Motorcycle Theft

Gone in sixty seconds…

Fact: Motorcycle theft is on the increase.

Fact: These guys want your bike – almost any bike.

Fact: They have a far more sophisticated system than you imagine…

How many times do stolen bike vids and feeds cross your socials right now?

Think about it. Crazy stuff. We were sent a vid just the other day where it took a team exactly sixty seconds to force a locked garage, remove a motorcycle and disappear into the night.

High-value motorcycles are frequently targeted by organized syndicates in South Africa, especially in Gauteng. These bikes are targeted for quick resale on the black market or smuggling. But it’s not only the high-end stuff that is being taken – delivery bikes and small commuter bikes are also targeted because they are so easy to chop and sell as parts.

We’ve been asking questions, chatting to security companies and security clusters – looking into the whole thing to try and figure out the modus operandi – and it’s a lot more sophisticated than you’d imagine.

“Everyone involved in motorcycle theft gets a cut, from the spotters to the actual thieves, to the transporters and, perhaps even border officials”, a source close to SAPS tells us. And there are scams associated with it all that seem to lead right back to officials.”

Have a read: sent to us by a friend.

“One of my small delivery bikes was stolen only a month after purchasing new…

It was stolen off a plot in Benoni Agricultural holdings. The bike could not be seen from the road, and access was through the only single piece of fence (triple razor wire).

The cops came out quite quickly, and took the report and all the required details. It was a Lifan 250 XTrail bike. It seems that the crooks also took a crap next to the fence. This could only suggest to see if the dogs would be alerted.

What happened after that is really concerning.

After we reported the case to the police station, 2 officers (Officer 1 and Officer 2) came out to inspect and document the incident.

Shortly after this, we got a case number.

The next day we get a phone call from the “Investigating Officer”, from a cell number (we have the number and still seems to be working). He said we must go to the police station as they have found the bike and it needs to be identified. We are not sure if it was the same policeman that documented the case in the beginning.

When we got to the police station, and asked to see the investigating officer of that case number, because we needed to identify the bike, the police at the station looked very surprised. They advised that recovered vehicles never go to them, and are sent to the Soweto Pound.

I told them the story and they tried to call the number from their landline, with no answer.

The officer asked to speak to me outside and indicated that their system had been compromised and that a syndicate seemed to have somehow got our information.

“They usually ask for a clearance fee to release the bike… and then disappear”

I tried calling and the phone was answered, but battled to hear what he was saying, even on speaker call so all could hear.

I asked the station officer if the police could trace numbers, and he said it would take too long and the sim would be destroyed before getting a warrant.

My question: is it not the responsibility of the investigating officers to ensure the safety of our data. In addition to the theft, criminals are obtaining the details and then hustling the victims.

And heres the sad part: I am a bit concerned about opening a case against the police for compromising the information because the plot that the bike was stolen from belongs to an old lady, and they may be targeted…”

Here’s how it all goes down:

Trusted Staff: Even unintentionally, your domestic or ground staff may inadvertently tell the wrong friend about that beauty in the garage. They get pumped for more info and the opportunity to relieve you of your bike is right there.

Follow: Often victims are followed home by spotters. They actively look for desirable machines and follow the rider or trailer home or to where the bikes are parked.

We’ve had it happen to us:

Years ago, we collected each of the 300 Enduro bikes for a feature in Dirt And Trail Magazine. The trailer was fully loaded – we can’t even imagine the value of that trailer – and we parked it in our courtyard, ready to head out to a venue the following morning.

We locked up, thankfully, switched on alarms and went to bed.

The first alarm went off at 2am. We all hopped up, switched on lights, checked the bikes, all clear… re- set the alarm, back to bed. 3am repeat… up, look around… must be a mouse, a fly, a faulty connection… Re-set, back to sleep. 4am (Sigh) same again, luckily the handbag is an early riser so she went off to get on with her day and we thought nothing further of it.

Only weeks later did we notice that someone had tried to cut through the lock on our gate.

A typical trick is to sound the alarm several times until you switch it off thinking that there is a fault, then, the inevitable happens…

Incidental: They find your bike just waiting to be lifted, so they do that. Maybe you were too busy to put it away, maybe you parked on the curb and went for a coffee but, that’s how it goes.

Spotters: This is far more sophisticated and please – before delivery companies and so on come after us – these are the facts as told to us.

Since COVID, we’ve all made use of delivery services for gifts, household goods, groceries, takeaways… fact. It’s convenient and to be fair most delivery services have kind of faded into the background.

According to our source, often these delivery personnel are allowed onto the property and they even help with loading and offloading into your home.

We are absolutely sure that the vast majority of them are just hard working, honest people – but for some, the opportunity to earn extra bucks often cannot be ignored. All it takes is a quick photograph or two and a pin drop while you are grabbing your wallet.

And so the game begins…

That whatsapp goes to a “controller” or pimp who assesses the bike or other goods to be lifted, checks the address and has a look for potential security.

Think about it – a cell phone is an amazing tool – it only takes a few short seconds to capture all of this info.

Calls are made and a team is assembled…

According to our source, thefts usually occur when households are fast asleep. In our area it works like this:

The thieves (Usually a team of two or three) are brought in by vehicle to our local garage.

They then walk to the address, with a couple of walk pasts to assess and check for dogs and so-on. Once things start, they break in, drop the waiting vehicle a text and remove the bike from wherever it is parked.

Once the bike is out, the vehicle arrives and is loaded. The vehicle drives off and the perpetrators divide and walk off into the night. They are out of the loop, less chance of being fingered. The person in the vehicle is now at risk and is responsible for that bike.

Two or three things can happen:

Wait and see: The bike is dumped in a discreet location, hidden from casual observers and it is watched to see whether tracking companies come looking. If not, then, phase 2:

Export: The bike is driven straight through the border and dropped off. According to our source, they have video evidence of a quad on a trailer being towed past queues of cars and trucks into a neighbouring country. 5 minutes later, the car comes back into SA without them.

Stripping: The bike is delivered to a local point where it is stripped for parts for sale, usually on the black market or through the internet.

Every person in the chain gets a cut. The person who takes the photo and sends the pin. The controller, the driver, whoever allows the vehicles through the border and of course, the thieves themselves.

Ever heard of pages like seconds for sale etc?

According to our sources, very often potential theft goods are uploaded and advertised in neighbouring countries before they are even taken. Everything from motorcycles to trailer wheels and tools, all courtesy of a simple whatsapp image taken at your home or place of work… If there is demand, the goods are lifted.

So what can you do?

You cannot be overly paranoid because it will feel as though everyone is following you. But when you park, park smart. Don’t be lazy.

Lock your bikes steering.
Meet your delivery person at the gate. Do not allow strangers into the property.
Lock your valuables out of sight. Make sure that good things like motorcycles are not visible from the road.
Alarm your garage and… this one tricky, even your gate. There are lots of cost effective solutions that will scream the moment your garage is tampered with.
Put up a beam in front of your garage
Lights – motion sensor lights do tend to be a deterrent.
Alarm your bike. The moment it moves it must scream. Chat to your dealer about a simple mercury switch or alarm system.
Do cameras work as a deterrent? Maybe, only if they are manned. But in our opinion, not really, but you can see the guys at work, some of the footage is mighty impressive. One crook looks just like the next one so identification is virtually impossible.
Out on a run? Park where you can see your bike while you have that breakfast or cuppa.
Chain your bikes up in the garage, anything that can slow a crook down is helpful.