Ever get a stolen bike back?

11/24/2021 5:25am Edited Date/Time 11/24/2021 5:27am
Had my 1988 KX125 stolen and I called in every day for 2 weeks at the Police station to see if they had any news. Nope, nothing.

Then after a while, they called asking if my bike was "green, with a number 32 on the plates?" It had been impounded along with a load of other stuff after a raid on a known burglar the day after it was stolen from me, but the guys on the desk didn't have the brains to link a KX125 stolen from me, to a KX125 found at a burglars' house, because "they were 2 seperate cases"..
I'd been walking in there every day, and it had been literally just round the corner in a yard.

Oh well, luckily it was all in one piece along with all my riding kit.
2
Crossup
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11/24/2021 6:47am Edited Date/Time 11/24/2021 6:49am
Yes...sort of got one back.

In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could rework the inside of my garage. The 70 was my son's first bike and he was just getting started riding. The storage facility got broken into and 10 of the mini garages were opened. I had both of our bikes against the back wall and piled boxes up so you couldn't see them from the door, but they still found them anyway. I went through the regular routine with the police and they had my VIN numbers. We live in Massachusetts.

2 years later I get a call from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Connecticut. It seems as though an investigator had an engine number that tied back to my VIN number, that tied back to my stolen property report. The investigators said they found my son's bike and it was in a private impound lot in New Haven Connecticut. I called the impound lot and the person that answered the phone hold up their record and found my son's CRF70. He told me that the storage charge on the bike was $1,500. I told him that this was stolen property and it was my son's bike and I would like to pick it up. He was unwilling to negotiate the $1,500. I told him fine and handed the phone to my son and tell him this is the guy that has your bike. After a minute on the phone with my son he dropped the storage charge to $150.

Once I got to Impound lot I realized this is a giant scam. When a bike is impounded they don't ever expect it to go back to the original owner. There were a lot of impounded ATVs and motorcycles at this lot. When I was there, there were a number of people walking through the stolen goods deciding which ones they wanted when they became available.

The CRF70 was beaten to hell of course. I contacted New Haven Police and wanted to press charges against the person they had busted with my son's bike. They gave me no help at all and told me that I should just be happy I got the bike back.

I never got my CRF250 back. The worst part was that my son lost his interest in riding after that because I couldn't afford to buy another bike right away.
motomx58
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Colorado Springs, CO US
11/24/2021 7:18am Edited Date/Time 11/24/2021 7:18am
Nope, I'd rather not find it. Insurance covered it and me knowing that it's been beat to all hell, I don't want it back.
Chance1216
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Location
Carson, CA US
11/24/2021 8:27am
I had an 87 CR 125 stolen. Called the police, gave the info. A week goes by and a buddy calls me saying hey, I got your bike. Apparently, he went to a family BBQ and, my bike was there leaning against the side of the house in the backyard. Turned out it was someone I knew who stole it.
After this thief got his ass kicked by his his family members. I was able to pick my bike up.

A year later, my garage was broken into. Same bike was stolen. Never seen again. I browse Craigslist in the Los Angeles area often, hoping it pops up one day.

The Shop

11/27/2021 5:43pm
Crossup wrote:
Yes...sort of got one back. In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could...
Yes...sort of got one back.

In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could rework the inside of my garage. The 70 was my son's first bike and he was just getting started riding. The storage facility got broken into and 10 of the mini garages were opened. I had both of our bikes against the back wall and piled boxes up so you couldn't see them from the door, but they still found them anyway. I went through the regular routine with the police and they had my VIN numbers. We live in Massachusetts.

2 years later I get a call from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Connecticut. It seems as though an investigator had an engine number that tied back to my VIN number, that tied back to my stolen property report. The investigators said they found my son's bike and it was in a private impound lot in New Haven Connecticut. I called the impound lot and the person that answered the phone hold up their record and found my son's CRF70. He told me that the storage charge on the bike was $1,500. I told him that this was stolen property and it was my son's bike and I would like to pick it up. He was unwilling to negotiate the $1,500. I told him fine and handed the phone to my son and tell him this is the guy that has your bike. After a minute on the phone with my son he dropped the storage charge to $150.

Once I got to Impound lot I realized this is a giant scam. When a bike is impounded they don't ever expect it to go back to the original owner. There were a lot of impounded ATVs and motorcycles at this lot. When I was there, there were a number of people walking through the stolen goods deciding which ones they wanted when they became available.

The CRF70 was beaten to hell of course. I contacted New Haven Police and wanted to press charges against the person they had busted with my son's bike. They gave me no help at all and told me that I should just be happy I got the bike back.

I never got my CRF250 back. The worst part was that my son lost his interest in riding after that because I couldn't afford to buy another bike right away.
That's heartbreaking, man. It doesn't do anything, but I'm sorry.

People like that deserve some unsavory work to say the least.
1
mtl
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11/27/2021 8:35pm
-MAVERICK- wrote:
I know it was on the Weege show from Loretta's. Press play.
I know it was on the Weege show from Loretta's.

