(Bloomberg) — Motorcycle theft increased in 2015 for the firsttime in 10 years, as criminals in warm-weather states looked forvehicles that are easier to sneak away than cars.

There were 45,555 motorcycles reported stolen in 2015 in theU.S., up 6.3% from the previous year, the National Insurance CrimeBureau said in a report Thursday. California remained the leader inbike thefts, with the crimes climbing 14% to more than 7,000.

Vehicle theft had been declining for years in the U.S., partlybecause of improved deterrence devices for automobiles. Still, cartheft may also be on the rise, according to preliminary data, saidFrank Scafidi, spokesman for the NICB. And criminals can find itsimpler to disappear with two-wheeled vehicles.

“There’s a whole bunch of tips that really don’t do a whole lotabout preventing theft,” he said. “Motorcycles are smaller thancars, so they’re a lot easier to just, literally, pick them up,throw them in the back of a pick-up, and you’re gone.”

About one of every six motorcycle thefts in the U.S. is inCalifornia. The state’s vast network of roads, large population andclimate make it attractive to both cyclists and criminalsyear-round. Florida came in second, with 4,758 stolen bikes,followed by Texas and South Carolina.

Warm Weather

“Nobody has ever caught California,” Scafidi said. “There aremore vehicles registered in this state, by far, than anywhere elsein the nation. And, generally, the weather is pretty decent, so theenvironment for that kind of activity is good most of the year asopposed to other parts of the country where even the thieves don’twant to go out in sub-zero weather.”

August is the most common month for motorcycle thefts in theU.S., followed by July. February and January have the fewest.

The NICB is a not-for-profit organization funded by insurers.The Des Plaines, Illinois-based bureau seeks to prevent insurancefraud and other crimes. A brochure on avoiding motorcycle theft onthe NICB website suggests using security devices like locks andalarms to deter thieves.

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