Motor vehicle theft in Australia is now at its lowest figure since the start of the millennium thanks to the pandemic lockdowns.
The biggest decline has been in motorcycle theft which is down 16.8% over the same time last year and 7.1% from four years ago.
While the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council recognises that thefts have dropped wth thew lockdowns in most eastern states, the biggest drop in motorcycle thefts in the past year has been in Western Australia where there have been the least number of lockdowns.
WA recorded a 28.7% drop in thefts from a national high of 2167 to 1545 which s behind NSW (1916), Victoria (1910) and Queensland (1686).
Surely riders should now be contacting their insurance provider and asking for a reduced premium.
Australian motorcycle thefts
State or Territory
2019
2020
% change
Thefts
% of thefts
Thefts
% of thefts
ACT
126
1.3
92
1.1
-27.0%
NSW
2,142
22.1
1,916
23.8
-10.6%
NT
97
1.0
61
0.8
-37.1%
QLD
2,010
20.8
1,686
20.9
-16.1%
SA
824
8.5
697
8.7
-15.4%
TAS
192
2.0
148
1.8
-22.9%
VIC
2,122
21.9
1,910
23.7
-10.0%
WA
2,167
22.4
1,545
19.2
-28.7%
AUS
9,680
100.0
8,055
100.0
-16.8%
While it is worth challenging your insurance premium at your next renewal, residents of South East Queensland and the Perth region may have some difficulty supporting their request.
Although these local government authorities are experiencing substantial motorcycle theft reductions, they still feature high in the top 10 LGAs for motorcycle theft.
State or Territory
LGA
2019
2020
% change
QLD
Brisbane (City)
526
511
-2.9%
QLD
Gold Coast (City)
283
229
-19.1%
VIC
Melbourne (City)
250
210
-16.0%
QLD
Moreton Bay (Regional Council)
184
143
-22.3%
NSW
Sydney (City)
149
131
-12.1%
NSW
Newcastle (City)
130
125
-3.8%
QLD
Logan (City)
200
122
-39.0%
NSW
Blacktown (City)
120
111
-7.5%
VIC
Moreland (City)
107
109
1.9%
WA
Cockburn (City)
171
103
-39.8%
Thieves are mainly targeting scooters and small dirt bikes which are easier to steal and repurpose.
More than a quarter of all motorcycles stolen are under 500cc.
The list of brands being stolen also reflects the popularity of those brands, although scooter brands feature much higher than their presence on our roads.
Australian riders want better infrastructure and security devices on their motorcycles and scooters, according to a new survey.
While motorcycle thefts were down 26% to 7318 in the 12 months to April 2020, the issue is still important to riders who expressed a strong attachment to their vehicles, the survey has found.
The survey of 186 riders was conducted by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council and Motorcycle Council of NSW.
Most respondents were owners of cruiser bikes, followed by tourers and sportsbikes, with an engine capacity of between 726cc and 1125cc. They were mainly recreational riders, taking their motorcycles out once or twice a week. Six were owners of scooters/mopeds.
Motorcycle security at home
The survey pointed to a high level of awareness among motorcycle riders of the need to protect their bikes from theft when at home.
Almost all riders surveyed indicated that they have access to off-street parking at home (98%), with 72% keeping their bikes in a locked shed or garage.
Keeping keys out of sight in the home was the most common security practice employed by riders (59%), followed by using a steering lock (48%) and an immobiliser (40%).
Of the small number of riders who did not use security devices, keeping their bike in a secure and/or alarmed garage was considered sufficient protection, or they were not concerned because their bike was insured.
Most riders (70%) considered it unlikely that their bike would be stolen from the home.
This may in part be due to the high level of compliance with security practices and devices amongst the group.
However, with more than half of all motorcycle theft occurring from the home (57% in 2020), it is important that motorcyclists understand the importance of employing secure practices when home as well as out in the community.
Motorcycle security when out
The majority of respondents indicated that they park their bike on the footpath or street when in a public space (71%), with just 17% utilising a secure public car park.
Use of a steering lock was the most common theft prevention practice (61%), followed by an immobiliser (41%) and a disc lock (31%).
Twenty-three riders indicated they did not employ security practices when out, with the fact that their bike is insured being the determining factor.The inconvenience of carrying security devices was also seen as a deterrent.
Interestingly, motorcyclists’ perception of theft risk while out was more ambiguous when compared to the ‘at home’ results.
While 47% of respondents did not consider it likely that their bike would be stolen when out, close to a third were unsure – indicating they felt it was neither likely nor unlikely.
This points to an increased risk perception when in a public space, as well as potentially a sense of being unable to control what happens to a bike parked on the street as opposed to at home.
It is worth noting that the majority of riders surveyed were not daily commuters.
Theft perceptions
The survey highlighted motorcyclists’ strong attachment to their bikes.
