Pictured above is a Honda SH 350i, one of the most popular scooters in the Italian market. It, along with its smaller sibling, the SH 150, is also the most stolen motorcycle in Italy. Recent reports have shown that there has been a spike in motorcycle theft incidents in the European country, with a total of 31,138 two-wheelers consisting of motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds, stolen in 2022 alone.
The number is pretty alarming, considering that Italy is less than half the size of Texas. Italian motorcycling publication Moto.It did an excellent job of putting this figure into perspective. In a recent article, it highlighted that the 31,138 stolen motorcycles in 2022 could translate to more than 86 bikes stolen each day – or one bike every four hours. On top of all that, the number of bike thefts represents a 16.59-percent spike versus that of the previous year.
The figure was provided by the Viasat Report, an independent report conducted every year to analyze the data of the Italian Police. The report sheds light on some pretty important details, such as the areas with the highest theft incidence, as well as the most commonly stolen motorcycle models. Specific to 2022, Campania, on the southwestern portion of Italy home to the province of Salerno, had the highest recorded theft with 7,000 bikes stolen in 2022. Sicily follows shortly thereafter with a hair over 5,500 bikes stolen. Lazio and Lombardy follow suit with 5,210 and 4,141 theft reports.
Given the number of motorcycle thefts in Italy in 2022, it's rather distressing that only 12,000 bikes were recovered – not even half of all the stolen motorcycles. What became of the remaining 19,000 motorbikes is a mystery – perhaps they were taken out of the country, or more likely, taken apart and sold for spare parts. As such, it isn't surprising that the most stolen motorcycle in Italy is also the most popular bike in the country. The Honda SH accounted for nearly a fifth of the thefts, with 6,378 of these commuter scooters reported stolen. The Aprilia Scarabeo was second on the list, with 1,378 units reported stolen.
The Piaggio Liberty was third most popular among thieves, with 1,363 of these urban slickers stolen in 2022. Under the Piaggio group, as well, the Beverly, as well as an assortment of Vespa models also comprised a chunk of stolen models at 1,114 and 1,040, respectively.
At this point, it's important to note that Italian police have not been sitting idly regarding the issue. Indeed, law enforcement agencies have been engaged on a daily basis to prevent all sorts of crime, including motorcycle theft. However, at the end of the day, the responsibility of protecting our beloved two-wheelers rests on our shoulders.
