Found My Stolen Bike on Craigslist, What to Do??

Monty

Monty

XS650 Enthusiast
Messages
60
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Cheyenne, WY
This isn't my XS, but a bike I poured a lot of sweat and money into. It was stolen almost 5 years ago, and I gave up hope of ever seeing it again long ago. I no longer have the title or know the VIN. It was stolen in CO, I now live in WY (but I am close). I talked to both PD's, the one where it was stolen and the one where it is now. Pretty much I need to be able to get a copy of my title before they do much. The cops in my hometown have all the info on it, they said they will call the other PD tomorrow and try to get them to check it out. Not sure if that will happen though. With me being out of state and it being Labor Day tomorrow, it definitely slows down my progress in figuring out my vin/obtaining a replacement title.

I do have the opportunity to drive down to CO if needed. Any recommendations on what I should do? I feel extremely anxious right now because it feels like I can't do anything except go through the slow process of getting a title or hope the cops do something.

It's a '05 KX250F with a modified frame that fits '94 KX500 engine, made street legal with supermoto wheels. Had about 10K total in this thing...

http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/4034687086.html

 
First, cool bike. I can see why you'd want it back.

Second, you might want to stick with what you have already done. If you confront the current 'owner' there is no telling what might happen.

Third, stay on the cop's butts. If they haven't made a move in a couple of days, here's something you might try: A buddy had some expensive SpinWerkes race wheels stolen, they popped up on CL. He called the guy, set up a meet, then as he was leaving his house he called the local PD and told them what he was doing and where. When he got to the meet, a patrol car pulled in right behind him.
 
If You know it's your bike.
I would get in touch with seller and make a deal to buy it.
Then it would be on! take a couple friends with You and go get it.
my two friends I might take is.
Sturm Ruger, and Avtomat Kalashnikova just a thought
 
My 2 cents is the current owner is likely not the original thief and probably bought and paid for the bike. With maybe just a slight "it might have a shady past" feeling. If you show up to claim it his feelings will likely be hurt and it's hard to tell how he will react.
I can understand your angst but 2500 seems like a lot of cash for a non running mongrel so it probably won't disappear immediately. Copy and save the ad, contact the guy as an interested buyer, get an address. Then let the cops do their thing.

Looks like more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
 
I'm glad you thought about it Carbon. I hear you though, but a lot of times what we want to do (Remington 870) and what we should do are two different things. Monty, I think you've done everything right so far, just stay in contact with the police, and let that play out. As a previous poster said, chances are its not the thief who owns it now anyway.

Philip
 
Best thing is to go to the cops in his town and follow their suggestions. One thing you don't want to do is cause it to be "stolen" from him before you can get it back.

If you go see the cops with a copy of the police report with a vin or serial number from when it was stolen it should be good enough. Nobody is going to keep the title around from a vehicle they had five years ago. It should still be in the dmv system, showing you owe taxes on it :)

You need to do it fast. Whoever buys it will pay in cash and it will disappear again.
 
My friend went through this exact scenario with his big screen tv that was stolen and appeared on C.L. shortly thereafter. He called the cops and they set up a sting of sorts. They waited down the street while my buddy went to check out the TV. He saw the TV and thought it was his. He told the guy he needed to call his wife and stepped outside. Called the cops down the street and they came right over and ran the serial number. Turns out, it wasn't his but it was in fact stolen. Took the guy in for questioning. Not sure what happened after that, as mentioned, it could be the second or third owner not necessarily the person who stole the item. Good news is, the cops will in fact work with you on this.
 
I just got home and this is what happened. I came down from Wyoming and my father met me near the dudes house. We acted like causal buyers and checked it out for a few minutes, then we left. On this visit I find the numbers have been ground off. It was obvious. I told the guy I would let him know later what I decide. One of the first things I thought was that this guy very possibly did not steal it, I was respectful to him the whole time during both visits. After verifying it was there we went to the police station and at this point they told me it was not reported stolen, but I was able to get the VIN. Turns out it was, but the license plate number wasn't reported stolen, and that's all they were checking. Why they did not run the VIN from the beginning, I have no idea. After a couple hours on the phone that ordeal was straitened out.

