Stolen Bikes

[Big IV]

http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_9812_motorcycle_theft/index.html
This is a nice article about bike theft. Thought I would share. Most of it is common sense, but sometimes it is good to review.

[FLAVALK]

Local news did a piece during Bike Week in Daytona. A guy from Maryland had just arrived in town with his pized Harley FTX-AEIOU in the bed of his truck. The guy checked into the motel and went to his room for a quick shower. When he came out .....it was gone! To say he was pissed is an understatement! Poor guy hadn't even been in town an hour...that SUCKS!

The past few years the Daytona PD along with Volusia County has set up stings around town using "bait bikes". They reported having success busting a few guys.

[Big IV]

When I was riding my CB750 in the late 1990s I remember parking on main street and a guy running up to me as I walked away from the bike. He was overly excited that I had left the key in my bike. I just smiled. The bikes on either side of me were high priced customized HDs with enough partable bling to turn into stolen land mines.  I pointed to the the two thrity grand bikes. Then I pointed to my old dirty Honda. I asked him, "Which one would you steal?" Sadly I never had any trouble in Daytona with bike theft despite always leaving the key on that bike. I should have taken that personal.

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The last trip down on the CB750 I fouled the carbs. I pulled off the road into the back of a parking lot out of the way. I called a cousin who was in town. Luckily he had put his on his truck, whereas I had rode mine. He brought the truck and a short plank he called a ramp. Short twisted piece of 2x4 is not exactly a ramp.  It made a steep ramp at best. My two cousins were helping me push. Two guys in stylish leather jackets walked up making small talk as we pushed. One of them produced a badge. My cousins let go of the bike and backed up hands in the air. Turns out we had been found by the undercover police responsible for bike theft. They told me the stats for stolen bikes at Daytona bike week. Staggering. Bike week is probably why Florida is number 2 on the list of top states for bike thefts.

[NiteRiderF6]

You don't hear about many Valkyries.... being stolen... I think the Honda Valkyrie intimidates mere mortal men... because they are so large.... I mean come on... who in their right mind is going to steal a 900 moto?

Everybody that I run into... says... WOW.. That's a HUGE bike... how do you handle it?

I tell 'em... I get by... she's not too bad once you get her rollin'.

I get off of mine everywhere I go and never lock the steering head or even take the hide a key out of it... nobody messes with it... I'm more worried about my GPS or my helmet or gloves... Ain't many people in their right mind gonna think about stealing a Big Orange Monster Valkyrie... hehehehhhh

If they do, they had best not let me find 'em... I'll 

[Oss]

My bike is parked in the south bronx in front of the Housing Court several days a week.

It is seen by thousands of people who always have nice things to say about my Harley (Hey it says Honda Valkyrie RIGHT THERE but who knows how to read english these days?) but more importantly by several dozen armed NYS Court officers, right Raul?

Locks and chains are nice, but failing to take them off the bike before riding away can be VERY Embarrassing.  Dont ask how I know

I would be concerned if it was a sport bike or a scooter, but nobody touches the 800 plus pound Valkyrie Interstate  Just maybe the NYPD sticker on the windshield also helps

[Zorba]

They have a new anti theft tracker like "LO Jack" but much better, works where lo jack doesn't , like the middle of Death Valley or in a steel convex container etc and no monthly fee just a one time fee of $800 , it;s called "Find it Now" plus comes with roadside assistance etc!
For info contact  ( jmarscustoms.com)

[Lyn-Del]

They have a new anti theft tracker like "LO Jack" but much better, works where lo jack doesn't , like the middle of Death Valley or in a steel convex container etc and no monthly fee just a one time fee of $800 , it;s called "Find it Now" plus comes with roadside assistance etc!
For info contact  ( jmarscustoms.com)

I don't pay a monthly fee for either of the two bikes (Hayabusa and Rune)  I have Lo-Jack on.  Like insurance, I have it but hope I never need it....

[VALKTERY]

When I ride with my harley buddies ,and we stop to eat somewhere ,I always try to sit where I can see the bikes. It nevers fails, one of the harley guys will say ,don't worry about someone stealing that honda with all those harleys out there. And I come back with, I'M  more worried about the guy that needs to make a (fast get away )jumping on that valkyrie ..

[dreamaker]

I often wonder on Ebay how many of the bike parts are legal. I often check out Ebay for parts and most of them are parted out accedents. You see dents and scratchen and going through the adds you can generlly see the whole bike on line. But every so often I see a bike being parted out that seems flawless not even a scratch and notice that the frame is not in the adds. I make me wonder.

Dan

[Big IV]

also could be a repo, insurance claim, collateral bike, or a towed bike that is legally seized by a third party and then sold to recoup someones interest yet they do not want to take the time to do the paperwork.

I have a friend of a friend that works as a part time wrecker driver. They picked up broke down and wrecked bikes for the city of Charlotte to get them off the roadways. It is suprising how many never get claimed by the owners. After so many days they throw them in a pile to make room on the lot. They never do the paperwork to get the titles (they can, and do occasionally on some cars, but don't on bikes). They find it faster to crush them than sell them.
I tried to convince them to do the paperwork, let me pick them up titled, let me sale them, and then we could split some profit with fairly minimual effort on their part. They were not interested. On the HDs, we could have made a killing! On some of the Japanese bikes we would have made money fast. But nope. They crush them. What a waste.

[dreamaker]

In a way that is good info. I don't have to feel guilty buying parts.

Dan

[Big IV]

Dreammaker,
Look for sellers that also have real world motorcycle shops, junkyards, or repo biz off-line.  Some bike shops I think are parting out trade-ins rather than running rougher bikes through the auctions and keeping them off the show room floor.