As Motorcycle Theft Rates Soar, Survey Reveals Bikers’ Concern

With motorcycle theft rates climbing more than 55 percent and bike sales soaring at unprecedented rates, a survey of motorcycle owners revealed that a full 49 percent are concerned about bike theft and 84 percent believe the chances are “slim to none” of getting a stolen bike back.

Further, 46 percent were aware that
professional thieves typically involved with organized crime rings are often behind the problem. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and commissioned by LoJack Corporation, a provider of recovery systems for valuable mobile assets such

as motorcycles, cars and construction
equipment.

Bikers score on theft prevention habits

According to the survey, bikers are exercising a number of good theft prevention habits. Eighty-eight percent always keep their bikes concealed in a garage or storage area when parked at home; 80 percent remove their keys from their parked bikes; and 62 percent park in a well-lit area. Additionally, 76 percent use locks and 47 percent use kill switches in an attempt to prevent theft. Only 16 percent use alarms.

“What this survey says to us is that many motorcycle owners are concerned about bike theft and are trying to do the right things to prevent it, yet they know it is simply not enough to protect their bikes from today’s sophisticated thieves,” said LoJack CEO Joseph F. Abely. “With bike theft rising at alarming rates, owners need to take every precaution possible to keep their motorcycles safe and out of the hands of thieves.”

‘Bike Smarts’

In an effort to increase awareness of the growing problem of bike theft and offer tips on theft protection, LoJack launched its “Bike Smarts” education initiative. Bike Smarts, which is a consumer guide to protecting motorcycles from theft, is available on LoJack’s Web site, www.lojack.com. It is part of the company’s broader education initiative on theft prevention for cars, trucks and construction equipment.

“One issue we are trying to address is the lack of information available about the growing problem of bike theft and the sophisticated thieves who are driving up theft rates,” said Abely. “This initiative is just a small step toward providing the biking community with information about this issue and advice on what they can do to help protect their bikes.”

How the survey was conducted

The survey was conducted from June 28-30, 2005, by Opinion Research Corporation, an independent research organization. Professional interviewers conducted telephone interviews with a representative sample of 501 American adults who qualified as bike owners. Response totals are subject to a plus or minus three percent margin of error.