most and least stolen bikes

[A500leroy]

Can we compile a list of most most and least popular bikes that get nicked?

I'm guessing high value sports bikes and scooters are most popular, with Chinese and anything over five yrs old being less of a risk.


It may inform my choice of commuter machine!

[Biker 1]

I'm hoping there's someone on PH with some official statistics from the insurance industry. I'm planning on a new bike in Jan/Feb, & insurance costs will play a part in the decision making process.

[david mcc]

I've got a deauville 650. Amazing commuter that no one would ever want to steal. I can park it anywhere and not worry about it being taken.

Downside is it's bland to ride but as a commuter, nothing else better imo

[Rubin215]

A500leroy said:

Chinese and anything over five yrs old being less of a risk.

Easier to steal (fewer alarms or imobilisers, generally less security) so more popular with teenage opportunists looking for some
thing to wreck on their local waste ground.

Also less likely to see a posse of rabid owners with baseball bats come looking for you.

[Loyly]

Chinese stuff is embarrassingly easy to steal. If there is nothing else to go for, they'll happily take that.

I saw some CCTV at work of two thieves stealing a Chinese cruiser bike. It took them about 30 seconds to break the steering lock and push it away. They'd hotwired it by pulling a positive lead from the headlight and wiring it to the starter (at least I think that was what they had done). The lad got it back, still running and it could only be disconnected by pulling the wiring apart. He reckoned they'd had the bike about two minutes, and they'd managed to get it started.

[podman]

Biker 1 said:

I'm hoping there's someone on PH with some official statistics from the insurance industry. I'm planning on a new bike in Jan/Feb, & insurance costs will play a part in the decision making process.

The insurers companies do publish this data now and again, im sure with a little more digging than my 10 seconds worth you'll find some newer data.

http://www.visordown.com/news/industry/yamaha-tops...

[fred bloggs]

Its not about what bike,its about how easy it is to take.

[Bailey93]

Get a lock small enough for the rear disk and you'll really ruin a thieves day. If the lock is on the front disk that's relatively easy to life, but on the rear its much harder. How many people would it take to try and wheel a bike up into the back of a van with the rear wheel up in the air.

[terry tibbs]

Bailey93 said:

Get a lock small enough for the rear disk and you'll really ruin a thieves day. If the lock is on the front disk that's relatively easy to life, but on the rear its much harder. How many people would it take to try and wheel a bike up into the back of a van with the rear wheel up in the air.

four men, two poles (other nationalities are available), lift into van job jobbed

want it they'll get it

[Renn Sport]

terry tibbs said:

Bailey93 said:

Get a lock small enough for the rear disk and you'll really ruin a thieves day. If the lock is on the front disk that's relatively easy to life, but on the rear its much harder. How many people would it take to try and wheel a bike up into the back of a van with the rear wheel up in the air.

four men, two poles (other nationalities are available), lift into van job jobbed

want it they'll get it

Very funny...

However when working just behind oxford street this is how a sport bike was taken. two poles through the wheels up in the air and walked into/thrown into a van and off they went. The ex forces security guards were giving chase but by the time they had got to the door the bike was in the van.

Its like you can't have anything nice in today's larger cities. Either its getting nicked or getting vandalised.

[Bailey93]

Well that's pissed all over my confidence, cheers lads

[jimi]

You need to chain it to something really, they are so easy to lift otherwise.

[cbmotorsport]

Portable angle grinders seem the norm now. So chains, disc locks and the like seem a bit pointless.

Only thing you can do is use multiple devices to try and make them pick an easier target. A chain or 2 and 2 disc locks would take a bit of grinding.

[Wedg1e]

jimi said:

You need to chain it to something really, they are so easy to lift otherwise.

Ever tried to pick up a Pan European?

[mgv8]

I did see a list a few years ago. Mopeds number 1 then number go down as CC goes up then a blip for 600 and 1000 sports bikes. Low on the nubers is anything over 1200 but this may have change with.

[crusty]

Any dirtbike - attracts thieves like flies on st

[Rubin215]

Bailey93 said:

Get a lock small enough for the rear disk and you'll really ruin a thieves day. If the lock is on the front disk that's relatively easy to life, but on the rear its much harder. How many people would it take to try and wheel a bike up into the back of a van with the rear wheel up in the air.

Pivot the bike on its sidestand so the rear wheel is in the air, place a mini-skateboard or similar under the locked rear wheel, lower the wheel down on to the skateboard and simply roll the bike up a ramp and in to the back of a van.
If it's the front wheel then use a kids 3-wheel scooter as it also allows you to steer.

A refrigerated van is the best choice as it allows you to drive away with an alarm blaring and it won't deafen you due to the insulation deadening the noise.

[Wedg1e]

Rubin215 said:

A refrigerated van is the best choice as it allows you to drive away with an alarm blaring and it won't deafen you due to the insulation deadening the noise.

When I was in vehicle security in the early 90s there was a gang nicked in London (the typical 'under the arches' operation) who used a fridge van even then.

The greatest lengths I think I ever heard of was a Porsche 911 on a house forecourt, blocked in by several other cars and behind a locked gate.
The scummers broke into a local factory, nicked an electric forklift and used it to remove the gate and then lift all the other cars out of the way so they could get the Porsche.
Nobody saw anything, nobody heard anything...

[Biker 1]

[redacted]

[Dog Star]

[redacted]