You’ve bought a new motorcycle, but you’re worried about it getting stolen. Rightfully so, because most stolen motorcycles are not recovered. Educate yourself here on the facts about motorcycle theft in Australia. The data presented here is all available from the NMVTRC (carsafe.com.au).
Motorcycle Theft Cases by Year
The numbers show that between last year and 2016, theft numbers have gone down. The following numbers are the total number of reported motorcycle thefts according to calendar year.
2013 – 8308
2014 – 8119
2015 – 8250
2016 – 8335
2017 – 8038
Recovery Rate
Unfortunately, compared to cars, motorcycles have statistically a much lower chance of being recovered. The following numbers are cases of “short-term thefts.” That is, cases where the motorcycle was recovered.
2013 – 3908 (47%)
2014 – 3899 (48%)
2015 – 3854 (47%)
2016 – 4104 (49%)
2017 – 3655 (45%)
Thefts by State (2017)
VIC..........................................2006
WA..........................................1943
NSW........................................1673
QLD.........................................1525
SA.............................................519
NT.............................................125
ACT...........................................125
TAS...........................................122
(Visit carsafe.com.au/motorcycle-map to access the interactive theft map)
Top 10 Motorcycle Theft Hot-Spots (2017)
These numbers are motorcycle theft cases according to Local Government Areas.
Brisbane (QLD)......................270
Gold Coast (QLD)..................225
Melbourne (VIC).....................176
Rockingham (WA)..................145
Port Phillip (VIC).....................139
Stirling (WA)...........................129
Logan (QLD)..........................127
Greater ACT...........................124
Moreton Bay (QLD)................116
Sunshine Coast (QLD)...........111
Top 5 Most Stolen Motorcycle Brands (2017)
Honda...........................1683 thefts
Yamaha.........................1448 thefts
Kawasaki.........................726 thefts
Suzuki..............................721 thefts
KTM.................................548 thefts
If you are concerned about the security of your ride, read up here on how to theft proof your motorcycle.