Stolen Dirt Bikes are popular among thieves due to their attractiveness such as not being required to title or register so it's a good idea to invest in
Dirt Bike Insurance BEFORE finding out that the dirt bike's missing.
Tips to Keep Your Motorcycle Safe & Secure at Home
You would think that your motorcycle would be safe at home, but the bad guys seem to be getting more & more brazen as evidenced by watching the news or reading reports of stolen motorcycles on the internet after a prospective buyer comes from an advertisement on a site such as Craigslist so apparently nowhere is safe from thieves especially when they are frequently among us and are frequently a known or trusted acquaintance.
Generally, the best rules for keeping a dirt bike secure at home are:
- Don't advertise when and where you're going on any of the social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Google +
(Doing so is essentially advertising to a potential thief that no one will be home.)
- Record the frame and engine serial numbers for possible future identification of a motorcycle being parted out somewhere such as eBay.
- If selling the motorcycle on Craigslist, eBay or other classifieds outlets, meet the prospective buyer in a location different than where the motorcycle is normally kept.
(A local Gas station works well.)
- If you live in a populated area with drive by traffic, don't place the motorcycle in an area that it can be seen by people passing by.
(Don't keep the dirt bike under a carport or in a garage window's view)
- As pathetic as it sounds, even while at home keep the motorcycle secured with a quality cable or chain and padlock to something secure such as an eyelet placed in the ground, or at a minimum, invest in a brake rotor lock.
- Consider a home security system.
Tips to Keep A Dirt Bike Away From Thieves at Races or Weekend Trips
Attending a race where other like minded participants are gathered is generally considered one of the safest environments and the last place you might expect a dirt bike to be stolen from but this seems to be changing with the times as criminals have found these gatherings to be attractive due to all the dirt bikes sitting around unattended. Another place dirt bikes are placed at risk is at camp sites of popular riding areas as they can easily and quietly be pushed off into the darkness by locals and lastly, while stopping at restaurants, thieves are known to capitalize on dirt bike's left unattended in the parking lot so we thought we would cover a couple ways of protecting a dirt bike while away from home.
- During weekend camping outings or races, if there's multiple dirt bikes, lock all of them together with a high quality cable and lock anytime they are not being attended. If there is only one dirt bike, secure the bike to a solid object such as the truck, a trailer or a tree.
When stopping for lunch, dinner or attractions:
- Ensure the tounge of the trailer is locked to the hitch and that any trailer doors or gates are secured.
- If the dirt bike is exposed in the back of a truck, use lock straps or a cable and lock to secure the motorcycle to the truck which it's being hauled in and lock the tail gate if possible.
What to Do if Your Dirt Bike Was Stolen
If you are one of the unfortunate's to become victim of a stolen motorcycle, there is a few things you can that may help in the recovery of your dirt bike:
- First, Call the Police and report the motorcycle stolen ASAP.
- Run an ad on Craigslist alerting potential buyers to your loss.
(No one reputable wants to buy / own or possess a stolen motorcycle and they may be willing or able to help in recovery.)
- Consider any so called "friends" a potential suspect. Pay attention to anyone who may have been coming around in the past, but suddenly is nowhere to be found.
(Pay these people a visit, look around and try to monitor their demeanor for any suspicious behavior.)
- Notify local and area motorcycle shops and parts departments of your loss and ask them to stay alert to anyone looking for parts for that specific year, make and model bike.
(This is especially effective if the stolen motorcycle is in need of any parts such as parts on order or parts that may have been removed by yourself for service.)
- Monitor and search eBay for parts that may have been removed or "Parted Out" from your motorcycle.
(Especially the engine as a whole paying close attention to the serial number but do NOT ask the seller for the serial number as doing so may "spook" the very person involved with stealing the motorcycle.)
It's a shame we have to prepare ourselves against thieves but the news regularly confirms that these low lifes are running around looking for ways to wreak havoc on hard working motorcycle enthusiasts, so we thought this article may just save some hard working folk lost time, money and dirt bikes.
If your ride is not insured, there is insurance available to protect your financial well being in the event of theft or damage and it's well worth looking into dirt bike insurance for some additional piece of mind.
