LOVE the way your Honda Super Four motorcycle looks and performs? So do bike thieves in Johor Baru.

Malaysian bike-theft gang has apparently been going to the parking lots of some popular shopping malls there to look for two-wheelers of Singaporeans.

In just the last two months, at least three Singaporeans had reported that their bikes had vanished after they left them at parking lots to go shopping.

In all three cases, the owners lost 400cc Super Fours, which cost about $10,000 each, in the vicinity of the Plaza Kota Raya shopping mall.

Cars and motorcyles from Singapore command higher resale values because they are usually newer.

A detective from the Malaysian police told The New Paper that Singapore bikers also made easier targets because they did not take enough precautions to protect their motorcycles.

'Some Singapore bikers even leave the engines on when they park their bikes along the roadside to go to the moneychanger,' he said.

'They assume nothing will happen because they are close by. How can they do this? Logic tells you that you should take the key out from the ignition.'

The detective, who estimated that 15 to 20 Super Fours are reported missing each month, urged Singapore riders to re-look their parking habits.

While not all of these cases involved Singaporeans, he said 'a substantial number' did.

'Sometimes we receive 20 reports of missing Super Fours. Other months, maybe only two or three go missing,' he said, adding that the recent Singapore cases all happened within days of each other.

All too often bikers rely only on their bikes' handlebar locks, but this alone will not prevent the bikes from being stolen, he said.

The CCTV footage of bike thefts at Kota Raya showed one thief behaving as though he was the owner of the bike.

Police believe the culprit could have used a master key or even a tool such as a screwdriver to tamper with the ignition keyhole to start the engine.

He said: 'The camera angle did not allow us to see what the thief had done to the ignition. But he managed to get the bike started.

'Not only that, he was very confident and had a helmet on. He didn't panic or look out of place.'

He noted that if owners had installed additional locks on their wheels, the thieves would have a harder time.

'If there are locks on the front and rear wheels, thieves may not bother because it will take time to break the locks.'

So why is the Super Four a favourite among thieves?

According to Honda distributor Boon Siew Singapore, it is because the Super Four is the 'perfect bike'.

Said general manager Sim Kheng Chin: 'It is popular because it's reliable and handles well due to good suspension and brakes. Unfortunately, these are the same qualities that thieves look for.'

If they can tamper with the ignition, the whole bike will be sold. But if the bikes come with immobilisers, which prevent engines from being started without special keys, the parts will be stripped and sold separately.

The Super Fours are usually stolen for their Showa suspension and Italian Brembo brakes, which are standard on some models.

Some of the stolen parts are exported to Thailand.

Said the officer: 'These days, we even catch delinquents who sell the bike parts or use them on their own bikes. Early-model Super Fours often get stolen, not the new ones.'

The Malaysian police now stop 'modified' bikes at road blocks.

Riders who can't produce documents for the modified parts will be taken to the police station for questioning.

Investigations revealed two types of bike thieves.

One type strikes at random, hitting those who carelessly leave the keys in their bikes at petrol stations or secure them poorly at carparks.

The other strikes at night, stealing the bikes from homes.

Said the officer: 'We have had cases of Singapore-registered Super Fours owned by Malaysians working in Singapore being stolen at their homes in Johor.

'This type of thief is more determined. He is willing to break into the compound of homes at night to steal the Super Fours.'

Johor residents sometimes alert the police when they find Super Four 'remains' in drains and dense vegetation, said the source.

At a police impound in Tampoi, more than 20 Singapore motorcycles sit idle, collecting dust - their disc brakes, suspensions and other valuable parts have all been carted away by thieves.

TOP 4 S'PORE BIKES STOLEN IN JOHOR

1 HONDA SUPER FOUR

Prized for its Showa Suspension and Brembo brakes (on some Super Four models).

2 YAMAHA RXZ

Its engine parts and rims can be retrofited to Yamaha motorcycles used in Malaysia.

3 HONDA WAVE

This commuter-type four-stroke bike has parts which are interchangeable with Waves made in Malaysia. Singapore-registered Waves are made in Thailand.

4 YAMAHA YBR

Thieves target the 125cc motorcycle's original rims and fit them onto their bikes.

Expensive to insure

NTUC Income, the biggest insurer of motorcycles in Singapore, said about 300 Singapore-registered motorcycles were stolen last year, costing it about $2 million in claims.

Said an NTUC Income spokesman: 'Honda Super Four category bikes contributed more than 50 per cent of the total theft claims. Most of the motorcycles were stolen in Malaysia.'

As a result, it is costly to insure a Super Four.

If you are single and in your late 20s, the premium for a Super Four is $1,754 a year for comprehensive coverage, while third party coverage is $538.

The Honda Super Four and the Yamaha RXZ, a two-stroke 135cc motorcycle, are often targeted by thieves, said the spokesman.

NTUC Income has advised riders to always lock their motorcycles and park in well-lit areas, and not to leave the ignition keys on the machines even for short periods.

S'pore bike thieves

TERRIBLE TEENS

Mohamed Sharifuddin and Titus Wibowo, both below 18, stole Showa suspensions from Super Four motorcycles in 2004 and sold them in Malaysia.

They were believed to have stolen from at least 20 Super Four motorbikes worth about $5,000.

ONLINE STOLEN ORDERS

Teo Aik Siong stole 48 Italian-made Brembo brake calipers from Super Fours and scooters in 2006. He received orders via the Internet from a foreigner known only as Akront.

SUPERBIKE GANG

Police bust a superbike theft ring in January 2007 which targeted sportsbikes in HDB multi-storey carparks.

The syndicate stole more than 28 motorcycles estimated to be worth $560,000. They would strip the superbikes and ship them overseas.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Sept 15, 2008.