Forty-five per cent indicated they would be ‘extremely upset’ if their motorcycle was stolen, with a further 44% who would feel ‘violated’ by knowing someone had interfered with their personal property.
There was also an overwhelming belief that if their bike were to be stolen, it would be unlikely to be recovered (79%), potentially heightening the sense of attachment.
Seventeen per cent had been a victim of motorcycle theft in the past.
Scooter riders
Scooter/moped owners were less inclined to secure their bike in a locked garage or shed (33%), with half parking somewhere at home that was not visible from the street.
This may be because scooter riders are more likely to live in inner-city residences where there is no access to a locked garage or shed.
Among this small sample group, keeping keys out of sight when at home was the security measure most employed (50%), followed by having an immobiliser and using a generic motorcycle cover.
One respondent did not take any security measures at all.
The majority (83%) did not believe that their scooter would be stolen from the home (a higher proportion than owners of other bikes).
Scooter riders were more likely to ride daily. When out, most scooter riders did not employ security practices indicating they were either unsure or perceived it to be unlikely that their scooter would be stolen when out.
Almost all scooter riders said they would be very upset if they were to become a victim of theft.
Overall, survey responses indicate a slight trend towards fewer security practices employed amongst scooter riders when compared to owners of other motorcycles.
(Image: Met Police)
How to improve security
Most respondents were keen to see improved public infrastructure for securing parked motorcycles, including:
Increased posts/bollards with chains/anchor points;
More secure parking bays;
The ability to secure bikes to a parking space;
More CCTV;
Installation of lockers for helmets and other riding equipment; and
Better lighting in parking areas.
Riders also indicated a need for improved motorcycle security by manufacturers, including:
More widely available and affordable GPS tracking;
VIN-based microdots on all motorcycles;
Fitment of alarms and immobilisers as OEM;
A factory alarm with the use of RFID in key; and
A compulsory register of unregistered/off-road bikes.
UK bike lock manufacturer Litelok have developed their lightest and most flexible motorcycle lock yet called the Litelok Core Moto.
It has been accredited as Motorcycle Gold by the independent certification group Sold Secure and the makers claim it is one of the lightest security locks on the market.
Litelok still weighs 2.5kg which is a lot to lug around in your bike’s panners or top box.
At the core is Boaflexicore Plus, a patented material invented by rider and Litelok founder, Professor Neil Barron, an award-winning industrial designer and ex-Rolls Royce aeronautical engineer.
“I’ve owned a number of motorcycles and truly understand what it means to lose such treasured possessions but also how inconvenient lugging around heavy chains can be,” says Neil who has had three bikes stolen.
“We developed Litelok Core Moto to be our most secure lock whilst still being really practical and easy to use.”
It has multiple layers of protection from the inner core out.
The 125cm lock is also very flexible and features a simple integrated click-to-lock system with a key only required to unlock.
Locks are pairable so you can join two together for added length. They offer them in twin packs so they can be used with the same unique key.
Litelok Core Moto is available for preorder in either a 125cm or 150cm length and comes with either an orange, black or red washable, outer neoprene skin to help protect your bike’s paintwork.
Limited early bird pricing begins at £110 ($A196, $US155, €130), with savings of up to 30% on recommended retail pricing.
Rates of motorcycle theft in Australia took a welcome 16.7% drop during the pandemic lockdown last year.
Thefts dropped from 9680 to 8059 in 2020 which was the biggest decrease in the two decades since the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council began collecting statistics.
This is largely due to the COVID lockdown and riders being unable to ride their bikes, so they were locked away in garages.
The 2020 motorcycle theft trend reflects a drop in all motor vehicle thefts across the nation of 15%.
Profit-motivated theft by professionals where the bikes are usually not recovered dropped 12.1% from 4633 to 4072, which was the biggest decrease in any category of vehicles.
But it appears the lockdown had an even bigger impact on short-term theft for joy rides or to use vehicles for other crimes where bikes are later recovered with these thefts down 21% from 5047 to 3987.
The trend varied across the nation with the biggest drop in numbers in Western Australia.
Surprisingly, Victoria recorded the lowest drop in thefts despite the fact that it suffered the longest periods of lockdown.
2019
2020
% change
Thefts
% of thefts
Thefts
% of thefts
ACT
126
93
-26.2%
NSW
2,142
1,911
-10.8%
NT
97
61
-37.1%
QLD
2,010
1,693
-15.8%
SA
824
696
-15.5%
TAS
192
148
-22.9%
VIC
2,122
1,915
-9.8%
WA
2,167
1,542
-28.8%
AUS
9,680
100.0
8,059
100.0
-16.7%
Once again, South East Queensland was the hot-spot for thefts, which could be why insurance premiums are so high.
