In a recent poll of 600 American motorcycle owners, only half of owners took proactive steps to protect their motorcycle from theft. The top two actions that respondents identified when asked how they protect their motorcycle were to have insurance and to remove the key from the ignition.
“Insurance is far from the best bet to keep a rider on the road. Sure, it will help reimburse your loss, but obviously, it won’t get your bike back or prevent it from being stolen”, said Bruno Rimkunas, motorcycle security expert and head of business development for security device maker Monimoto.
“We all know that insurance can’t replace a vintage motorcycle or a one-of-a-kind custom bike. In many cases today, a local dealer doesn’t have replacement bikes in the showroom to get you back on the road. And there will be police reports, claim forms and sometimes a significant wait to recover from a motorcycle theft.
“We recommend being proactive in protecting your bike every time it is parked,” he continued. “A good motorcycle lock is critical. Parking in a garage whenever it’s feasible and using a GPS tracker like Monimoto if a rider chooses.”
About half of the survey respondents use some type of lock to secure their bike. Disc locks and chains are the most common. Respondents also see the value of a higher tech solution to motorcycle security, with 85% indicating that they would consider a GPS tracker for their motorcycle in the future.
Motorcycle Safety Measures: Top Responses
Q: What motorcycle safety measures do you take (or have ever taken)?
- Insurance
- Removing the vehicle’s key
- GPS Trackers
- Parking in a garage
- Covering the vehicle
- Use of a vehicle’s steering lock
- Use of an additional lock on a grip or brake disc
- Marking the motorcycle parts.
Monimoto’s security platform typically handles about 189 theft incidents each week, assisting motorcycle owners and police to recover stolen vehicles and, in some cases, preventing thefts from occurring.
For riders considering a GPS tracker, Rimkunas offers some advice. “A device that’s not connected to the bike’s electrical system is hard to disable and easier to install. It should be hidden from the eyes of thieves, and it should always be on, not requiring the owner to enable or disable the device every time it’s parked. And most important, it should provide frequent, accurate tracking of the stolen bike so that authorities can locate and return the bike to its owner.”
The Monimoto 7 uses the latest eSIM, 4G/5G internet of things (IoT) connectivity combined with a sophisticated backend and mobile app. It comes with an embedded, international eSIM card and is powered by two autonomous, long-life batteries, so it won’t drain the battery on a motorcycle or e-bike and never falls victim to a thief who cuts the battery cable. The device calls the owner within minutes when unauthorized motion is detected.
