To say that motorcyclists are protective of their bikes is a bit of an understatement. Here's a quote that sums it up pretty well: Warning: If you value your life as much as I value this motorcycle, don't mess with it!
It's not surprise then that having your bike stolen is one of the supreme outrages bikers sometimes have to face. And nothing does a biker's heart good more than seeing these jerks get their just desserts.
One tool that helps catch bike thieves is the LoJack security system, and I have posted reports here on several occasions of the stories, provided to me by LoJack, of these busts. Thanks to Jeremy Warnick at LoJack, I once again have a batch of happy stories to share with you. Enjoy.
Stolen Honda CBR600 Leads to Additional Stolen Motorcycles (Texas)
When the owners of the Honda CBR600 discovered that their bike had been stolen on May 19, they immediately filed a theft report with the San Antonio Police Department. Less than 30 minutes later, officers from the San Antonio PD received a LoJack signal and contacted the auto theft division. Once they reached the area in which the signal was strongest, they entered the suspect’s residence with a warrant to search the location and found the stolen LoJack-equipped Honda motorcycle. Also located inside the building were two additional (non-LoJack equipped) motorcycles that were reported to have been stolen. The owner of the Honda was made aware of the location and the bike was returned to its grateful owner on the same day it had been originally stolen.
Motorcycle ReVIN’d at Repair Shop (Florida)
On Monday afternoon, February 7, the owner of a 2006 gray Honda Shadow A.C.E. 750 motorcycle contacted the Miami PD and notified them that someone had stolen their motorcycle. The next morning, a Medley PD officer began receiving the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Honda’s LoJack unit and began tracking it. The officer moved into an area where the signal was particularly strong and called Hialeah PD for assistance. Police conducted a “chop investigation” on a used car lot. They appeared to have found the stolen motorcycle, but the VIN (vehicle identification number) did not match the number on the officer’s stolen vehicle message. After further investigation, the officers concluded that the stolen motorcycle had been “cloned” and re-VINed from a random motorcycle sitting on the used car lot. The stolen Honda was recovered within 24 hours and the used car lot owner was arrested for grand theft auto along with possession of a vehicle with an altered VIN.
Night at the Drag Strip Turns Motorcycle Owner into a Victim of Vehicle Theft (North Carolina)
The owner of a 2008 Suzuki GSX1300 was enjoying his night at the Dunn-Benson Drag Strip on May 5. But, when he parked his bike and walked away for a moment, he returned to find it stolen. Witnesses later described that they saw the motorcycle being loaded onto a trailer being pulled by a Ford Expedition. The victim reported his motorcycle stolen to the Johnston County Sheriff Office and in less than one hour, Durham NC police officers were picking up the stolen motorcycle’s LoJack signal. Once the precise location of the signal was located, officers entered a wooded area to find the stolen bike hidden under a covering. The motorcycle was processed and stored until the owner could take possession of the motorcycle. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is continuing their investigation and trying to find the identity of the male suspect seen loading the motorcycle.
Third Theft and Recovery of Suzuki Motorcycle (Massachusetts)
On the night of June 5, the owner of a 2008 Suzuki GSX1300 reported his motorcycle stolen to the Boston Police Department. Within a short time of being activated, officers picked up the silent LoJack homing signal and eventually tracked down the street where the bike was located. As they approached the area, they observed an individual coming out of a basement with a screwdriver in his hand. Upon further investigation, the stolen motorcycle was found and was in the process of being disassembled. The individual was placed under arrest for various felony charges. This was the third theft and recovery of this particular motorcycle, which was found within four hours of its LoJack activation.
Bike Lock Doesn’t Work on this Motorcycle; LoJack Does (New York)
The owner of a 2008 Yamaha YZF R-6 motorcycle parked and locked his bike around a pole outside his street in Long Island City, Queens. When he came outside to find his lock cut and bike missing, he immediately contacted the NYPD. Within a short while, Bayside Queens police picked up on the signal and tracked it to a residential area in the confines of the 111th precinct. A search of the location revealed the bike to be parked in the rear of a van, and it was covered by a tarp. The owner was contacted and he was elated that his bike was recovered so quickly, especially with such minor damage.
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