📷 Aides in court 'This Swift Beat' 🎶 ✍️ Submit a column National parks guide
MONEY
New York

New York City is motorcycle theft capital

Chris Woodyard
USA TODAY
Motorcycle riders participate in the Veteran's Day Parade on November 11, 2013 in New York City.

How long does it take to steal a motorcycle?

A New York minute.

New York is the nation's capital of motorcycle thievery, followed by swingin' Las Vegas, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports. Next comes San Diego, Indianapolis and Miami.

Overall, just like when it comes to car thefts, motorcycle thefts have been dropping. In 2012, the year in which the NICB bases its analysis, they amounted to 46,061 ripped-off bikes, down 1% from the year before.

Honda was the motorcycle brand stolen most often, with 9,082 for the year. It was followed by Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson. (We're wondering if Harleys did relatively well in the analysis because thieves fear Harley owners.)

When it comes to states, thieves appear to prefer warm weather -- just like all motorcycle rider. California was first, followed by Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Indiana.

Fewer stolen motorcycles are recovered than cars. While 53.9% of stolen cars were returned to their owners, only 39% of motorcycles found their way back. The NICB says that's because its easier to "chop" bikes for their parts, hide them in barns or garages or ship them out of the country in giant containers.

Featured Weekly Ad