Of the top 10 Local Government Areas where motorcycle thefts occurred, SEQ had the top two spots and four in the top 10.
The biggest decrease in motor vehicle theft in Australia during the pandemic was in motorcycles.
While national vehicle theft was down 7% in the 12 months to the end of September – the lowest since 2017 — the largest reduction was in motorcycles.
Bike thefts were down 11% to 8667 which was only 1% up on four years ago, say the official National Motor Vehicle Theft Council figures.
This is due to the COVID lockdown and riders being unable to ride their bikes, so they have been locked away in garages.
However, the council warns that the trend may now be reversing as states open up after COVID restrictions since September.
The council is warning all motorists to keep their vehicles locked and secured as well as their keys, as most vehicle theft is as a result of homes being broken into and keys stolen.
The Council also points out that there is a correlation between the performance of the economy and crime.
They tip that with the recession caused by the pandemic it is “almost certain the current uplift in vehicle crime will extend into 2021 at a minimum”.
Motorcycle thefts had been trending up with a 10.% increase to 9672 in the 2019 calendar year. In fact, that was the biggest increase of any category of vehicle.
The last few years have seen London struggle to control a huge motorcycle crime wave. At its peak in 2017, 15,497 motorcycles and scooters were stolen in London1, that’s over 42 a day! Crime figures have since been brought down by a concerted Police action, including tactics to ram thieves off bikes and an awareness campaign of preventative security owners should use.
However, thieves are getting ever resourceful, no longer just relying on bolt croppers, today’s tooled up criminals are carrying battery powered angle grinders, freeze sprays to shatter brittle metal and using (previously stolen) scooters to push stolen bikes away.
What can you do to avoid motorcycle theft? 80% of motorcycle theft occurs at home with average thefts taking only 20 seconds!2 So, tool up and invest in the best motorcycle security devices you can buy, follow the tips below on what to look for in heavy duty security for use at home.
Security Chain
As a minimum, invest in a security chain with 16mm case-hardened links; 16mm is too big to be attacked by big bolt croppers and through-hardened links are too brittle, the whole link will shatter after one side is broken. With grinder attacks so common, larger chains with links up to 22mm are available from the firms like Almax and Pragmasis. Still not 100% grinder proof, but they’ll take considerable longer to cut and put off all but the most determined thieves.
When locking your bike, keep your chain elevated off the ground, it’ll be a lot harder to attack if it can’t be braced against something solid.
Ground Anchor
A chain alone won’t stop you motorcycle being lifted into a van, you need to chain you bike down to something solid like a ground anchor. These are either a hoop design to bolt to a concrete floor (with measures to prevent unbolting) or are a Y-shaped pipework design to be sunken into a fresh concrete hole. The latter are neater and flush to the floor, but more effort to install. Once a good chain is threaded through your bike and the ground anchor, no-one will lift your bike away without a good deal of angle grinder work.
Disc Lock
Essentially a lockable pin clamp to go on your brake disc to prevent your bike being rolled away. Not as secure as a quality chain and often removed relatively quickly with a grinder, either directly or by grinding a chunk out of the brake disc! However, disc locks are still a worthwhile buy due to their portability for when you’re parked up away from home and many are available with a loud alarm. If you’ve got one, use it in combination with your chain and ground anchor at home as well to increase the theft effort.
Cover
Obviously a thin rain cover isn’t going to secure your bike much, but a cover will hide your bike from prying eyes and opportunist thieves. They won’t know if you’ve got a posh Ducati or a tatty commuter hack, what manner of security gear you have in place and are one more thing to slow a thief down. Don’t take my word for it, a bike cover was also a key part of the recent Met Police “Be Safe Lock Chain Cover” campaign3 to raise awareness of motorbike theft in London. Considering the low cost of a cover, they’re well worth using.
Conclusion
Motorcycle theft is a big problem in many cities and should not be dismissed without thought. You maybe insured against theft, but excesses and future hikes in premiums will still hit your wallet. Above are some simple measures and a minimum to protect yourself, more tips are in this motorcycle security guide. Ultimately, there is no single wonder device, use multiple, each requiring more time and effort to overcome.
Bio
Arthur Yarwood | Beginner Biker Adventures – Seasoned London commuter, doing my best to stay rubber side down.
Sources
Met Police (https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2018/february_2018/information-rights-unit—detailed-breakdown-of-statistics-for-motorcycle-theft-in-london-by-borough-for-2017)
National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS)
Met Police, Be Safe scooter theft (https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/campaigns/be-safe-campaign/be-safe-scooter-theft/)
Can you identify this scooter thief from the inset image of the man while riding in the back of a taxi?
Sunshine Coast detectives want to speak to him about the theft of a Suzuki UK110 scooter from outside a surf club at Coolum last week.