Press play.

gold
1
user760a
Posts
1202
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Location
Shelby, NC US
12/1/2021 7:30am
Crossup wrote:
Yes...sort of got one back. In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could...
Yes...sort of got one back.

In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could rework the inside of my garage. The 70 was my son's first bike and he was just getting started riding. The storage facility got broken into and 10 of the mini garages were opened. I had both of our bikes against the back wall and piled boxes up so you couldn't see them from the door, but they still found them anyway. I went through the regular routine with the police and they had my VIN numbers. We live in Massachusetts.

2 years later I get a call from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Connecticut. It seems as though an investigator had an engine number that tied back to my VIN number, that tied back to my stolen property report. The investigators said they found my son's bike and it was in a private impound lot in New Haven Connecticut. I called the impound lot and the person that answered the phone hold up their record and found my son's CRF70. He told me that the storage charge on the bike was $1,500. I told him that this was stolen property and it was my son's bike and I would like to pick it up. He was unwilling to negotiate the $1,500. I told him fine and handed the phone to my son and tell him this is the guy that has your bike. After a minute on the phone with my son he dropped the storage charge to $150.

Once I got to Impound lot I realized this is a giant scam. When a bike is impounded they don't ever expect it to go back to the original owner. There were a lot of impounded ATVs and motorcycles at this lot. When I was there, there were a number of people walking through the stolen goods deciding which ones they wanted when they became available.

The CRF70 was beaten to hell of course. I contacted New Haven Police and wanted to press charges against the person they had busted with my son's bike. They gave me no help at all and told me that I should just be happy I got the bike back.

I never got my CRF250 back. The worst part was that my son lost his interest in riding after that because I couldn't afford to buy another bike right away.
I Agree the whole impound/storage thing is no different than having the bike stolen a second time.

Years ago, the little woman had a new PW80 for her older son. It was stolen and gone a good while... eventually she finds out that the son of an a-hole who owns a towing company has been riding it on their family property. The bike was recovered, along with multiple other bikes. They all went straight to this "towing company impound" AKA the towing company owner's garage.

Towing company dickhead wants 900 dollars in storage fees to release the stolen bike. He has had it for at least a year and a half, no cop ever went in and reported that it had been recovered, nobody ever called the little woman to tell her.

Little woman had to take the towing company A hole to small claims court- he acted as though she were trying to steal from him. This is a bike she bought new, had the certificate of origin, and a police report of the theft

Our system in the US is pathetic. Better lock/guard/insure your stuff because our criminal justice system in a non functional joke. Nobody gives a shit....not even a little
2
mxteach
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Location
New Windsor, MD US
12/1/2021 4:49pm
Yes...20 years later! In 1999 I had my 1997 KX stolen. Then last year I get a call from the cops about 3 hours away asking if I every owned a 97kx....I said yes but was stolen and they said they recovered it. It was roached but made a great project and I race it in Late model Vintage class (up to '99) locally.
8
kage173
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2945
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Location
TX US
12/5/2021 5:20am
Chance1216 wrote:
I had an 87 CR 125 stolen. Called the police, gave the info. A week goes by and a buddy calls me saying hey, I got...
I had an 87 CR 125 stolen. Called the police, gave the info. A week goes by and a buddy calls me saying hey, I got your bike. Apparently, he went to a family BBQ and, my bike was there leaning against the side of the house in the backyard. Turned out it was someone I knew who stole it.
After this thief got his ass kicked by his his family members. I was able to pick my bike up.

A year later, my garage was broken into. Same bike was stolen. Never seen again. I browse Craigslist in the Los Angeles area often, hoping it pops up one day.
Carson Brown has it. Check his Instagram
1
1
kage173
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TX US
12/5/2021 5:25am
Crossup wrote:
Yes...sort of got one back. In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could...
Yes...sort of got one back.

In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could rework the inside of my garage. The 70 was my son's first bike and he was just getting started riding. The storage facility got broken into and 10 of the mini garages were opened. I had both of our bikes against the back wall and piled boxes up so you couldn't see them from the door, but they still found them anyway. I went through the regular routine with the police and they had my VIN numbers. We live in Massachusetts.

2 years later I get a call from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Connecticut. It seems as though an investigator had an engine number that tied back to my VIN number, that tied back to my stolen property report. The investigators said they found my son's bike and it was in a private impound lot in New Haven Connecticut. I called the impound lot and the person that answered the phone hold up their record and found my son's CRF70. He told me that the storage charge on the bike was $1,500. I told him that this was stolen property and it was my son's bike and I would like to pick it up. He was unwilling to negotiate the $1,500. I told him fine and handed the phone to my son and tell him this is the guy that has your bike. After a minute on the phone with my son he dropped the storage charge to $150.

Once I got to Impound lot I realized this is a giant scam. When a bike is impounded they don't ever expect it to go back to the original owner. There were a lot of impounded ATVs and motorcycles at this lot. When I was there, there were a number of people walking through the stolen goods deciding which ones they wanted when they became available.

The CRF70 was beaten to hell of course. I contacted New Haven Police and wanted to press charges against the person they had busted with my son's bike. They gave me no help at all and told me that I should just be happy I got the bike back.

