Motorcycle and scooter theft is a specific problem which has wider-reaching implications for society at a number of levels. The individual owner suffers financial loss, reduced mobility, which can in turn affect their ability to work and enjoy recreation time. It affects society, contributing to the overall levels of crime and specifically reducing the quality of life for those communities affected directly by motorcycle crime. Motorcycle and scooter theft operates from the level of the opportunist thief through to organised crime gangs where the thefts form part of a wider criminal network.
Motorcycles and scooters are more vulnerable to theft than cars simply because they can be more easily removed, secreted, broken up and disposed of. The recovery rate of stolen motorcycles and scooters is very low in comparison to cars and larger vehicles.