Just after 4pm last Saturday (9 May 2020), the man attended the surf club on David Low Way where he stole a silver 2015 Suzuki UK110 bearing Queensland registration 095QU.
Prior to this, the man attempted to steal a car from a house on First Avenue at Coolum Beach, just after 3.30pm.
The man was confronted by the residents and ran from the area.
He is described as Caucasian in appearance, of a solid build with short dark hair. He is also described as having New Zealand accent and wearing a black shirt and shorts at the time.
Anyone with information that could identify the man, or the whereabouts of the scooter, is urged to contact police.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
Quote this reference number: QP2000959139 within the online suspicious activity form.
When riding home, make sure you are not being followed.
Stay alert for suspicious vans or trucks driving around late at night. These are used to transport stolen motorcycles.
Lock the steering if it has a steering lock.
Put a cover over your bike. It might slow down thieves and prevent theft of accessories. But make sure it isn’t a flashy lone with the brand name of the bike on it. That only entices thieves.
When riding in a group, park your bikes together.
Consider marking your bike in a unique way that could aid in recovery and therefore dissuade thieves.
At hotels or public parking spaces, try to park in view of parking lot security cameras and lights.
Install a motorcycle alarm and/or a hidden kill switch.
Buy a GPS tracking system that can track and relay your bike’s speed, location and direction.
We would also like to point out how quickly police responded to our call. Within two hours local police arrived and forensics arrived another two hours later. Meanwhile, we received a call from yet another police station to say they had recovered baby seats from one of the vehicles.
Queensland Police are appealing for witnesses or dashcam vision after an allegedly stolen motorcycle crashed in Miles last Saturday (29 February 2020).
They say that about 12.20pm a man and woman were riding on a black 2004 Honda VTR1000F motorcycle east on Murilla Street towards Colamba Street.
At the intersection of Wallen Street, the motorcycle collided with a vehicle while overtaking and both the rider and pillion were thrown from the motorcycle.
The man and woman were both seriously injured and flown to hospital.
Investigators are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam or CCTV footage to contact police.
It will be alleged the Honda VTR1000F was stolen from an address on Pine Street around 11.30am last Saturday.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
The sobering statistics also show that almost two in three motorcycles are stolen from the home, one in six motorcycle theft victims have previously been a victim of theft and more than half of all stolen bikes are never recovered.
Council Projects and Communications Coordinator Caitlin Hrambanis says there could be several reasons for the explosion on motorcycle theft rates:
However, he has tweeted that his demo V4R that he uses for promotional duties pillioning customers around the track has been stolen.
Stolen, straight out the back door of our race truck at Somerton VIC while driver having a shower. What the hell do you want a two-up bike for? It’s due for an engine rebuild as well, you ain’t going far on that.
Troy’s race truck
Troy says he is hoping to catch the thief on CCTV and says in another tweet:
If anyone spots a V4R two-up bike cruising down the highway can you stick a broom handle in the front wheel and cut off at least one of the hands of the rider?
We can certainly understand his feelings and many other riders have suggested similar penalties for bike thieves.
NSW introduced tougher penalties in 2006 of up to 14 years for anyone involved in motor vehicle theft or rebirthing.
While it has resulted in a decrease in car theft, it is not having any effect on motorcycle theft which is up 17.1% in NSW compared with an increase of 11.7% nationwide.
Law enforcement agencies agree that tougher penalties are needed. But maybe not castration, nor cutting off a hand as they still do in Saudi Arabia!
The problem has been that organised criminal rings use specialist criminals for different functions of the same offence.
They include bike thieves, burglars who break into your house to steal car or bike keys, re-birthers, fencers and document forgers.
This has made it difficult to convict offenders and gang bosses or organisers. Charges were often not proven or bargained down to lesser charges, such as receiving stolen property.
At best, the conviction system was protracted with little or no joy for the victims.
In 2006, the NSW government amended the Crimes Act 1900 to introduce a new offence of knowingly facilitating a rebirthing activity carried out on an organised basis.
It applied to any and all members in the network involved in stealing your motorcycle or car with tougher penalties. The maximum penalty was 14 years in jail.
Last year a review of the laws founds they were not only catching some offenders who knowingly participate in a vehicle rebirthing activity but who may not be guilty of any other offence.
Yet it also found that sentences did not reflect the seriousness of the crime, given the lack of offenders receiving the 14-year maximum penalty.
Although it did note that the Court of Criminal Appeal and District Court “conscientiously assess the gravity of the offending when applying the standard non-parole period of four years”.
It also identified the difficulties of proving the offender’s knowledge of the motor vehicle theft network.
Despite this and the lack of maximum sentences, the review did not proposed any legislative changes.
Meanwhile, we wish Troy every success in both racing this weekend and finding his demo Duc.
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Motorcycle security when out
Emergency release cord
Cord ted up
