Motorcycle Theft In Australia Has Seen Huge Decline Amid Pandemic

The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Australia has reported a substantial decline in motor vehicle theft amid the ongoing global pandemic. It is interesting to note that Motor vehicle theft rates in Australia are at the lowest since the start of the millennium. An article published by popular Australian motorcycle publication, Motorbike Writer, goes into great detail about the report.

According to the article, among all the different types of motor vehicles, the biggest decline in terms of theft has been for motorcycles. Motorcycle theft is down by 16.8 percent as compared to the same period last year. As it would turn out, the government-mandated stay-at-home order seems to have applied for thieves as well. Australia has currently been struggling with keeping the pandemic at bay, with several parts of the region currently under one form or another of lockdown.

Interestingly, however, Western Australia, which has had the least number of total lockdowns, had posted the largest decline of motorcycle theft in the last year. Specifically, the region recorded a total of 1,545 thefts—a 28.7 percent decline from the national high of 2,167 thefts. The decline in motorcycle theft could eventually have an effect on the insurance industry in the country, as customers could be contacting their agencies and providers demanding lower premiums due to subsequently lowered risk of theft.

Another interesting fact to take note of, is that a huge chunk of motorcycles stolen consists of small displacement machines, usually with engines 500cc and smaller. More specifically, scooters, dirt bikes, and lightweight commuter motorcycles have been targeted more frequently than their more premium counterparts. It’s probably because these bikes are a lot easier to steal, load into a van or a truck, and later on flip for spare parts, or whole bikes in the black market.

Unsurprisingly, Honda was on the top of the list when it came to the specific brand of motorcycle targeted for theft. Honda posted a total of 1,697 motorcycles stolen in 2020. Subsequently, the other three big Japanese manufacturers follow closely behind with Yamaha at 1,408, Suzuki at 759, and Kawasaki at 724. Among the least targeted bikes for theft, probably also due to the limited numbers of these bikes on Australian streets, are Ducati, Aprilia, CFMoto, and VMoto.

Motorcycle Theft In Australia Has Seen Huge Decline Amid Pandemic
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