A furious female motorcyclist gave a would-be bike thief a beating when he tried to steal her prized machine.

The thief clearly thought she was an easy touch when he tried to snatch her keys outside her spa in Passos, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on April 13.

But in a furious fightback, she not only saw off the crook, but gave the police enough information to find him and arrest him.

CCTV footage of the confrontation shows the 17-year-old thief running over and attacking the young woman to snatch the keys after throwing her to the floor.

He then jumps on the bike, but before he can start it, she grabs him by his hoodie and pulls him off the bike.

The thief then shoves her hard to the ground and tries to start the bike again.

But she leaps onto the bike behind him, and pummels him from behind while screaming in his ear.

When he throws her violently off the bike she still does not give up, and again she comes back, with this time the bike falling over.

As she continues to scream, he is then forced to flee empty-handed as other people run onto the street alerted by her cries.

The footage has been widely shared on social media and the police later confirmed that they had arrested the 17-year-old suspect.

The young woman bike owner was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The victim’s boyfriend said she had been left shaken by the attack, but with no regrets at saving her beloved bike.

The investigation continues.