Motorcycle thefts in the US have seen a significant decline since 2006, but at least part of that may be due to the decline in the number of motorcycles produced and purchased. The general economic malaise led to slow sales. In 2011 there was a slight spike in sales, possibly related to high gasoline prices. The steady decline was halted in 2015, when we saw an increase in thefts over the previous year.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (“NCIB”), there were 236,054 motorcycle thefts between 2007 and 2010 in the United States. In 2011, 46,667 bicycles were stolen. That decreased to 46,061 in 2012, and decreased again in 2013 to 45,367. From 2014 to 2015, motorcycle thefts increased by 6%, with a total of 45,555 motorcycle thefts reported in the US Of those stolen in 2015, 39% were recovered.
Your bike is more likely to disappear during the summer months than at other times of the year. That seems pretty obvious to me! In Arizona, motorcycles are popular. We have to travel long distances, even just in the Phoenix metropolitan area. With 300 days of good weather in the central and southern parts of the state (spanning the Tucson and Phoenix metropolitan areas), biking represents an affordable mode of transportation as well as a popular recreational activity for scenic drives. With year-round bike-friendly weather in the most populated parts of Arizona (Maricopa and Pima counties), it’s surprising that Arizona isn’t one of the ten worst states for motorcycle theft.
The NCIB provides data on motorcycle thefts by state. Here are the 10 worst states for motorcycle thefts in 2015:
- California (7,221)
- Florida (4,758)
- Texas (3,403)
- South Carolina (2,160)
- New York (1,902)
- North Carolina (1,866)
- Nevada (1,408)
- Georgia (1,393)
- Indiana (1,333)
- Virginia (1,253)
So where is Arizona? In perspective, in 2005 Arizona ranked sixth. You’ll notice that Arizona didn’t make the top 10 in 2015, that’s a good thing! In reality, Arizona came in at number 17 with 867 total motorcycle thefts for the year. That’s another improvement over the previous year, 2014, when we had 887 motorcycle thefts.
In county rankings, Maricopa County ranked eighth in the country with 544 robberies. That was a 6% decrease from 2014.
Minibikes, minicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, motorcycles, scooters, and multi-wheeled vehicles were included in these statistics. What were the most stolen motorcycle brands during this period? Hondas topped the list. They were stolen twice as many times as Harley Davidsons.
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