It’s the thing most motorcyclists dread — your prized bike being stolen by dirty thieves. If you’re in this unfortunate situation, this is what to do.
Unfortunately, many motorcycle owners have experienced the same dreaded moment: you go outside to hop on your bike, only to realize it’s not where you remember parking it. Maybe you shrug it off, assuming you put it in the garage last night but forgot, only to check and see that it is as empty as your usual parking spot. It may take a couple of minutes to come to terms with the reality of the situation, but you’ll accept it soon enough — your motorcycle has been stolen, and there’s a good chance you’ll never see it again. What do you do now? Who do you contact?
If you’re like most people, your first point of contact will probably be a friend or loved one who will get to hear your exasperated rant about thieves and your missing bike. Once you get that out of your system, though, there are a few entities you need to contact sooner rather than later if you want any chance of recovering the motorcycle — or, at least, getting reimbursed for its value so you can buy a replacement.File a police report
If your motorcycle has been stolen, the first thing you should do is contact your local police department to file a report. There are multiple reasons for this: your insurance company will likely require a police report as part of the claims process, and by alerting law enforcement, there is a chance they may recover it. The thief may be currently driving around on your motorcycle with the license plates registered to you still on it. If that’s the case and they are breaking traffic laws or causing property damage, a police report will help prove that you weren’t the person operating the bike when those events occurred.
It’s important to note that most places have a time limit on how long you can wait to file the theft report. If the theft wasn’t violent — for example, if someone walked off with your motorcycle when you weren’t looking — you’ll need to call your local department’s non-emergency line.
