Tracking device leads to arrest of bike thieves


A stolen Honda Hornet fitted with a TRACKER unit led Metropolitan Police to premises in North London recently where they uncovered an organised crime ring that targeted motorcycles

The Hornet motorcycle was stolen from East London but once the unit was activated, patrolling officers in Edmonton picked up its silent signal coming from a commercial premises. Inside the premises, officers found the stolen Hornet and a nicked Honda CBR 1000RR motorcycle, together with the parts of several dismantled bikes. Two people were arrested and are subject to an ongoing investigation.

There is a growing trend in motorcycles being stolen by highly organised teams who either break them up for parts that then get sold via the internet, or give them a new identity and sell them back to unsuspecting shops or individuals. Fitting any kind of tracking product to your motorcycle can significantly increase the chances of police locating it if it is stolen and trackers seem to be the only hi-tech security that insurers offer a discount for. Indeed the TRACKER company is now owned by Direct Line Insurance.

TRACKER stolen motorcycle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several places around the motorcycle. It offers the ultimate in protection as it detects when the bike is being moved without the ignition being turned on. The tracking device works even if the motorcycle is hidden in a container or transported on back of a van.

Used on all kinds of vehicles, Tracker recover nearly £2m worth of machinery a month and their partnership with all 52 of the UK’s police forces is crucial to the continued success in the fight against theft.

If you don’t have a tracker or can’t afford one (there are a few companies making them now), do always use a chain and lock, anything to make the initial theft harder, or take longer.