At this point both departments knew I went to the guys place. I got a call from the first officer I talked to last night and he basically told me I should have not went, it was very dangerous, and so on. I understand that, but I really think nothing would have been done if I didn't. I went to an office supply store and printed out about 15 pictures of the bike and specific frame modifications and custom parts I built, and went back to see the police in person at the station. I told them I have set up a time to meet the guy to put down a small deposit, and I want to have an officer come with me. We met two of them about a 1/4 mile away, where I explained the story, showed them the pictures, my ID and so on.

My father and I go down to see the guy, with the plan that cops will show up 5 minutes later, giving us time to get the bike outside. It was pretty nerve racking trying to stall and act cool before the cops showed up. When they show up everything comes out, and the guy claims he had no idea it was stolen, but does not dispute the fact when he sees the pictures. Funny though, he had a buddy there that mentioned they do 4 wheeling around my hometown and I didn't mention where I was from, so I really don't know if the dude did it or not. Maybe he knows the guy that did take it...Really I don't care either way.

The cops called a truck and had it taken away to their impound lot. There still is no guarantee that I will get it back as the VIN was ground off, but with the pictures I provided and the stolen vehicle report I have filed, I was told it does look good. Who knows how long that will take, if it does happen, but I will be bugging them about it...

It is pretty much unchanged, other than being neglected. I feel lucky, the chances of me finding it after this long were slim to none.
 
Make sute you stay on it! There is no public employee with a job to make sure people get there stuff back. Well kind of. You may get a letter in five years that you can come pick it up. That happen with a gun of mine.
 
Clicked on the craigslist link, the ad has been pulled already.

When you're bike is stolen, and you report it, the FIRST thing that happens is your title is invalidated!
If it's recovered, you may not be informed, and it will be reserialized/retitled by the state, and put on the auction block.
If you try to recover, you are the thief, good luck retitling.

If you DON'T report it stolen, it's still legally yours, and you can recover it your way.
I-am-carbon's friends live for this kinda thing.

This was the way things were back then, not sure about nowadays...
 
That's awesome! (and nerve wracking I'll bet) stay on it you'll get it back.
 
I was privy to a conversation many years ago about stolen bikes. The talk was neck numbers. They talked about a wax that could be used to fake numbers. Also, and this is important, an acid could be wiped on the ground off numbers and they would show up. The metal (I think they were talking about steel) had the grain compressed and disrupted from the stamping so it discolored different from the surounding unstamped metal.


Tom
 
subscribed because I REALLY hope you get this awesome bike back in your hands....nothing worse than a thief swiping your pride and joy, would be an awesome story to hear you get it back!
 
well the guy that has it is looking at possession of stolen property at the very least, if he got it from someone else :laugh: look for him to do a rat out just to save his own ass
 
First grinding numbers off is not as easy as you think and they do have acid that brings back all or some numbers. From the factory numbers are heated and stamped so they do go deep. If you can come up with your vin numbers and pictures of bike they should release it to you. Had a buddy go to bike week and see his bike ride past him on main street . They never changed anything same paint-seat-handlebars and he grabbed a cop and told him that was his bike stolen from NY 3 years ago. They stopped the guy he had papers and insurance on same original Vin numbers out of AK and said he owed bike for 2 years. He bought it threw a local paper and cops took bike my buddy had to have his wife send title to him and he got bike back. So there are shady things that go on. Some states don't use a title and never look on National Stolen List. I hope you get it back and I don't think the guy who had it new it was stolen or he is super dumb to put it on craigslist.
 

Similar threads

Wordman
Alive and Kicking
Replies
10
Views
1K
Wordman
Wordman
GLJ
Just another XS2
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
Mailman
Mailman
ForestHasAnXS650Too
New-Old XS650 Special journey - My initial problems
2
Replies
22
Views
550
jetmechmarty
jetmechmarty
W
Seeking ideas on how to title / register a junk bike basket case resurrection
Replies
10
Views
1K
timbeck
timbeck
H
Front Brake questions
Replies
12
Views
1K
jetmechmarty
jetmechmarty
Back
Top