Challenger brands at greater risk of motorcycle theft than mainstream marques

• Challenger brands from China were at a proportionally higher risk of motorcycle theft than established makes during 2024
• Analysis of DVLA data compares reported thefts with registered bikes to assess each model’s relative risk of being stolen
• 1-in-8 owners of Tianying bikes were the victim of theft in 2024
• Honda PCX the most stolen overall, but Honda SH350 statistically more likely to go missing, with 1-in-9 examples stolen last year
• Suzuki, Kawasaki and Triumph the volume brands least likely to be stolen
• BSA the least stolen brand overall, with just 1-in-3217 reported missing
• Triumph Rocket III, the world’s largest-capacity production motorcycle, is proportionally the least stolen bike in the UK

Challenger motorcycle brands entering the market from China and elsewhere were at a proportionally higher risk of being stolen last year than more established makes, analysis of DVLA data has shown. By contrast, owners of large-capacity and classic bikes were statistically the least likely to fall victim to motorcycle theft, with the Triumph Rocket III – once the world’s largest-capacity motorcycle – proportionally the least stolen bike in the UK.

The Honda PCX (WW125) was the UK’s most stolen motorcycle of 2024, with 1,866 thefts reported to the DVLA. In fact, more Hondas were stolen last year than any other brand, with 6,573 thefts recorded – 50% more than second-placed Yamaha. However, Honda is by far the most popular brand with British bikers, with more than 550,000 in the country.

Riders of high-performance machinery such as Honda Fireblades and Yamaha R1s may feel more of a target given their sky-high insurance premiums, but in reality the top ten most stolen bikes are nearly all A1 licence-friendly 125cc models.

“Motorcycle thieves continue to target scooters and 125s far more than high-performance sports bikes,” said Alex Kefford, Head of Editorial at automotive PR agency loop. “The Honda PCX may be unlucky to find itself at the top of the charts, but then it is Britain’s fourth most-popular bike^*. When we look at the figures in proportion, a very different picture emerges.”

Challenger brands proportionally most likely to be stolen
By assessing thefts as a proportion of the number of each make on our roads, it’s the challenger brands that left their owners facing a greater risk of having their bike stolen. Honda drops from 1^st to 36^th place as popular new entrants such as Lexmoto and Sinnis rank above it. Tianying is a relatively unknown name on these shores, but worryingly 1-in-8 of their bikes were stolen in the last year alone.

Three Honda models most at risk
At the individual model level, the top 10 motorcycles proportionally most at risk include three bikes from Honda. Topping this list is the Honda SH350 with 1-in-9 examples stolen last year, followed by budget-friendly scooters such as the Sinnis Connect, Keeway Cityblade and Motorini SXi – all of which are available for around £2,000.

“Owners of these bikes might think their low price makes them less of a target in comparison to more exotic machinery. However, the evidence suggests they are the most at risk of becoming an unfortunate statistic. Their light weight and twist-and-go convenience makes them popular with commuters, but also makes them easy to hustle away or lift into the back of a van.”

Triumph, Kawasaki, and Suzuki the volume brands least likely to be stolen
At the opposite end of the scale, Triumph, Kawasaki and Suzuki were the volume brands least likely to subject their owners to the anguish of opening the garage door to find an empty space where their bike used to be. In fact, despite being the third most popular brand in the UK with nearly 263,000 on our roads, Suzuki owners faced only a 1-in-284 chance of having their bike nicked last year, versus 1-in-84 for Honda. Triumph fared even better, with only 1-in-480 bikes stolen.

“This is perhaps more due to the bikes that each brand typically sells, rather than the result of any specific security measures. For instance, Honda offers a broad range of scooters and 125s, with the PCX being a big seller. By comparison, Triumph thrives in the adventure bike market with their Tiger range, while Suzuki and Kawasaki both predominantly sell 600-1000cc bikes that are less popular with motorcycle thieves.”

World’s largest capacity bike also the least stolen
Our analysis confirms this, with large-capacity bikes left relatively untroubled by the criminal fraternity. As if to underline this point, the Triumph Rocket III – featuring the world’s largest production motorcycle engine until Triumph usurped it with the Rocket 3 – finds itself the holder of another record, this time as the proportionally least stolen bike in the UK.

Classic motorcycles are also largely untargeted by bike thieves, with Royal Enfield and Lambretta featuring highly on the list of infrequently-stolen marques. BSA takes the prize for the least stolen brand overall, with only 1-in-3217 reported missing last year.

“Go big or go old seems to be the advice if you want a bike that stands a good chance of still being where you left it when you return.”

“That said, there are plenty of bikes that weren’t stolen at all last year and therefore don’t make it into these figures, despite being incredibly popular. Top of that list is the Kawasaki ZX750, of which there are nearly 5,000 in the UK, yet none were reported stolen last year. The XL650 Transalp was Honda’s most theft-resistant bike of 2024, while Harley-Davidson has more zero-theft models than anyone else. When it comes to security, bigger really is better.”

Most stolen motorcycles of 2024
HONDA PCX (WW 125)	1,866
YAMAHA GPD 125	1,222
HONDA NSC 110	933
HONDA SH 125	429
HONDA CBF 125	398
YAMAHA MT-07	253
YAMAHA YBR 125	247
YAMAHA MT 125	240
KTM 125 DUKE	229
SYM JET	211
Source: loop analysis of DVLA data

 

Most stolen motorcycle brands of 2024
HONDA	6,573
YAMAHA	4,332
LEXMOTO	1,313
SUZUKI	923
KTM	885
BMW	253
PIAGGIO	592
KAWASAKI	553
SYM	533
TRIUMPH	439
Source: loop analysis of DVLA data

 

Proportionally most stolen brands
TIANYING	1-in-8
JIAJUE	1-in-18
MGB	1-in-20
TALARIA	1-in-24
SUR-RON	1-in-28
SINNIS	1-in-31
MOTORINI	1-in-31
ASKOLL	1-in-32
ZHONGNENG	1-in-32
NECO	1-in-35
Source: loop analysis of DVLA data

 

Proportionally least stolen brands
SUZUKI	1-in-284
GILERA	1-in-359
ROYAL ENFIELD	1-in-374
KAWASAKI	1-in-376
DUCATI	1-in-418
TRIUMPH	1-in-480
LAMBRETTA	1-in-1052
HARLEY-DAVIDSON	1-in-1537
MOTO GUZZI	1-in-1673
BSA	1-in-3217
Source: loop analysis of DVLA data