$100,000 bikes stolen to order by Sydney thieves

THIEVES are scouring Sydney stealing motorbikes "on demand" for criminals to strip for parts, with rare and expensive machines targeted.

Police have set up a strike force to investigate the theft of 1032 bikes this year with the theft of 10 rare machines, worth $100,000, already identified as possibly linked.

The rare bikes have been stolen from the North Sydney and Northern Beaches area, according to police from strike force Hooley.

"They (have been) stolen from basement parking in unit blocks and in main streets in North Sydney commercial areas," Detective Inspector Andrew Waterman said.

Most of the rare bikes were Yamaha R1 and R6 models while others were Suzukis and Hondas.

The bikes are being stolen for parts and are probably being ordered by motorbike rebirthers, according to Detective Superintendent Nick Bingham from the Property Crime Squad.

"It would probably make sense that they are, we haven't found any evidence to that end," he said.

"Because they are high performance they are being targeted."

Police have targeted motorbike theft because only 30 per cent are recovered, against 70 per cent of cars.

Article by Gemma Jones