Stolen bike

Short story, dont give up. A nitrous gsxr1100 drag bike was stolen along with the Sprinter van it was in, this year.
The owner posted every day on FB, first locating the van, then finding the thief trying to shift the bike on Snapchat.

He eventually got his bike back with dedication and making it too hot to handle.
 

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Yes. Don't give up. My sister got her car back that was stolen on 1 July. The cops found it parked in a dodgy (low socioeconomic) suburb a couple of days after it was taken. The rego plates had been removed so it took a little while for them to identify it. It was pretty dirty and muddy, had done several hundred km and had been clocked on a speed camera the night it was stolen. It had an almost full fuel tank when it was taken and it was empty when recovered, which tallies with the distance it had covered. The ignition lock was a bit stiff, presumably from having been forced but it was otherwise un-damaged. The cops were able to identify and arrest the thieves from finger prints and DNA. They didn't tell my sister who they'd nabbed, which probably meant it was kids (in Tasmania, child offenders' names are suppressed). The drivers seat had been pushed way forward too, which supports the kids theory. They'll most likely get a telling-off from a magistrate and be asked not to do it again.

Her insurance company took the car for a full inspection and service and declared it OK. They even cleaned it for her and refunded the excess she paid when she made the claim because the car was recovered without damage. They also reimbursed the cost of replacement rego plates. I was surprised by that - an insurance company that actually looks after its customers. She now has a big obvious yellow steering wheel lock to deter thieves. I offered to fit an alarm/immobiliser on it for her but she declined. I don't think she wanted me to go to the trouble. Not that I would have minded.
 
A mate of mine had an RX7 that had been broken into but not stolen - he rigged up a little flashing red LED and ran the main ignition wire through a small plumbing tube with a domestic light switch hidden inside it as an immobiliser that he had hidden away but could easily access. The red light deterred thieves and the off switch foiled the ones who thought they knew a way around the red light 'immobiliser'.
 
I've done the secret immobiliser switch thing before, on both cars and bikes. It's dirt cheap and quite an effective anti-theft device.

The way I do it is to put a hidden switch somewhere that energises a power supply to a couple of relays. Ignition and starter circuits are wired via the NO contacts on their respective relays. Flip the switch and those circuits are completed and the bike (or car) will operate normally. The separate relay for the starter is useful because even if they hot-wire the ignition, the starter still won't work.

A flashing LED can be added to the NC contact of one of the relays as a further deterrent if you want a visual signal The secret switch itself can be quite small as it only carries a small signal current to operate the relays. Happy to provide wiring diagrams for the electrically challenged.

Of course none of these deterrents will stop a resourceful thief. But it may delay them enough to give up and find an easier target.
 
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A while back, I was asking about disc locks that fit Laverda wheels. Back then I was leery about the few occasions we need to park in the street overnight on rides. Typically, what happens is opportunistic scumbags just push a bike away and hide it till later. I was pretty shocked at the cost of motion-sensing with sciren disc or fork locks. Apparently up around $ 500 oz. Cheaper than a replacement bike, I guess. At least full comprehensive insurance is very cheap on Historic rego. I did get given a small disc lock, thanks, Marty, but it only came with 1 key. I tried to get a couple of copies but zero chance of that.
 
My mate Karl lived in city Sydney. He left his car unlocked and widows down a bit on the street for months, hoping someone would steel it and he’d get an insurance payout.

Karl got a work transfer to Melbourne, the night before leaving for Melbourne he packed up his car with as many personal possessions he could. Parked it in his driveway and locked the car, came out in the morning and the car was gone.

He didn’t think my suggestion that maybe ‘the car had left without him’ was funny 🙄
 
Younger brother used to live near the Cross in Sydney. Got so sick of his car being broken into and rifled through he left nothing in it and left it unlocked. They may have gone through it (and found nothing) but at least he didn't have to fork out for a new side window or deal with a rooted door lock. Fukn thieves - I hate 'em.
 
Dellortoman said:
Yes. Don't give up. My sister got her car back that was stolen on 1 July. The cops found it parked in a dodgy (low socioeconomic) suburb a couple of days after it was taken. The rego plates had been removed so it took a little while for them to identify it. It was pretty dirty and muddy, had done several hundred km and had been clocked on a speed camera the night it was stolen. It had an almost full fuel tank when it was taken and it was empty when recovered, which tallies with the distance it had covered. The ignition lock was a bit stiff, presumably from having been forced but it was otherwise un-damaged. The cops were able to identify and arrest the thieves from finger prints and DNA. They didn't tell my sister who they'd nabbed, which probably meant it was kids (in Tasmania, child offenders' names are suppressed). The drivers seat had been pushed way forward too, which supports the kids theory. They'll most likely get a telling-off from a magistrate and be asked not to do it again.

