Motorcycle Insurance and Anti-Theft Devices

To ensure that you are completely protected if your motorcycle is stolen, you will need a comprehensive insurance policy. Adding this coverage will raise your premiums, but many motorcycle insurance companies offer discounts for having anti-theft devices. Not all deterrent mechanisms qualify policyholders for lower rates, but they may increase security and decrease the likelihood of an owner having to file an insurance claim for a stolen bike.

Motorcycle Theft Insurance

A motorcycle insurance policy that only provides the bare minimum of coverage required by your state will not pay to replace your stolen bike. You will need to purchase comprehensive insurance to ensure that you are protected in the event of a motorcycle theft. If your motorcycle is stolen, comprehensive coverage will cover the cost or pay a portion of the cost of a new motorcycle.

Motorcycle Insurance Discounts and Anti-Theft Devices

In general, motorcycle insurance companies only provide an anti-theft discount for bikes equipped with tracking or disabling systems. The discount is typically around 10% of the premium and, depending on the cost of your motorcycle insurance policy, could result in significant savings. These systems enable a motorcycle owner to use radio frequency or GPS-based tracking to locate their stolen bike and temporarily disable it, rendering it immobile. Not all tracking systems are created equal.

Some carriers will only offer discounts on qualified devices that have been professionally installed, while others will only ask if the motorcycle is equipped with one. The sophistication of systems for tracking and disabling varies. Some locator products cannot disable a motorcycle, but they may be able to send email or text message notifications when a motorcycle is driven without a compatible sensor. Others can detect when a motorcycle is touched or when someone is in close proximity to a motorcycle.

LoJack's motorcycle tracking system is a popular system that has been reviewed and recommended online, but the company recently discontinued selling it (it still offers systems for other vehicles). LoJack continues to support the systems that have already been installed on bicycles. That means that if a motorcycle is reported stolen to police, the LoJack system in the bike will still be activated and will alert a law enforcement network. The radio signal, which is sent to receivers in vehicles and aviation units, is then used by agencies to track down the stolen motorcycle. Other tracking systems, such as those sold by Scorpio, use GPS monitoring and similar features to help law enforcement locate a stolen bike.

Motorcycle riders should be aware of some of the differences between tracking device technologies. GPS tracking systems have the disadvantage of being more easily disrupted. A GPS system, for example, may have difficulty detecting a bike if it is in something like a shipping container. Radio frequency tracking devices have few inhibitors. The accessibility of tracking systems by law enforcement agencies is a critical distinction between types. Trackers like the previous LoJack system, as well as those still sold by Scorpio, either notify or are accessible to law enforcement. Some systems only sync with a bike owner's Google Maps or other mobile applications, so it would be their responsibility to keep authorities up to date on the location of any stolen motorcycle.

Types of Motorcycle Anti-Theft Devices

Aside from tracking and bike-disabling security systems that can be installed on motorcycles (or a moped or scooter), owners should consider a number of motorcycle theft prevention devices. The cost and level of security provided by each can differ. Riders may even opt to use a combination of devices to improve the security of their motorcycle.

Disabling devices: Some owners install disabling devices (also known as "kill" switches) that prevent a motorcycle engine from starting or turn it off under certain conditions. Active disabling devices are a type of security feature that must be activated from a remote location. Passive disabling devices activate themselves after a certain amount of time on a motorcycle but cannot sync with the keys to it. Passive systems limit how far a hot-wired motorcycle thief can travel.

Vehicle recovery or tracking systems: Vehicle recovery or tracking systems on motorcycles use radio or GPS systems to locate a stolen motorcycle. This anti-theft device is the most commonly recognized by insurance companies, and they usually offer riders who own a bike with a professionally installed system a discount on policies. These systems are typically costly to install. A LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System costs $695, but it is a one-time cost. The service does not require a subscription.

Bike covers: While a motorcycle cover is not a replacement for a security device, it can keep a nice motorcycle from advertising itself to potential thieves. Because stolen motorcycles are frequently disassembled and the parts sold, some are more desirable than others. Thieves look for desirable bikes from a distance or while driving in parking lots and garages, but a motorcycle cover makes this difficult. Approaching a motorcycle in order to remove a cover and identify it poses a significant risk to a thief.

Disc locks and U-locks: A U-lock is a lock with an extended U-shaped bar that can be attached to or used to secure a motorcycle wheel to something else. U-locks have an advantage over other locks depending on where they are used because a thief would have to cut through two parts of it to unsecure it. Disc locks are small U-locks that are designed to fit the holes in a motorcycle disc brake. They render a bike unrideable when used. The majority of U-locks and disc locks cost between $75 and $100.

