With the winter season over and the riding season in full swing, there’s another season motorcyclists all over the country need to be familiar with. It’s motorcycle theft season, but just how much do you know about motorcycle thefts in this country? Well, the attorneys that ride have some answers for you, and they may help you protect your bike.

Motorcycle Theft: Is My Bike in Danger?

We have some bad news for riders out there, motorcycle theft is up.

• In 2015, 45,555 motorcycles were stolen—in 2016, 46,467 motorcycles were taken. That’s a 2 percent increase! However, there is a little good news. The total number of bikes taken in 2016 was 30 percent fewer than the number of bikes taken in 2006. That year, 66,774 motorcycles were stolen.
• The brand of motorcycle most frequently stolen was Honda followed by Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and then Harley-Davidson. Each of these top five most stolen motorcycle brands saw an increase in thefts from 2015 to 2016. But out of those top five most stolen brands, it was Harley that saw the biggest increase in thefts—12 percent.
• The top five states for motorcycle thefts were California, Florida, Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina. Colorado came in at 14^th with 993 pilfered motorcycles, and most of those thefts happened around the Denver and Colorado Springs areas.

You see, motorcycle thefts start to pick up in March and tend to peak in August. This mimics the riding season we all know and love. That means you have to be extra vigilant when it comes to avoiding motorcycle theft while you’re out for a ride. But what measures can you take to protect your bike? Check in with the motorcycling attorneys of the Metier Law Firm next week to find out.