Sport Bikes Becoming Popular Target for Thieves

They are powerful, fast and in high demand. But the popularity of sport bikes has also made them an attractive target for thieves.

Five of the sporty motorcycles have been stolen in just one week from the Russett community in Laurel, Maryland. One resident, Benjamin McClellan, says his Suzuki was parked in front of his wife’s car in their apartments parking garage when it was taken sometime between September 24th and 27th.

“Even with a full tank of gas the bike’s about 500 pounds,” McClelland told News4’s Aaron Gilchrist. “Couple of healthy guys could pick it up and be gone in a matter of a minute.”

Anne Arundel County police say McClellan isn’t alone. There has been a trend of sport bike thefts around the region as their popularity has increased.

“A lot of times they will put a broomstick or a pole through the wheels, they’ll pick it up and right into the back of a truck,” Joe Brenner, sales manager for Heyser Cycles in Laurel told Gilchrist. “They sell the engine, gas tank, your instrument cluster. Basically everything on this motorcycle except for the frame they can sell.”

There are anti-theft devices on the market. Brenner says the best are heavy duty and allow you to lock a bike in place.

“It not only locks the bike itself but locks the bike to something stationary; the ground a parking block,” Brenner tells Gilchrist.

Surveillance cameras were rolling in the Russett Community parking garage when McClellan’s bike was stolen. It caught on tape the van that carried his bike away, but he says it too was stolen.

“It just goes to show that there’s only so much you can do to stop somebody from taking what they want to take,” McClellan told Gilchrist.