Topic: STOLEN 77 CB550F in Portland %@!^ douchebags

[blounstation]

********************** I got my bike back today WoooooooHoooo! *******************************

The cops called me today @ 4pm to say my bike was parked @ an intersection only about 10 - 12 blocks from my house.  It was still complete  and the jack knobs even added turn signals. I know it had to be some kid that took it because they wired up the turn signals with car stereo wire, the idle screw was CRANKED up major and they couldn't remember how the tail light went together so it didn't work. There IS bad news though, I think they blew the motor up. It was hard to start (it was already cold blooded) and when it did start I could hear it puffin out of the head and also see a good amount of smoke and oil too. I got it home in 2nd gear but I'll have to check compression when I can... Thanks again to everyone for keeping an eye out for the bike, You guys and gals Rule!

[blounstation]

Bubbafun 101 I didn't get the email but I'm sure your call is what got my bike back to me.... Thanks a ton and I owe some brews or what not.... lets meet up sometime...
eric

[HITMAN]

That is so effing awesome, you got it back.  Bummer bout the possible motor problem, with any luck it's a head gasket(I'm trying for ya here).

If you need any help PM me, I will also have some extra parts available soon.

[dustyc]

What a f'ing group.  Bubbafun, you rock buddy.  Glad you got your bike back -bummer they messed it up, but a great excuse to build it better. 

[heffay]

and the guy only has 12 posts at this point!!

i sure do wish my 72 suzuki tc125 would have come back    stolen the first week i moved to phoenix to go to MMI... it was my first bike, dad and i got it back running after a 15 year barn stay. 

[MoTo-BunnY]

yay!  great news!  that f'ing thief had no clue how many people in town were looking for that bike. . .lol (I had cruised around that area several times - I have a couple friends that live over there).  bummer the motor is toast but at least the bastards didn't get to keep the bike 

[bubbafun101]

All is well that ends well. Sorry about the motor, if ya had a 750 I could possibly help. got a couple of F that have beaning restored and I have acouple of spare parts.. So yeah I will take that beer. Maybe when the local chapter of Sohc riders(doom riders??) get together. As for the e-mail, I used the listed addy but I guess I screwed it up. I took the cops prints of your bike that you posted, because those silly bastards needed a description. I guess the location wasn't enough..lol. Oh by the way it was the exhaust that tipped me off. Since I am trying to fab one up, your with the turn down stuck. Good luck Eric, I am sure we will meet up, this town is too small not too. Take care,

Bubba
ps I dont post alot, just lurking and reading!!!

[paulages]

yay!  great news!  that f'ing thief had no clue how many people in town were looking for that bike. . .lol (I had cruised around that area several times - I have a couple friends that live over there).  bummer the motor is toast but at least the bastards didn't get to keep the bike 

i think i have a motor for you if you need it. give me a call or PM or whatever.

[agiyo]

Here are two more eyes looking for it.  I've had two bikes stolen in Manila and two cars in Portland.  Never saw the bikes again, but my first car was driven about 3 miles, parked for 3 weeks on N. Vancouver, and finally a business owner looked in, found my address and called me.  The other car went less than a mile and sat two weeks before someone looked inside, found a card and called me.

Both times when I called the police to tell them I'd recovered my cars they got really nasty and said if they'd noticed me they would have stopped me with guns drawn.  Didn't occur to them to notice the cars sitting on main thoroughfares for weeks, and I'm afraid the irony of their threats is lost on them.

So don't neglect to look in obvious places.  Some jerk may have simply used it to get to the next neighborhood where he can steal someone's bronze yard ornament.

Joe C.

[MoTo-BunnY]

Here are two more eyes looking for it.  I've had two bikes stolen in Manila and two cars in Portland.  Never saw the bikes again, but my first car was driven about 3 miles, parked for 3 weeks on N. Vancouver, and finally a business owner looked in, found my address and called me.  The other car went less than a mile and sat two weeks before someone looked inside, found a card and called me.

Both times when I called the police to tell them I'd recovered my cars they got really nasty and said if they'd noticed me they would have stopped me with guns drawn.  Didn't occur to them to notice the cars sitting on main thoroughfares for weeks, and I'm afraid the irony of their threats is lost on them.

So don't neglect to look in obvious places.  Some jerk may have simply used it to get to the next neighborhood where he can steal someone's bronze yard ornament.

Joe C.

It was found/recovered already (thanks to this forum!  yay!)

Yeah, I hate to diss on the Po-Lice but um, they aren't really known in Portland for putting a high priority on property crimes? (yet they will have like 3 cops on motorcycles enforcing a sting on bicycles running stop signs all day?!? wth!)

Because of the rampant petty theft around here (especially metal stuff - they even stole my garden hose sprayer thingy, once!?!) I lock the s**t out of everything now. Kinda sucks but what else can you do?  (well, a "tweaker hunting season" part of the year to help 'cull' their numbers, might be effective. .  he hehe 

[mlinder]

Kinda sucks but what else can you do?  (well, a "tweaker hunting season" part of the year to help 'cull' their numbers, might be effective. .  he hehe 

I have been a proponent of such a plan. A tweaker hunting license makes a lot of sense. Perhaps not a full season, though, possibly a week.
We'd run out if it were a full season.

[GoatBaSS]

I am all for running out.

x2 on the lock it down. You are lucky that it did not end up in some dealers junk heap. There is a total new economic order that has dealers turning into their own shops. We cant turn in a thief @ the pawn shop if they do not come in. We did help bust a car thief last week though...

[Hope]

Related to your recent loss, and may/may not help in the recovering of your bike:

I received the following response from ebay when I reported that I believed a bike listed on ebay as a parts bike was stolen:

Dear Hope,

Thank you for writing eBay in regard to mongostaywithsheriffbart and
item 110196309902.

Your concern about the VIN is certainly valid, but we do not require
sellers listing motorcycles in the Parts Bikes category to include the
VIN in the listing. It is up to their discretion as to whether to
include it, or provide it to interested potential bidders.

If you feel the bike may be stolen, you may want to consider contacting
law enforcement authorities both in your area and where the seller
resides. To find law enforcement officers located by area, go to:

http://www.usacops.com

If you do contact a law enforcement officer, please let them know that
eBay would be pleased to cooperate in the investigation, but we need to
receive a request from them. To contact us, the officer can go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-fraud-ebays-role.html

To file a report, they can follow these steps:

1. Click the "report information to eBay" link.
2. Enter the information into the form, including:
- The case number
- The officer's name
- The officer's telephone number

Or they can use the information provided on the page below:

http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/law_enforcement.html

Thank you for being a valuable member of the eBay community.

Sincerely,

Darell
eBay Motors Customer Support
_____________________________________________

So, basically, if you find your bike on ebay, THEY WILL NOT CANCEL THE AUCTION FOR YOU!!!!  You must go through the red tape of making a report in your city and the city where the seller is from.  Ebay expects the authorities to contact them.

In this case where I had reported the suspected stolen bike to ebay, the auction was still ongoing.  Ebay did not cancel the auction, and the auction has ended with a bidder, and probably the buyer has the bike and the seller has the money. 

So, if your bike ends up on ebay as a parts bike, use your judgment because you may have to go through a lot of red tape to get it back.  Looks like it will be very time consuming to get your bike back if it ends up on ebay.  You may have to be the high bidder to get your bike back.

Hmm... think I should make this a separate thread so others can be aware of the steps they may need to take if their bike ends up on ebay?  Should it be a sticky?  You shouldn't have to wait until it happens to you to find out what you will need to do to recover your bike!!!!