Motorcycle thefts decline 6 percent in 2011

A map showing motorcycles thefts by county during 2011.

Credits:

National Insurance Crime Bureau

A total of 46,667 motorcycles were reported stolen in 2011, and 17,199 of them were recovered, according to a report released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That compares to 49,791 stolen bikes in 2010, a decrease of 6 percent.
Whereas the number of thefts increases dramatically in the warmer months, the day of the week seems to be of no significance. On Mondays, the day of the largest number, there were 6,962 bikes stolen. The number on Sundays, the day of the lowest number, there were 6,422.
California ranks first as the state with the most thefts, with 5,927, followed by Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Indiana. The state reporting the lowest number of thefts was North Dakota (21) followed by Wyoming, South Dakota, Vermont, Alaska, and Montana. Of course, those five states all have low population numbers so it is no surprise they should have lower numbers of motorcycles--or anything--stolen.
The highest percentage of bikes stolen were Hondas, at 24 percent. Yamaha was next (19 percent), followed by Suzuki (16 percent), Kawasaki (11 percent), and Harley-Davidson (7 percent).
Recoveries of stolen motorcycles were largely proportional to thefts, with California the leader in recoveries (2,085) followed by Florida (1,334), Texas (965), Indiana (769), and North Carolina (725). The overall average time of recoveries was 31 days. However, in Vermont, the average time for recovery was just 2 days.