There's nothing worse than walking into a parking lot and finding an empty space where your bike was parked. Fortunately there were less people suffering that sinking feeling in 2009.  According to a National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB) report motorcycle thefts were down by 13% in 2009 across the U.S.  However, there were still over 56,000 bikes stolen last year.

The most popular targets by make were Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Harley Davidson.  Combined these five makes accounted for over 77% of all thefts.  The summer months of June, July and August reported the highest amounts of thefts, no big surprise here.

Motorcycle thefts more often than not go unsolved.  Motorcycles are easy to strip for parts, the parts are easy to sell, and frames and parts are easy to camouflage.  National recovery rates for stolen motorcycles averages 25-30%, where cars have a recovery rate of 65-70%.  

Good motorcycle theft prevention tips include:

1.  Lock your motorcycle, even when in storage, and remove the keys.
2.  Park in well-lit areas.
3.  Lock the forks or disc brakes with a large brightly colored lock.
4.  Add an audible alarm system.
5.  When traveling lock your bike to a pole if alone, or other bikes if with other riders.

Ride Safe!