Two-wheel security tracking specialist BikeTrac has released a 2025 end of season review, with some interesting insights into the problem of bike theft in the UK.
The firm, which provides high-tech tracking devices for bikes, with a 24/7 security operations centre backup, says that London remains at the top of its recovery statistics. But there are increasing numbers of bikes being taken and recovered in Essex, Kent and the West Midlands, with activity as far north as Edinburgh and a growing problem in Ireland too.
BikeTrac reports that the majority of thefts occur between midnight and 4am, and Yamaha is the most targeted manufacturer – its MT range of naked roadsters is very popular with bike thieves, especially in the London area. In 2025, the firm recovered just short of 70 Yamahas, 27 Hondas, and 20 BMWs.
BikeTrac’s Bill Taylor said: “Honda has historically been by far the most stolen brand, simply because of its sales volumes and its wide model range. But for 2025, this changed significantly: Yamaha is now the most targeted brand in our experience, and the MT-07 is the most stolen model.
“Another notable trend is BMW, having seen a lull in previous years, in 2025, we saw an increase in thefts, particularly of GS models.”
Summing up the report, Taylor said: “Clearly these trends and statistics are based on our direct on-the-ground work with owners and local police, but from experience over the years, the trends we see are very relevant to bike theft in general across the UK. In 2025 alone, we recovered over £1.5m worth of stolen motorcycles and maintained a recovery rate of more than 90%. Sadly, this demonstrates that bike theft is not showing any signs of slowing down, and we’re seeing more widespread theft geographically too.”