Five shiny, colorful motorcycles parked side by side. (iStock)
Motorcycle thefts were down 5 percent across the U.S. in 2017, but there were still 44,268 reported, according to the latest National Insurance Crime Bureau report.
The five worst states for robberies in ascending order were North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Florida and California, where 7,532 bikes were stolen. At the other end of the list, Vermont led the way with just two reported thefts.
The average recovery rate nationwide was 42 percent, with riders in Washington having the most luck getting their bikes back at 58 percent.
(NICB)
If you own a Honda, you’ll want to keep an eye on it, because 8,781 went missing last year, making it the most popular among thieves. Yamaha, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki rounded out the top five most wanted brands.
One thing that’s common pretty much across the board is that thefts are the highest in the summer months, so don’t let your guard down when the temperatures go up.