Bike bodies want trackers fitted to stop theft
UK motorcycling bodies have launched a ten-point plan against bike theft, from factory-fitted trackers to ID checks for online sellers. Theft is falling, but police still can't count it properly.
Britain's motorcycling organisations have published a ten-point plan to tackle bike theft and the anti-social riding that often follows it. The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), an umbrella group for UK riders' and industry bodies, launched it at the start of the week with backing from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA). Some of its ideas lean heavily on technology, from factory-fitted trackers to identity checks for online sellers.
It's a sensible document. It's also, by its authors' own admission, partly a wish list.
Some remain aspirational at this stage, but bringing them together within a single strategic framework, with organisations working together, not separately, offers a clear roadmap for future action.
— Craig Carey-Clinch, Executive Director, National Motorcyclists Council
Theft is falling, but nobody can count it properly
The good news comes from the industry. The MCIA says "motorcycle theft rates are falling, and 2025 figures are almost 15% lower than in 2022."
The less good news is how little anyone knows beyond that. Motorcycles.News reports that the Metropolitan Police said it couldn't state how many motorcycles are stolen each year "without individually reviewing almost 100,000 theft records", because bikes aren't recorded separately. You can't target a problem you can't measure, which is why one of the plan's points is simply to record motorcycle theft as its own category.
The stakes aren't just insurance premiums. According to Motorcycles.News, West Midlands Police figures show that a stolen motorcycle was involved in 21% of fatal motorcycle collisions in its area between 2021 and 2025. The NMC also links stolen bikes to thefts from pedestrians, shop robberies and county lines drug dealing.
Where the technology comes in
Several of the ten points are really about data and kit. As summarised by Motorcycles.News, they include:
- Factory-fitted trackers: the NMC wants to talk to manufacturers about fitting them as standard, rather than leaving riders to buy one.
- Forensic marking for every new bike: extending the MCIA and Datatag marking scheme to all new vehicles.
- Up-to-date security lists: insurers' lists of approved security devices are described as mostly out of date.
- Checks on online sellers: anyone selling a bike online would first have to prove they own it, including a check of the VIN, the vehicle's unique identity number.
- E-bike imports: tighter customs checks on powerful e-bikes brought in under false commodity codes, for example as toys or bicycles.
Trackers now have legal teeth
Trackers matter more than they used to. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 gives police a new power to enter and search premises without a warrant when stolen goods have been electronically tracked there. The Home Office factsheet says an officer of at least inspector rank must authorise it, and only where getting a warrant would seriously prejudice the search. Motorcycles.News reports the power has applied since 29 June.
That's why the Motorcycle Action Group, a riders' campaign group, is pushing for police to have a written procedure for what happens when a tracker reports a stolen bike's location. Without one, a tracker alert risks becoming just another report waiting in a queue while the bike is broken up or shipped out.
To be fair to the NMC
It would be easy to dismiss a ten-point plan as a press release with bullet points. But this one is honest about what's ready now and what isn't. Carey-Clinch said some measures "can be implemented immediately", with others needing "longer-term commitment, investment and partnership". Some of it is already happening, including an MCIA and Bicycle Association guide to help police identify illegal e-bikes. The theft figures are moving the right way, and the MCIA credits that to "key investment from industry, riders taking security seriously and stronger enforcement from police." A joined-up plan gives government something specific to say yes or no to.
Mind the hype. A tracker can tell you where your bike is. The hard part is still getting someone to knock on the door.
Sources: National Motorcyclists Council, Motorcycles.News, Visordown, Auto-Cycle Union, GOV.UK: Crime and Policing Act 2026 police powers factsheet