Chains: A variety of companies sell high-quality chains that riders use to secure their motorcycle to other objects. Kryptonite is a popular brand that sells 14mm thick motorcycle chains for as much as $178. Companies also sell less expensive cables that riders can use to secure their bikes to objects, but they are thinner and less secure than chain links.

Motorcycle riders recommend buying a short boat chain and a durable lock separately to save money on a motorcycle chain. Chains and key locks designed specifically for boats can be just as secure (18mm thick or more), but finding the right sizes and quality may take some time. Metal quality and treatment, in addition to chain link thickness, are important security factors. The time and effort required to find the right chain and lock may not be worth the savings in the end. For those who are unfamiliar with chains and locks, investing in a motorcycle-specific combination is probably the best bet.

Audible alarms: Unlike many cars, motorcycles do not typically come equipped with an audible alarm system to keep them safe. Riders can, however, install a variety of aftermarket alarm systems on their motorcycle. Scorpio is a popular alarm system brand that sells audible alarms that activate when a motorcycle is tilted upright (to ride), struck by anything, or anyone without a key sensor is in close proximity to a motorcycle. The cost of a basic audible alarm is usually around $100. Alarms that sound when someone approaches a bike can cost more than $350.

Motorcycle Theft Prevention Tips

Insurance companies, riders, and former motorcycle thieves have all provided valuable advice about motorcycle protection online. Much of it is common sense: don't leave your motorcycle key on the bike, use anti-theft devices, and park carefully. However, some advice should be heeded, particularly by new bike owners.

Advice from Insurance Companies

Any insurance company that provides motorcycle insurance will usually have a page on their website with advice for bike owners. Geico recommends buying a plain motorcycle cover with no name brand on it to avoid tipping off any thieves about what might be underneath. The company also recommends that riders who use a chain to secure their motorcycle do so through the frame rather than a wheel, which can be removed.

Progressive provides two excellent riding tips. Progressive advises riders to keep an eye out for cameras no matter where they park their motorcycle. Some riders go so far as to install security cameras in their homes to monitor their motorcycle, but this is ineffective when the bike is parked somewhere else. A bike owner does not have to own the camera in order to use any footage that may aid in the recovery of their stolen bike. The carrier also advises riders to leave their motorcycle title at home and carry their registration and insurance with them, rather than leaving those important documents with their bike.

Advice from Other Bike Owners

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, there were over 45,000 reported motorcycle thefts in the United States (NICB). Many people have had their motorcycles stolen and have shared their mistakes and experiences to help others. Here are some simple mistakes that people have made and warned others not to make.

If you intend to use a chain and lock to secure your motorcycle, the ones available at most retail stores will not be of much assistance. Even the thickest chains from Home Depot, Walmart, and other stores aren't always enough to deter motorcycle thieves. Chains that are thinner than 14mm are less expensive, but you get what you pay for – insufficient protection.
Some riders are adamant about the best place to park a motorcycle: right next to the best one in the lot or garage. If thieves intend to steal a bike, they are less likely to select the less desirable motorcycle.

Advice and Affirmation from a Former Motorcycle Thief

An astute man wrote about his involvement in professional motorcycle theft for more than ten years. Here are some of the most important insights he provided among his many answers and explanations.

For thieves, time is everything. The longer it takes to steal a motorcycle, the more likely it is that they will be apprehended. So anything that makes a potential motorcycle theft more difficult will deter or prevent thieves from successfully stealing a bike.
The professional thief, as well as others on motorcycle blogs and elsewhere online, advocate for the use of multiple anti-theft devices. The more obstacles a thief must overcome, the longer it will take to steal, increasing the risk of being caught significantly.
Thieves will steal a motorcycle no matter where it is parked, whether on the street or in a parking lot. Owners mistakenly believe that a bike is safer in a gated lot in a nice neighborhood. In fact, the opposite could be true. Thieves target motorcycles in these areas because they are more likely to be valuable, and owners do not believe anti-theft devices are necessary. Parking garages are ideal locations for thieves to "shop" for a bike to steal.
When used correctly, a proper chain, such as the ones described above, can go a long way. The professional thief answering questions said he only knew one other thief who had bolt cutters strong enough to cut through motorcycle chains. A pair of high-quality cutters capable of cutting through a good motorcycle chain would cost hundreds of dollars new or used.
Contrary to popular belief, most motorcycle thieves now lift bikes into trucks or vans and drive away. Professional thieves disable or remove any security devices, hot-wire the motorcycle (if necessary), and drive it directly to whoever buys the stolen bikes from them. The stolen motorcycles are usually dismantled, rebuilt with parts from other bikes, and then sold on the black market. Motorcycle thieves are frequently members of or associates with a small organized crime group.