How to use RideWatch SA

My bike was stolen

1. Call police on 131 444 (000 if it's happening now) and get a report number.
2. Tap Report stolen bike and sign in.
3. Add a profile photo: tap the round camera button, then drag and zoom so your bike sits in the circle. This is the photo people see on the map.
4. Add more photos, the make, model, colour, rego and VIN, and anything unique like stickers, damage or mods.
5. Pick the suburb and time. Adding the street puts the pin in the right place (leave out your house number).
6. Enter the police report number. It's never shown publicly. Add a reward if you want to.
7. Tap Post stolen bike. It's live on the map and the stolen list straight away.

Then print a flyer and share your listing (see Flyers, sharing and insurance). If it turns up, open your listing and tap Mark as recovered.

Register my bike before anything happens

1. Open the My garage tab and tap Add a bike.
2. Add photos, the VIN and anything unique while the bike is in front of you.
3. Save it. Only you can see bikes in your garage.
4. If it's ever stolen, open it and tap Mark as stolen. Add where, when and your police report number, and it goes live in seconds.

Log a sighting

1. Open the stolen bike and tap Log a sighting, or use the button at the top of any page.
2. Say where: pick the suburb, tap use my location, or close the form and use Drop a pin to tap the exact spot on the map.
3. Say what you saw: plates or no plates, which way it was heading, anything nearby.
4. Add up to three photos if you can do it safely. Tap Blur to cover other number plates or anything identifying. No people in shot.

The sighting is added to the bike's trail on the map, and the owner is notified.

Report a suspicious bike

For a bike that looks stolen, stripped or dumped when you don't know whose it is.

1. Tap Suspicious bike at the top of the page.
2. Tick what looks wrong: VIN scratched off, ignition damaged, fresh rattle-can paint, plate problems, missing parts, dumped for days, or a cut lock nearby.
3. Add photos, then tap Blur and drag a box over the number plate.
4. Add the type, colour and where it is. Standing next to it? Tap Use my location.
5. If you can see the rego or part of the VIN, add it. It's kept private and only checked against stolen listings.
6. Tap Check and post. If the rego or VIN matches a stolen bike, you'll be told straight away and shown who to call.

We also show owners of similar stolen bikes nearby. If it's theirs, they tap That's my bike. Reports come down after 30 days. Don't touch or move the bike: police may need it for fingerprints.

Check a bike before buying

1. Type the rego, VIN or make and model into the Check box at the top of the page.
2. A red box means it matches a stolen bike or a stolen plate. Don't buy it, and call 131 444.
3. No match only means it hasn't been reported here. Always run an official PPSR check too.

Stolen parts and number plates

1. On the Stolen bikes tab, tap Report stolen parts.
2. Choose what was taken. For a plate, enter the number. For a part, describe it and add a serial number if it has one.
3. Switch the list to Parts and plates to see everything reported.

Stolen plates are checked in every rego search, because they often end up on other stolen bikes.

Reading the map

Tap any marker for details. Use the buttons above the map to show or hide each layer, and the date menu to change how far back it goes. Click the map once to zoom with your mouse wheel.

Safer parking and rating spots

1. Green markers are spots we've scored from public map data: security cameras, street lights, how busy the area is, places open 24/7, and local theft rates. Main streets like Jetty Road always show; zoom in to see carparks.
2. Tap one to see its score and why it got it.
3. Parked there? Rate it. 👍 Good spot or 👎 Not safe, then say what was wrong so other riders know.
4. Know a good spot that's missing? Post it in Community as a Safe place to park.

Scores are a guide only. Cameras and lights aren't all mapped, so still lock your bike to something solid.

Flyers, sharing and insurance

1. Open your stolen bike's listing.
2. Print flyer makes an A4 STOLEN poster with the photo, details, any reward and a QR code to the listing. Put it up at servos, bike shops and the local pub.
3. Copy share post copies ready-to-paste text for Facebook groups and Marketplace.
4. Insurance claim pack prints a tidy record of the bike, photos, police report number and sightings for your insurer.

Community posts and comments

1. On the Community tab, tap New post for warnings, hot spots to avoid, safe places to park, recovered bikes or questions.
2. Tap Useful on posts that help, so the best ones rise to the top.
3. Comment on a stolen bike's listing if you've seen something or know where it might be.
4. See something wrong, like a name, a face or a home address? Tap Report and a moderator will check it.

Seen it for sale?

1. Open the stolen bike and tap Seen it for sale?
2. Paste the link to the listing and say what makes you think it's this bike.
3. Send it. Only the owner sees it, and nobody is accused publicly.

Don't contact the seller or arrange to meet. The owner passes it on to police.

Account, app and emails

1. Sign in with Facebook, Google or an email link. We never post to your Facebook.
2. Install the app: on Android or desktop Chrome, tap Install app at the top. On iPhone, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
3. Weekly area email: sign up at the bottom of My garage for thefts, hot spots and recoveries near you.
4. Stats: the Stats tab shows what's stolen most, where and when.
5. How safe is my bike? Take the two-minute quiz for a risk score and what to fix first.