Her insurance company took the car for a full inspection and service and declared it OK. They even cleaned it for her and refunded the excess she paid when she made the claim because the car was recovered without damage. They also reimbursed the cost of replacement rego plates. I was surprised by that - an insurance company that actually looks after its customers. She now has a big obvious yellow steering wheel lock to deter thieves. I offered to fit an alarm/immobiliser on it for her but she declined. I don't think she wanted me to go to the trouble. Not that I would have minded.
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It’s exactly like in France: the magistrate weeps along with the thug, sympathizing with his sad life and making excuses for him.
Personally, for these—shall we say—minor offenses, I favor the Indonesian method: ten cane strokes on the backside, and the guy can't sit down for six months.
Back in the day in France, they’d get thrown into a police van, given a thrashing, and sent home—happy, and rarely likely to do it again.
And then the forces of political correctness came to power...
 
Economics as well: it costs a fortune to feed and water prisoners. Best to save short-term money at the expense of harm to the public. No consequences for scumbags, so they just rinse and repeat. It's a problem in the too-hard basket.
 
Tippie said:
And claimed it under squatters rights?
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I know he had a lot of trouble evicting him and clearing his rubbish out of the car. He then had a 300 mile drive home. Just want you want after a stint working long hours. Made me laugh when he told me though.
 
martymoose said:
Positive fingerprint match to the photo, thief is known to police, keeping everything crossed that the bike is ok. We should know shortly once police have a search warrant.

I am totally shocked by this whole event, doing a total revamp of my security.
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Very sorry to read all this. Hopefully you will get YOUR bike back, and in good shape.
I won't even mention what I personally think should be done to the thief, as I will probably get banned.
Please let us know what comes out of it asap.

Kind regards,
Jacques
 
Update from Will

I went in to the Police station to give them further video of the thief
this morning 15/7/26. I was informed that he had fronted up to the
Police station last Monday 13th under his own steam. ( They did not
bother to inform me ) He has apparently been charged and let go. They
did not recover my bike!!!! The officer said they looked at normal local
dump spots and at the creek behind Constitution Hill. (Did not dive it
just looked ) So who knows where the Fuck it is.

Shanons insurance have told me that if its not fount within 14 days of
theft they just do total write off and I don't have rights to wreck. And
wont normally be informed where the wreck would be auctioned if it ever
did turn up even if I was happy to return total write off $$ and look at
repair or just buy wreck for what ever they set price just goes to
auction. Though he did offer to put a note on file


Well as you can probably tell Im pretty pissed off.

I would really apricate if every one can keep an eye out as if I can at
least get the wreck I may be able to negotiate with Shannons or know
when they would put it in auction. Not that I have any great hope of it
turning up at the moment.


Thanks for all the support and to the many friends that have offered me
a lone bike to get out on.


Will Stein

0428981314
Willstein@optusnet.com.au
 
That's bizarre. They've charged hoodie boy with WHAT? Stealing the bike? Surely if that's the case they would offer a plea deal if he told them where the fukn bike is!! If the bike is found, Shannons policy is that you either get the bike back and they cover repair costs or they write it off, pay you insured value minus excess, and you get first dibs at purchasing the wreck. The problem ATM is that there isn't a bike ... so back to hoodie boy.
 
Sadly, I have heard similar after a spate of dirt bike thefts years back; people would get their trailers followed home when driving back from the usual riding places and get visited later. So he handed himself in; they must have visited his house then, obviously known to the police. You might think they would drop in and actively look in the usual suspects shit holes for stolen bikes; the only time that happens is when other cases intersect, usualy Drug related and they find a bunch all at once. But this is not your typical see-it-everywhere Yamaha bushbasher. Really odd that Shanans Insurance comment. My NRMA Classic and Vertran rule one is you get any part of the bike found, no ifs or buts. Both of mine are insured for 20k @ $150 a year.
 
That really stinks, really bad policing and that comes from the top, it is policy not to "waste time" on this type of crime. I just read that so far this year in Norway there are over 8000 cases of theft including from break and enter that they have refused to investigate, many with clear video of the thief who is also known to the police. "We don´t have the resources, claim it on insurance", totally fucked. A great message to send out to thief clubs.
 
Unfortunately, it’s seems like it’s a bit of a worldwide issue in ‘westernised’ countries. Property theft used to be considered worse than just about any other crime, justifying transportation. Perhaps there’s a connection. 😜🏃‍➡️
 
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