Thieves have been targeting highly coveted e-bikes and electric dirt bikes in a series of recent break-ins at local shops.

Surveillance video showed at least two people breaking into Ebikes Hawaii in Kapolei in the early morning hours of April 27. Then, early Friday morning, another break-in at the same location occurred, the second in just over a week.

Four electric dirt bikes with a total retail value of $24,700 were stolen in the first incident, and Friday’s theft included helmets and bike gear, according to Ebikes Hawaii representatives.

Bikefactory Hawaii, which is nearby, had three electric bicycles stolen April 20, a week before the theft at Ebikes Hawaii.

“The entire Campbell Industrial Park area has been hit hard,” said Bikefactory’s Kapolei store manager, who declined to provide his name. “Just about every night” there have been burglaries, he said.

Honolulu Police Department spokesperson Michelle Yu said detectives “are actively investigating” several break-ins at Campbell Industrial Park and that police are working with the park’s management and tenants.

“As electric bikes become more popular, it’s likely that the businesses that sell them would become possible targets,” Yu said.

“HPD encourages all businesses to install a security system that includes surveillance cameras.”

Ebikes Hawaii Kapolei General Manager Jay Bitar said electric dirt bikes are hot-ticket items. “They’re all the craze,” he said.

Surveillance video of the April 27 theft showed the burglars arriving in what appeared to be a four-door pickup truck. They broke into a storage unit using heavy-duty grinders and sawed through the heavy steel roll-up doors, taking a couple of electric dirt bikes, he said.

They also went into the shop and helped themselves to a couple more bikes.

All four were high-quality electric dirt bikes, which have hard-to-replicate personalized keys, Bitar said. They all had their keys and batteries.

The perpetrators got away with three Sur-Rons, which retail for $5,250 each, and a Kuberg model, which sells for $8,950, Bitar said.

On Friday thieves smashed the glass door to gain entry into the shop.

The thefts were reported to police, who classified the cases as second-degree burglaries.

“We’re working on repairs and have increased our security measures,” Bitar said, adding he hopes someone will recognize the thieves from the videos and call police.

He said the dirt bikes do not have to be registered since they are off-road vehicles, unlike motorcycles and bicycles, so they could prove harder to track down.

The company opened its second location in Kapolei at 2045 Lauwiliwili St., Unit 204, about two years ago. It also has an outlet in Kapahulu.

Bitar said electric dirt bikes are highly desirable since there are no gears or clutch, so they are easier to learn to use and have no hot exhaust. The bikes also are easier to start since no kick- starting is involved, and they are much quieter than their gasoline-powered counterparts.

Anyone contemplating buying a used electric bike should insist on seeing a receipt from a store where the seller purchased the bike, he said.

Only a handful of stores sell electric bikes since they use a large lithium ion battery, which makes them hard to ship to Hawaii, and cannot typically be purchased new online, he said.

The Bikefactory manager said if someone were to find a $13,000 bike being advertised for $400, it is likely stolen. In addition to a receipt, it’s also good to ask for the registration, which is required for street bikes, and to check the serial number. If it’s scratched off, that’s clearly a red flag.

The manager said store personnel often bid for bikes being sold online on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp to locate bikes stolen from their shops.

HPD CrimeStoppers coordinator Chris Kim urged the public to be cautious about buying e-bikes offered by anyone other than authorized dealers. “They should be asking for any receipts and registration,” he said.

“Because they are high-priced items, they could probably get a good amount of money on the black market,” Kim said. “If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not true.”

Anyone with information regarding the recent thefts should contact CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300.