In the 12 months leading up to March 2020 there were 9,938 motorcycle thefts in Australia (an increase of 11% compared to the previous year); making up over 16% of all motor vehicle thefts for the same period despite only accumulating less than 4.5% of total vehicle registrations. Unfortunately, those statistics are only set to rise with an increase in registered motorcycles.
Currently, the national recovery rate according to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC) is 48%, essentially meaning if your beloved ride is stolen the chance of you ever seeing it again is a flip of a coin, which isn’t very comforting information in the event of your bike being stolen.
Top of the list of stolen motorbikes? Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki & KTM, totaling 63.8% of national motorcycle thefts.
What states are being hit the hardest?
Despite being the 4th largest state by population, Western Australia had the highest amount of motorcycle thefts at 2,178. A very close second was Victoria at 2,177. Third place is New South Wales at 2,155 and forth, Queensland with 2,128 motorcycle thefts. Other states are only in the hundreds.
As for recovery rates, Victoria is the worse at only 36%, and New South Wales only 49%. The state with the highest recovery rate, with only 219 total thefts, is Tasmania at 60%.
So what measures can you take?
Obviously, a quality chain lock, alarmed disc lock or bike cover can all significantly improve the likelihood of your motorcycle not being taken. But the best way to reduce theft and aid in recovery is a GPS tracker. Our Fleetminder MT4G is a compact and discrete GPS tracking module for monitoring of your motorcycle using the 4G network. When paired to the Fleetminder tracking platform, 24/7 security is provided via real time tamper and Geo-fence alerts if the motorcycle is moved from a set location. You can wire the MT4G with an optional relay to disable the starter motor to trip up thieves. But if they do manage to start the bike, the location and speed is reported every 60 seconds or at each corner, whichever comes first and a history is kept online for 6 months to aid with recovery if stolen. With the key off, it reports the location every hour. Users can add Geo-fences and track the location and routes taken with the included Fleetminder mobile app when you are on the move. The MT4G is a must have for the security of any motorcycle.
Check out the MT4G here.
