Motorcycle thefts drop for 4th straight year in Ohio

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist,” Frank Scafidi, spokesman with the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “People will put (the motorcycle) in the back of a van, and off they go.”

About 1,097 motorcycles were reported stolen in Ohio in 2011, down 25 percent from 1,469 in 2010, according to bureau data. The number of bikes reported stolen has decreased 53 percent from 2,350 in 2007.

Ohio has seen a larger decline in motorcycle thefts than the rest of the nation. Between 2007 and 2011, U.S. motorcycle thefts fell by 30 percent to 46,667, according to the bureau. Bike thefts declined last year even though bike sales saw a slight uptick.

The decline in bike thefts matches a similar decline in thefts of cars and trucks, which in Ohio fell 40 percent between 2007 and 2011.

Criminals are stealing fewer vehicles because of improvements in theft-prevention technology that make it harder to hot wire ignition systems and easier to track the vehicles when they go missing, officials said.

But motorcycles remain an attractive target for thieves because they are not very large or heavy, Scafidi said. Thieves just need a truck or van to steal a bike.

On May 5, a resident who lives on Troy Street in Dayton told police that he heard a truck at the rear of his home in the early morning hours. The man said when he went outside, he discovered his 1999 Yamaha dirt bike motorcycle was missing from his backyard. Similar stories of bikes disappearing overnight are common in the region.

Many cars and trucks are stolen as crimes of opportunity because the owners left their keys in the ignition. But that is not the case with motorcycles, police reports show. Most bikes that are stolen are sitting in an unguarded parking space or a garage one moment and then are gone the next.

“It is a smaller item and you can hide it easily,” Scafidi said. “Three guys can throw a motorcycle in the back of a pickup and drive away.”

Bikes are often stripped for parts. The stolen bikes that are located and returned to their owners often have damage.

While most stolen automobiles are recovered, most motorcycles are not. In Ohio, about one-third of stolen bikes are located and identified by authorities. Additionally, stolen cars and trucks are often recovered within days. On average, stolen motorcycles that were recovered in Ohio took 45 days to locate.

Nationwide Insurance said motorcycle owners can help thwart thieves by taking a few simple precautions. The company recommends installing tracking technology on bikes to help assist authorities locate the stolen property. It is also a good idea to purchase a disc brake lock to lock the wheel of the bike in place. Chains can lock bikes to immovable objects, and alarms can scare away thieves or even kill the ignition or starter when activated.

Stolen motorcycles

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau