Tip Center - Motorcycle Theft

Avoid becoming a victim by following these helpful motorcycle theft prevention tips:

• Always lock your ignition and remove the key. Many motorcycle thefts take place when the ignition is shut off but it is not locked.
• Use locks that have large, brightly colored tags to lock the forks or disk brakes.
• Lock motorcycle to a telephone pole or other permanent fixture to avoid it being lifted into a pickup truck.
• Use an audible alarm as an additional motorcycle theft deterrent.
• When traveling with other riders, lock motorcycles together when parked.
• Park where you can keep an eye on your motorcycle.
• Check your motorcycle periodically when parking at public events.
• Immediately after parking, watch to assure no suspicious people are looking at your motorcycle.
• When parking in a garage, block your motorcycle with automobiles and / or lock it to a permanent fixture such as a pipe. Be sure to close and lock the garage door.
• Do not store the title on the motorcycle. Store it in a secure location at home or in a safe deposit box.
• Create a unique mark on your motorcycle and take pictures. These unique markings may be the thing that stops thieves in their tracks.
• Keep your bike registration and insurance identification card on you when you ride.
• When staying at a hotel, park in the view of an outdoor security camera. If none are available, park your motorcycle close to your room.
• Be cautious when giving out private information of where you live, work or hang out.

If you use a trailer to transport your motorcycle, follow these motorcycle theft prevention tips:

• Park the trailer in a well-lit location near security cameras or in an area easily seen by restaurant, hotel or event staff.
• Lock the trailer doors and hitch.
• Secure doors by backing up to a wall, so there is not enough room for doors to be opened.
• Know your trailer identification and license plate registration numbers.
• When riding home, make sure you’re not being followed.

Protect yourself against motorcycle theft when selling your bike:

• Ask for the potential buyers name, address, date of birth and drivers license number. Then check their ID to see if it matches. Always be weary of out-of-state drivers licenses.
• Once the sale is complete, do not hand over the title until the check or money order has been cleared by the bank which can take up to five business days. Mail the title once the payment has cleared.
• Ask the buyer for his or her name, address, date of birth and driver’s license number. Then ask to see the driver’s license and check that the information given matches the license.
• Be especially cautious of anyone who presents out-of-state identification.
• Make sure the potential buyer wasn’t dropped off by another party and is planning to take a one-way test ride with your bike. Verify that the buyer owns the vehicle he or she arrived with, and that the vehicle is of equal or greater value than your bike.
• Check that the buyer's driver’s license carries a valid motorcycle endorsement.
• It isn’t necessary that you provide a buyer with the title right away. A written document signed by the seller and buyer indicating price and method of payment can serve as proof of purchase. You can forward the title to the buyer once the check has cleared the bank.
• If you decide to sell your motorcycle on consignment, do not provide the signed title to the dealership until you have received your money in full. Make sure the dealership is a reputable business before you trust them as an agent.
• Remember, it is better to have a potential buyer be insulted by your cauciousness than to have a thief take off on your motorcycle.

(Step 1) If you have experienced motorcycle theft, immediately contact the police to file an official police report.

(Step 2) Once the police report is filed, it will be added to the motorcycle theft list for your area.

(Step 3) You will be given a police report case number for the motorcycle theft. It's important that you keep this police report number to recover your motorcycle if it is recovered and to file an insurance claim.

(Step 4) Call local motorcycle shops and inform them of the motorcycle theft. Sometimes thieves bring a stolen motorcycle into a local shop to get it estimated or worked on. If the shop is aware of the motorcycle theft, they can inform the police and bring the thieves to justice.

(Step 5) Informing local pawn shop of the motorcycle theft is also a very good measure.

(Step 6) Create an eBay account, create a search for your motorcycle's brand and model name, and have eBay email you any listing matches. Stolen motorcycles and other items are sold on eBay everyday, and by using eBay in this manner your stolen motorcycle will not be one of them and if the criminal(s) do attempt to sell the stolen motorcycle on eBay, you may be able to catch the criminal(s).

If you have experienced motorcycle theft, input the make, model and VIN number to the motorcycle theft database and increase your chance of recovering your motorcycle and bring the thieves to justice. Stolen-Property.com is the largest motorcycle theft database, police and buyers and sellers of motorcycles utilize our service everyday. Reporting motorcycle theft on Stolen-Property.com is both free and easy, click the "REPORT MOTORCYCLE THEFT NOW" button at the top of the page to report motorcycle theft now.

This is the list of top ten states for motorcycle theft for 2005

• California 9,110
• Florida 6,324
• Texas 5,755
• North Carolina 3,053
• Ohio 2,573
• Arizona 2,464
• New York 2,195
• Indiana 2,186
• Georgia 2,159
• Pennsylvania 2,021