Motorcycle theft fell a surprising 2.7% to 9021 in the past financial year (2019/20) while overall Australian motor vehicle theft increased 2% to 56,312.
It appears motorcycle thieves stayed home during the coronavirus pandemic as motorcycle thefts had been on course for a bumper year.
Thefts were trending up with a 10.% increase to 9672 in the 2019 calendar year. In fact, that was the biggest increase of any category of vehicle.
Instead, motorcycle thefts have dropped dramatically during the pandemic which seems to run completely contra to thefts of other motor vehicles.
The National Motor Vehicle Theft Council even points out that there is a correlation between the performance of the economy and crime.
They tip that with the recession caused by the pandemic it is “almost certain the current uplift in vehicle crime will extend into 2021 at a minimum”.
However, that may not include motorcycles.
Motorcycle thefts
(Image: Met Police)The biggest drop in motorcycle theft was in NSW, down 251 (11.6%) from 2160 to 1909.
At the other end of the scale, Tasmania was up a whopping 27.1%.
| State or Territory | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | % change | ||
| Thefts | % of thefts | Thefts | % of thefts | ||
| ACT | 104 | 1.1 | 110 | 1.2 | 5.8% |
| NSW | 2,160 | 23.3 | 1,909 | 21.2 | -11.6% |
| NT | 100 | 1.1 | 77 | 0.9 | -23.0% |
| QLD | 1,864 | 20.1 | 1,956 | 21.7 | 4.9% |
| SA | 711 | 7.7 | 783 | 8.7 | 10.1% |
| TAS | 170 | 1.8 | 216 | 2.4 | 27.1% |
| VIC | 2,037 | 22.0 | 2,056 | 22.8 | 0.9% |
| WA | 2,121 | 22.9 | 1,914 | 21.2 | -9.8% |
| AUS | 9,267 | 100.0 | 9,021 | 100.0 | -2.7% |
Motorcycle thefts by Local Government Area
Once again, the South East Queensland and Perth regions were the most popular targets for thieves.
As a consequence, these areas usually attract higher insurance premiums.
| State or Territory | LGA | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | % change |
| QLD | Brisbane (City) | 466 | 599 | 28.5% |
| QLD | Gold Coast (City) | 273 | 277 | 1.5% |
| VIC | Melbourne (City) | 232 | 247 | 6.5% |
| QLD | Logan (City) | 168 | 185 | 10.1% |
| QLD | Moreton Bay (Regional Council) | 169 | 185 | 9.5% |
| WA | Cockburn (City) | 117 | 151 | 29.1% |
| NSW | Newcastle (City) | 156 | 119 | -23.7% |
| WA | Stirling (City) | 156 | 116 | -25.6% |
| SA | Adelaide (City) | 52 | 114 | 119.2% |
| WA | Rockingham (City) | 85 | 114 | 34.1% |
Most stolen
As usual, the most stolen motorcycle brands are also the most prevalent in the market such as Japanese bikes.
However, scooters and off-road bikes were also prime targets of thieves as they are lightweight and easy to steal. Some are also used on properties and tourist destinations where they may not be re-registered.
That explains the high theft rating of off-road brands such as KTM and Husqvarna, and scooter brands such as SYM, Kymco and Piaggio.
Top motorcycle theft targets
| Make | 2018/19 | 2019/20 |
| Honda | 2,010 | 1,938 |
| Yamaha | 1,582 | 1,574 |
| Kawasaki | 854 | 884 |
| Suzuki | 816 | 819 |
| KTM | 647 | 598 |
| SYM | 287 | 336 |
| Kymco | 223 | 257 |
| Piaggio | 203 | 221 |
| Harley Davidson | 219 | 186 |
| Triumph | 182 | 160 |
| Husqvarna | 145 | 146 |
| Longjia | 142 | 130 |
| Hyosung | 173 | 129 |
| Ducati | 92 | 101 |
| Aprilia | 94 | 99 |
| Vespa | 78 | 94 |
| BMW | 78 | 92 |
| Bolwell | 65 | 68 |
| CFMoto | 60 | 57 |
| Vmoto | 65 | 56 |