Motorcycle theft continues to drop in pandemic

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 See also Amanda Quick· Motorcycle News ·November 20, 2024·9 min read Souo’s Insane Flat-Eight Muscle Cruiser and a New Rocket Duo
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.

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.