by Mark Appleton
Research unveiled today by insurance company Swinton Bikes shows that Yamaha tops the charts when it comes to the most stolen motorcycle in the UK.
Perhaps a little surprisingly the bike that tops the charts isn’t an R1 or even an R6, it’s a YZF 600 R Thunder Cat which is closely followed by the YZF-R125.
The motorcycle insurance broker is said to have looked at over 200,000 quote forms in December 2012 to arrive at the top ten.
The top five bikes on the list, the two Yamaha’s, the Triumph Daytona 675, Kawasaki ZX-6R and Honda CBF125, make up for 19% of thefts in December 2012.
What the data also shows is that, besides having the most stolen bike in the month, Yamaha also have the least stolen with the Yamaha DT 125 R having been insured 822 times but not been stolen once! Other bikes you may (or not) want to consider are the Lexmoto XTR S 125 and the Aprilia RS 50.
Anthony Aronin, Head of Swinton Bikes said: “Whilst the numbers of reported bike thefts have decreased in the UK, there are still lots of our customers making claims for theft. Double checking that the correct insurance policy is in place will help to alleviate any worry for those living in high risk areas or without a secure garage or space to store their motorbike. Yamaha make some of the most popular models of bikes so it’s not surprising they are top of thieves’ wishlists. Bike owners should take extra care to lock up their bikes securely, as thieves are always on the look-out.”
The top ten most stolen bikes in the UK according to Swinton Bikes includes:
- Yamaha YSF 600 R Thunder Cat
- Yamaha YZF-R125
- Triumph Daytona 675
- Kawasaki ZX-6R
- Honda CBF 125
- Yamaha YZF-R1
- Suzuki SV 650 S
- Suzuki GSX-R 600
- Honda CBR 600 F (M-W)
- Suzuki GSF 600 Bandit
Perhaps though what the data really shows is that Yamaha riders need to buy better locks?
