Is motorcycle theft increasing or decreasing in the US?

The honest answer: the trend line has pointed the wrong way for much of the past decade. Industry theft data showed a notable climb through the early 2020s, after a long stretch of decline in the 2010s. Year-to-year numbers bounce around, and some regions improve while others get worse, but no rider should assume theft is a fading problem.

A few forces behind the rise:

• More bikes on the road — motorcycle and scooter sales surged around the pandemic, creating more targets.
• The scooter and minibike boom — light, easy-to-grab machines pushed totals up, especially in cities.
• Strong parts demand — a stripped bike is worth real money and nearly impossible to trace.
• Organized crews — van-based theft that defeats locks in seconds has become routine in big metros.

Meanwhile, recovery rates for motorcycles remain far below those for cars — historically under half of stolen bikes come back. So the practical picture is: more thefts, poor recovery odds. That combination is exactly why layered security plus a tracker has shifted from "nice to have" to standard practice.

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magnetic GPS tracker for motorcycles with no monthly fee