A motorcycle theft ring in Pennsylvania, which is believed to have been responsible for stealing over $80,000 worth of bikes, has been broken up. The Pennsylvania Attorney General, Tom Corbett, is alleging that the five men stole, stripped and sold a number of motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. In addition, the men are accused of staging motorcycle thefts in order to collect on fraudulent motorcycle insurance claims.

The motorcycles and ATVs were taken from a number of locations in Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties. One of the primary suspects worked at Bentley’s cycles in Canonsburg. He chose his victims from the customer address list.

Unfortunately, motorcycle theft is an all-too-common occurrence. It’s why you need motorcycle insurance, and it’s why you’re so protective of your bike. Statistics suggest that motorcycle rates have increased over the past few years. Around 70,000 motorcycles are stolen each year, and that number keeps going up.

The most commonly stolen motorcycles in the United States are Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Of stolen motorcycles, Harley-Davidson are the least likely brand to be recovered after a theft. Sportbikes are most likely to be returned. The states with the highest incidents of motorcycle theft include California, Florida, Texas and North Carolina. Rounding out the top five is Indiana, something of an anomaly in the Midwest.

In terms of cities, however, Honolulu is the city most likely to have a bike stolen in, even though it’s number 53 in terms of population. In fact, you’re four times as likely to have your motorcycle stolen in Honolulu than you are in Chicago or Detroit.

Fortunately, there are ways you can deter motorcycle theft. First off, you can store your bike in a garage. If not in a garage, even putting a cover on it can help. You can also have separate locks for your steering and your ignition, making the bike harder to steal. You can consider adding a cable to your bike lock that anchors to something solid. Even if you keep your bike in a garage, you need to be sure to lock it down.

Keep in mind, as well, that theft of a motorcycle is most likely to occur during riding months. While you want to take steps to protect your bike all year round, you should take extra care in securing your bike during that time of year. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.