MCIA Secured aims to make your motorbike harder to steal

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) have launched a new scheme to help bike buyers easily see what level of security a new bike has before they buy. MCIA Secured is an attempt to help buyers make more of a conscious effort to think about bike security at the time of purchase due to the recent increase in motorcycle theft.

The vast majority of bikes that are currently on sale will come with some form of security, but there’s often no easy way to see what bike comes with what at a glance – and this is where the new scheme steps in.

The initiative uses a rating system that awards stars for each recognised security feature up to a maximum of five (or three for sub-125cc machines).

A star is awarded for an ECE standard steering lock, an ignition immobiliser, a forensic marking system, an alarm and a vehicle tracker – so to receive five stars a bike would need to have all the items fitted.

The items can be factory fitted, or dealer fitted, but they must be standard across every bike for it to gain the star – an optional extra tracker for instance will not be rated. The stars will appear on marketing for new bikes, and a full five-star rating looks like that:

The list of manufacturers signed up to the scheme is long but includes many of the major players including BMW, Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha.

The MCIA say that they will enhance the scheme as the nature of motorcycle security evolves. It’s worth noting that the MCIA does not test the quality of the security items – there is no theft test or equivalent like Thatcham ratings for example – it is just a guide as to what is fitted as standard.

It’s hoped that by helping owners choose motorcycles with increased security as standard, it will not only help to reduce motorcycle thefts in the short term but will encourage manufacturers to improve the quality of security fitted as standard.

One of the chief complaints that has emerged from the theft increase in the last few years is that many standard ignition locks can be defeated in a matter of seconds – often with just a firm twist of the handlebars. If buyers begin to vote with their wallets and avoid bikes with poor security, then it may just prompt the manufacturers into doing something more proactive.

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