Ever since the dawn of humanity, man has wanted to take away things from his fellow man. Whether it was fire, a goat, or a pair of limited-edition sneakers, the rule has always been simple: if it’s valuable, someone’s going to try to nick it.
And let’s be honest, few things hold more value, both practical and emotional, than a good motorcycle.
Bike theft isn’t exactly breaking news, it happens all over the world. But data from France gives us a pretty clear picture of which bikes are most likely to be stolen. La Mutuelle des Motards, one of the country’s biggest motorcycle insurers, just dropped their annual list of the most stolen motorcycles in 2024.
If you ride something with a BMW or Yamaha badge, now might be a good time to invest in a beefy chain lock.
So, here’s the not-so-glamorous Top 10:
- BMW R 1250 GS / GSA – The adventure king. Big, expensive, and wildly popular. If there were a black market for premium ADV bikes, this would be the poster child.
- Yamaha Tracer 7 – Sporty, practical, and everywhere (at least in Europe). Not surprising it’s crept up the list.
- BMW R1250RT – Used by cops, loved by tourers. Fancy, fast, and definitely worth a second look for thieves.
- Yamaha Tracer 9 GT/GT+ – Has all the bells and whistles. Expensive gadgets and high demand? Jackpot.
- Yamaha MT-09 – Rowdy, fun, and eye-catching. Basically a thief magnet. The same goes for my personal favorite bike, the XSR900.
- Yamaha MT-10 – Not as common as the others, but cool factor alone makes it a target. That R1 engine doesn’t hurt, either.
- BMW S1000RR – A full-blown superbike. Even if it’s crashed, the parts are worth a ton.
- Yamaha Ténéré 700 – Still popular, but less so than in previous years. Adventure-ready and easy to resell.
- KTM 125 Duke – Small displacement, but a big hit with younger riders. Light, nimble, and easy to pinch.
- Yamaha MT-07 – Everyone and their buddy seems to have one. Heck, there was a time I had THREE. Great bike, but that popularity also makes it a hot target.
Scooters aren’t safe either. Usual suspects like the Yamaha TMAX, Honda PCX and X-ADV, Piaggio Liberty, and MP3 are still high on thieves’ radar, especially in cities where they’re parked everywhere from alleys to sidewalks.
Now, just because your bike’s on this list doesn’t mean someone’s lurking around the corner with a van and bolt cutters. But the data does suggest a pattern. Bikes that are popular, trendy, or expensive tend to be the ones that get taken. Add in demand for parts or resale value overseas, and it starts to make sense.
Take the S1000RR, for example. Superbike parts are always in demand, especially when racers crash and need spares. Or the R 1250 GS, which might get shipped off to another country where it’ll quietly disappear into a new life (just take a look at all those viral Instagram and TikTok videos). Some bikes, like the MT-09 or MT-10, just have that flashy, street-fighter vibe that turns heads—and not always in a good way.
And then there’s the reality that some thefts aren’t exactly random. Some are planned. Ordered. There’s a whole shady business of stealing specific models, stripping them for parts, or moving them across borders. It’s messed up, but it happens.
We can’t control what thieves do—but we can make their lives a lot harder. That starts with using more than just your bike’s built-in steering lock. A solid disc lock with an alarm or a beefy chain attached to something immovable can go a long way.
Park somewhere bright and busy if you can, or better yet, inside a garage. A GPS tracker (or even something as simple as an Apple AirTag) is also worth considering—not just for recovery, but for real-time alerts if someone starts messing with your ride. And if your insurer offers anti-theft marking or etching, take them up on it. It doesn’t prevent theft, but it can make your bike harder to sell—and that alone can be a deal-breaker for would-be crooks.
End of the day, you don’t need to make your bike theft-proof, just more trouble than it’s worth. Kind of like outrunning a bear or any wild animal, for that matter—you don’t have to be the fastest, just not the easiest target.
Source: Moto-Station
