and equipment of a motorcycle, and having an engine size of less than 90 cubic centimeters (cc).
• Moped – A motor-powered cycle with or without pedals, with a 50 cc piston displacement engine, capable of two brake horsepower (hp), or a speed not exceeding 30 mph.
• Motorbike – A motor-powered cycle with or without pedals and a 50 cc cylinder engine capable of 1.5 brake hp, but not exceeding 5 brake hp.
• Motorcycle – A motor-powered cycle, generally powered by a 90 cc or larger engine, having one or two saddles or seats.
• Motorscooter – A low, two or three-wheeled motor-powered cycle, having smaller wheels and less power than a motorcycle, characterized by floor boards and a seat placed so that the operator does not straddle the engine.
• Multi-wheel – A three, four, or more-wheeled vehicle that was manufactured for on or off-road use.

LoJack Corp., which provides tracking and recovery systems for stolen mobile assets, reported that while thefts nationally are down slightly compared to 2004, more than the past five years, the jump in the number of stolen motorcycles has been dramatic. In 2000, there were only 30,000 motorcycle thefts compared with more than 70,000 in 2005, nearly a 135 percent increase.

“One bike is stolen every 7.5 minutes in this country, which is an alarming number for anyone who owns a motorcycle,” said Richard T. Riley, LoJack Corp.’s president and COO, in an announcement. “The growing popularity of bike riding is fueling bike theft, making it essential for bike owners to do everything possible to protect their vehicles from theft.”

The NICB noted, in general, recovery rates range around 25 to 30 percent nationally.

Sales are climbing
In 2005, for the 13th year in a row, motorcycle and scooter sales increased over the previous year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. Sales of all types of two-wheelers jumped to 1.12 million in 2005, a 5 percent increase over 2004 figures.

Sales of motorcycles and scooters topped the 1 million mark for the third straight year in 2005. In a press release, MIC said 1973 was a banner year for motorcycle sales, with more than 1.5 million bikes sold in the United States. Sales topped 1 million in 1979, then cooled in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Among 12 leading motorcycle brands, sales of on-highway models for Q3 of last year increased 16 percent compared to Q3 in 2004. Between July and September 2005, scooter sales among those brands climbed 65 percent.

“Motorcycles and scooters have become far more mainstream, both an accepted form of transportation and recreation, and regarded as cool machines to own and collect,” said Tim Buche, MIC president.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highways Administration reported that in 2004, there were 5.7 million motorcycles registered nationally for private and commercial use. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reported 680,857 registered motorcycles in 2005, up from 657,978 in 2004. The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division reported 124,438 registered motorcycles and 500 registered mopeds as of June 30, 2006.

Professional thievery
Noting that motorcycle theft is a big business for professional thieves, LoJack said it has found that so far in 2006 there has been an increased use of vans, often stolen ones, to steal the vehicles. Thieves may strip the motorcycles for parts to resell or reuse to build other bikes. Expensive custom bikes often are made from stolen parts and aftermarket parts, the company said, and sold to unsuspecting buyers. Whole motorcycles may be resold with altered identification numbers or exported out of the country.

With motorcyclists’ penchant for customizing their legitimately purchased rides, the NICB noted that it’s not uncommon for a motorcycle’s base price to exceed $20,000 with aftermarket parts adding thousands of dollars more to the original cost.

Topics Auto Fraud Arizona