A new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reveals a dramatic 20% year-over-year decline in recreational vehicle thefts for 2025. Across motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, personal watercraft, and snowmobiles, total stolen units dropped to 58,957 compared to approximately 70,000 in 2024.
While the steep drop offers encouraging news for powersports owners, the report underscores a persistent reality. If your machine gets taken, the odds of ever seeing it again remain discouragingly slim.
Motorcycles accounted for the vast majority of incidents, making up over 75% of all reported thefts with 44,564 units stolen in 2025. All-terrain vehicles followed as the second most targeted segment, accounting for 11,050 reported thefts.
Recovery Rates Generally Kinda Suck
Recovery outcomes varied sharply depending on the specific vehicle category. Owners of stolen motorcycles saw a modest 41% recovery rate, meaning over half were lost permanently.
ATV owners faced an even grimmer reality with a mere 23% recovery rateāthe lowest among all recreational categories analyzed. Overall, roughly 63% of all stolen powersport vehicles in 2025 were never recovered by law enforcement.
The NICB highlights that timing is the single most critical factor when a theft occurs. More than half of all successful vehicle recoveries happen within the first two weeks of being reported to authorities.
Because powersport machines are relatively lightweight, portable, and frequently targeted while parked outdoors, fast reporting is vital. Prompt action allows law enforcement to log crucial identifying data before thieves can dismantle the machines or transport them across state lines.
Protect Your Bike From Theft
To combat theft risk, industry experts and the NICB strongly advise owners to adopt a multi-layered security strategy. Relying on a single lock is rarely enough to deter determined criminals.
Beyond keeping vehicles inside locked garages, riders should utilize physical deterrents like heavy-duty disc locks, ground anchors, and ignition immobilizers. Storing bikes out of plain sight from the street also significantly reduces the chance of opportunistic thefts.
Hidden GPS trackers have also proven invaluable for real-time location tracing immediately after an incident occurs. Combined with physical locks, these devices provide a critical head start for police recovery efforts.
Finally, maintaining detailed vehicle documentation helps streamline the entire process. Keeping clear photographs and recorded Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) handy ensures immediate reporting to both local police and insurance providers, drastically improving the odds of getting your machine back.
