The city of São Paulo recorded 4,945 motorcycle thefts and robberies in 2025, according to data from the interactive platform Mapa do Crime, produced by GLOBO. Among the most frequently targeted models, the Honda CG 160 remained at the top of the ranking, with 1,161 cases registered last year. Although the city overall recorded a 19% reduction in motorcycle thefts compared to previous years, the South Zone followed the opposite trend. In the region, which concentrates several of the neighborhoods with the highest number of incidents, crime increased significantly. Together, the police districts covering Capão Redondo, Campo Limpo, Jardim Herculano, Jardim das Imbuias, and Parelheiros registered a 24% increase in motorcycle thefts and robberies between 2023 and 2025, reaching a combined total of 1,140 cases. Authorities and residents have expressed concern over the concentration of crimes in peripheral areas with difficult access and escape routes that facilitate the actions of criminal groups.
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Neighborhoods with the Most Reported Thefts
The neighborhoods with the highest number of reported motorcycle thefts and robberies in São Paulo in 2025 were:
- Capão Redondo – 282 cases
- Campo Limpo – 253 cases
- Parelheiros – 213 cases
- Jardim Herculano – 213 cases
- Jardim das Imbuias – 179 cases
Most Stolen Motorcycles
Among the most targeted models, the Honda CG 160 remained far ahead of all others, recording 1,161 thefts and robberies in 2025, a 24% increase compared to the 954 incidents registered in 2024. Another model that showed a significant increase was the Honda PCX, with cases rising from 174 to 232, representing a 35% increase over the same period. In the overall ranking of the most stolen motorcycles in the capital, the Honda CG 160 appears in first place, followed by the Honda PCX with 232 cases and the Honda XRE with 220. The list continues with the Yamaha XTZ250, with 208 occurrences, the Yamaha FZ25 with 200, and the Honda CB 300F with 151 registered cases. The survey also identified a strong territorial concentration of crimes. In Capão Redondo alone, for example, 137 of the 285 reported motorcycle thefts involved the Honda CG 160 model, reinforcing its status as the preferred target of criminal groups due to its popularity and easy resale of parts.
M’Boi Mirim Road
In the southern region of the city, criminal activity is heavily concentrated around M’Boi Mirim Road, one of the main corridors linked to motorcycle thefts and robberies. According to police investigations, after committing the crimes, suspects usually flee through narrow side streets and residential areas where motorcycles are dismantled or have their license plates altered inside houses and improvised workshops. Criminal groups also operate near the Billings and Guarapiranga reservoir areas, where large wooded regions facilitate concealment and make police surveillance more difficult. Authorities say these areas have become strategic escape and dismantling points for gangs specializing in motorcycle theft.
Alvarenga Road
Alvarenga Road, located in the far southern zone of São Paulo, is the only road in the city that has consistently appeared among the most dangerous for motorcycle thefts over the last three years. In 2025, it ranked second, with 46 reported cases, behind only M’Boi Mirim Road, which registered one additional occurrence. In 2024, the avenue recorded 61 motorcycle thefts and robberies, placing third in the ranking behind Anhanguera Highway, with 76 cases, and Avenida das Nações Unidas, with 64. The same pattern had already been observed in 2023, when Alvarenga Road once again appeared among the city’s most dangerous routes for motorcyclists, behind Avenida das Nações Unidas and Avenida Interlagos. Police believe the constant presence of the road in the rankings is linked to its strategic connection between peripheral neighborhoods and escape routes used by criminal groups.
Luxury Motorcycles
Among luxury motorcycles, the Triumph Tiger led the ranking of the most stolen models in São Paulo, with 83 cases recorded in 2025. It was followed by the Triumph Scrambler, with 47 occurrences, the BMW G310 and the Kawasaki Ninja, both with 42 incidents, and the Kawasaki Versys with 41 cases. In the breakdown by police precincts, the 33rd Police District (Pirituba) registered the highest number of luxury motorcycle thefts, with 44 cases in 2025. Next came the 37th Police District, in Campo Limpo, South Zone, with 26 incidents, followed by the 11th DP (Santo Amaro), with 25, the 46th DP (Perus), with 24, and the 99th DP (Campo Grande), also with 24 occurrences. Investigators believe that organized gangs increasingly target high-value motorcycles for resale in illegal markets or dismantling for parts.
Analysis:
The pattern of motorcycle thefts and robberies in São Paulo demonstrates how this type of crime has become increasingly structured and geographically concentrated. Although the city overall recorded a reduction in motorcycle-related crimes, the sharp increase observed in the South Zone indicates that criminal activity is adapting rather than declining. The concentration of incidents in the far southern region of the capital reflects the expansion of organized theft schemes operating near major avenues, access roads, and peripheral neighborhoods where criminals can quickly hide stolen vehicles or dismantle them for illegal resale. Areas connected to corridors such as M’Boi Mirim Road and Alvarenga Road offer strategic logistical advantages, combining intense vehicle circulation, rapid escape possibilities, and proximity to informal dismantling networks.
The predominance of models such as the Honda CG 160 also reveals the economic logic behind these crimes. Criminal groups tend to prioritize motorcycles with high circulation and strong demand for replacement parts, since these vehicles are easier to dismantle and redistribute through illegal markets without attracting immediate attention.