I never got my CRF250 back. The worst part was that my son lost his interest in riding after that because I couldn't afford to buy another bike right away.
Damn that hurts. Their interest is so finicky at that age.. I had a feeling as I was reading that that would be the consequence. I'm sorry man.
12/5/2021 5:31am Edited Date/Time 12/5/2021 5:33am
I had two stolen at the same time. I didn't get either of them back. The theif was caught though and went to jail.
oceantrav
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Tarpon Springs, FL US
12/5/2021 6:11am
Had 3 stolen. Kid tried offering it on Facebook to someone and they let me know. I saw he had a go cart for sale. Set him up like I was interested in the go cart and went and got one of my bikes back at gun point. They didn’t have my other 2.

Afterwards I told the detective that I recovered one of my bikes. He was like why didn’t you tell us where it was? I told him because i doubt they would have been able to get it/actually did anything. He concurred
1
Elliot
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GB
12/5/2021 6:46am
Years ago I had my KDX200 stolen and gave up any hope of getting it back. A few months later I had a call from the police saying they'd found it after chasing someone they spotted riding it on the streets and whoever it was crashed it in the chase and ran off.

It was a wreck, plus they'd sprayed the plastics black. I wished the police had never found it.
1
philG
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GB
12/5/2021 9:07am
Had an 89 250 Suzuki stolen back in the day , 10 hours on it.

Buddy rings me, says its being ridden at a free ride place next to his farm,

Went down mob handed and relieved him of it,.
thewrizzle
Posts
488
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Location
Rochester, WA US
12/5/2021 11:33am
Yes, had a bike stolen from my brothers house. We put the word out locally and someone knew someone that happened to “buy” a new bike. This guy was a friend of friend of my brothers and happened to be at the house a few days before it was stolen.

Called the cops, they were uninterested.

Contacted a family friend that happened to be a member of the Vagos. We rolled up with a few associates and collected my wife’s bike. I can say that the kid wasn’t harmed physically, but there was definitely a fear of God instilled into him.
Crossup
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Location
Freetown, MA US
12/5/2021 7:16pm
Crossup wrote:
Yes...sort of got one back. In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could...
Yes...sort of got one back.

In 2009 I had my CRF250 and my son's CRF70 in a storage facility for just 30 days so I could rework the inside of my garage. The 70 was my son's first bike and he was just getting started riding. The storage facility got broken into and 10 of the mini garages were opened. I had both of our bikes against the back wall and piled boxes up so you couldn't see them from the door, but they still found them anyway. I went through the regular routine with the police and they had my VIN numbers. We live in Massachusetts.

2 years later I get a call from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Connecticut. It seems as though an investigator had an engine number that tied back to my VIN number, that tied back to my stolen property report. The investigators said they found my son's bike and it was in a private impound lot in New Haven Connecticut. I called the impound lot and the person that answered the phone hold up their record and found my son's CRF70. He told me that the storage charge on the bike was $1,500. I told him that this was stolen property and it was my son's bike and I would like to pick it up. He was unwilling to negotiate the $1,500. I told him fine and handed the phone to my son and tell him this is the guy that has your bike. After a minute on the phone with my son he dropped the storage charge to $150.

Once I got to Impound lot I realized this is a giant scam. When a bike is impounded they don't ever expect it to go back to the original owner. There were a lot of impounded ATVs and motorcycles at this lot. When I was there, there were a number of people walking through the stolen goods deciding which ones they wanted when they became available.

The CRF70 was beaten to hell of course. I contacted New Haven Police and wanted to press charges against the person they had busted with my son's bike. They gave me no help at all and told me that I should just be happy I got the bike back.

I never got my CRF250 back. The worst part was that my son lost his interest in riding after that because I couldn't afford to buy another bike right away.
kage173 wrote:
Damn that hurts. Their interest is so finicky at that age.. I had a feeling as I was reading that that would be the consequence. I'm...
Damn that hurts. Their interest is so finicky at that age.. I had a feeling as I was reading that that would be the consequence. I'm sorry man.
Thanks man. I truly appreciate it.
He's now graduated with his master's and maybe with a little spare time we can get back to it.
1
Chance1216
Posts
8259
Joined
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Location
Carson, CA US
12/6/2021 9:23am
Chance1216 wrote:
I had an 87 CR 125 stolen. Called the police, gave the info. A week goes by and a buddy calls me saying hey, I got...
I had an 87 CR 125 stolen. Called the police, gave the info. A week goes by and a buddy calls me saying hey, I got your bike. Apparently, he went to a family BBQ and, my bike was there leaning against the side of the house in the backyard. Turned out it was someone I knew who stole it.
After this thief got his ass kicked by his his family members. I was able to pick my bike up.

A year later, my garage was broken into. Same bike was stolen. Never seen again. I browse Craigslist in the Los Angeles area often, hoping it pops up one day.
kage173 wrote:
Carson Brown has it. Check his Instagram
Damn him. He’s only 30 minutes from me. 🙃

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