Historically, fewer than half. Industry reports have generally put motorcycle recovery rates in the 40–45% range, and in some years lower. Compare that to passenger cars, where recovery rates have typically run much higher, and you see the problem: when a bike disappears, the odds are against you ever seeing it again.
Why so low?
- Bikes vanish fast. A motorcycle fits in a van or box truck, so there's no getaway vehicle to spot on the road.
- Parts are the payday. Many stolen bikes are stripped within days; a frame here, an engine there, and there's nothing left to recover.
- Easy to hide. A bike fits in a storage unit, garage, or shipping container.
- Few have trackers. Most cars now have some form of telematics; most bikes still have nothing.
That last point is the one you control. Recoveries that do happen are usually fast — within the first hours or days, before the bike is stripped or shipped. A tracker that alerts you the moment the bike moves and shows live location gives police something actionable while the window is still open. Without it, you're relying on luck.
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