Lucky find!!

[arrocuda]

Last December I was down the lock-up late one evening working on the project car when I heard a crash in the alleyway followed by the sound of a vehicle hastily leaving the scene.

Thinking that fly tippers had kindly dropped off another old TV or a fridge for our benefit I carried on working. About an hour later I decided to pack up and after I'd locked the compound gates and set off up the alley I came across this.







Being an honest citizen I decided to put it in the back of the car and take it to the local police station cos I know, and I guess a lot of you guys on here know, what it's like to have something stolen that you have put a lot of time and effort into.

The bike had obviously been restored.... so I took it to the cop shop and told them what had happened, to which he replied.... Where's your evidence?? Just cos someone dumps a restored vintage motorcycle in an alleyway doesn't prove it's stolen even if it has got a heavy gauge chain still dangling from the frame that looks as though it has been cut through with an angle grinder. Spent a while arguing that normal people don't go around dumping vintage motorcycles in alleyways for no reason other than to spread a little happiness to petrolheads. But in the end had to concede that I hadn't got any evidence, and..... as he kept saying, circumstantial evidence that is. I decided that resistance was futile!!

Either way.... they concluded that a motor vehicle on a public road with no registration or tax disc entitled me to 'seize' the bike. I protested that the word 'seized' was a bit strong!! saying that I hadn't seized anything, I just picked it up.... so as to get the bike back to it's original owner, cos I know what it's like to have something you love nicked! Don't write 'seized' put collected !!

My argument didn't cut any ice with them so it was booked in as 'lost and found'. So I turned to leave and the cop says.... where are you going? I said.... home why? You can't just leave it here. Wadda you mean??? says I. You can't leave it here cos of health and safety regs. I asked him what the hell he was talkin' about, protesting that it was a bike for gods sake!! The streets are full of 'em! Ah but... it has a fuel tank! So? (sez I) Fuel tanks often have fuel in them and fuel is a hazardous substance and we don't have a licence to keep hazardous substances here!! You have to keep it and we'll send someone round for it when we find the owner.

Where am I gonna put it?.... I said..... He says..... you just told me you got a lock up! I told him...... it's too full as it is, I can't move in there.... Anyways.... ended up loading the bike back into the car again! (On my own) cos everyone was all of a sudden detained by more important matters.

Bad news is.... they were unable to locate the owner...... Good news is because they booked it as 'lost and found' it becomes my property! ;D Don't you just love a happy ending children!

[Copey]

awesome! and good on you for doin the right thing

[Seth]

They didn't find the owner but I wonder if the power of the internet might?

[kevfromwales]

that's a REALLY pretty little bike there

what capacity is it?

maybe worth contacting a rag such as old bike mart see if they can elp with either finding the ex owner, or helping you getting it registered?

[nconst]

wow what an amazing find ,you posted on any motorbike forums trying to locate the owner or you keeping it ? Wish things like this would happen to me

[analogue_radio]

What! thats incredible, so glad it fell into the right hands as well!

Whats the plan now for it?

[Mystery Machine]

While I do feel very sorry for the original owner, I would like to think that he has insurance for it and has been suitably compensated. It would break my heart to lose something like that and you obviously feel the same hence your actions.

You did everything you could, you acted honestly and decently with the bike and despite your best efforts, Karma has dictated that you be rewarded for your trouble.

Fair play to you. A well deserved result and I hope you enjoy owning it. Did you get something in writing from the police to verify that you are now the legal owner? Just in case the original owner somehow finds out and tries to claim it back?

A brilliant story ;D

[ThePollitt]

Hats off to you for doing the right thing, seriously.

Sadly though, I doubt I'll be the only one to be a little perturbed by the respone you got from the Police. Hopefully (in the loosest sens of the word) that is just a poor example of one jobsworth desk sergeant, not a solid representation of the force as a whole.

I'm glad you've got the bike, and having seen your posts and your general warm attitude on this board, I'm sure you'll look after it. That said, I can't help but feel sorry for owner who will never get closure on where his Enfield has gone.

Of course, this is all based on the bike actually being stolen. Who knows, the owner could have dumped it.

Good for you for at least trying though, it's nice to know folk you still exist. Now get out there, strap on your best open faced helmet and 'Biggles' goggles and tear up the lanes! ;D

Chris

[30psi]

Nice effort.

Does the bike have a chassis number on it?

[vambo]

Ooh, I'm sure thats mine, it accidently fell off the back of my truck, along with the Picasso paintings and gold bullion i lost!!

Good work, that is a lovely old bike, be awsome if it gets to be a keeper!

[retrowagen1234]

tbh that doenst look restored as such... Just looks like its been stored for a long while..

Is there any chance it was just dumped to get it outa the shed? Someone mighta bought a house with it there allready.

[BenzBoy]

Are you sure it was a Police station you went to and not a local branch of Toys R Us?! Their reaction was shocking!

If it were me I'd at least put an ad up on an Enfield forum (if such a thing exists) and probably the Owner's Club too. If there's a chassis number stamped on it they might be able to identify it, or if there's any distinct features. I wouldn't post pics of it up, just so that only the genuine owner could describe it.

[mercmad]

I'm a bit bemused by this. A royal enfeild scooter(It's a 50CC isn't it?) is worth something and it seems odd someone would simply dump it. I see old yamaha step throughs fetch decent money amongst collectors and old English bikes get even better money. With fleabay sitting high in most peoples consciousness I again can't see why it was dumped because it would represent cash to most folks.
I think it needs to be exorcised ...it may have more than a few Kharma issues....
;D ;D ;D

[PandaSelecta]

If it was me i would contact a couple of Royal Enfield forums/clubs and also ask classic motorcycles mag to run an article then at least you have given it more coverage and there is less chance of the owner seeing the bike (probably after its restored) and wanting it back

[skinnylew]

beautiful piece of old english engineering that!
Although you've done everything by the book and correctly, it still wouldn't sit well with me if I suspected it was stolen, i'd be trying to trace some info on t'web. That said it may not be a resto and has just been sitting in a shed with a chain through it and an old boy has passed on and his house has been cleared...

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royal-Enfield-Flying-Flea-RE-125cc-/260681391015?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3cb1d25ba7

[nconst]

that the bike on ebay for sale If it is I'm shocked your not the owner of the bike :S i would be doing alot more tracing as said above enfield/vintage bike forums trying to find more info ! I personally think its a bad idea to sell it.

[waveman1500]

Come on guys, he reported it lost to the police and gave them nine months to find the owner. What more can he do? If the owner has not reported it stolen in nine months then it probably isn't stolen. The new owner has every right to sell it.

They're interesting bikes, these super small capacity classics. I always think that they look nice but that I would never have any use for one. After all, if you're going for a ride on a classic bike you want something with some guts to it, whereas if you want a small-capacity commuter bike then something old and valuable isn't very good.

[nconst]

waveman where does it say nine months ?cant see where it says that.

edit just realise its the first sentence duhhhh

[tattoo101]

i would love to find somthing like that, its a little gem. love doing up old bikes. pitty i cant afford to buy it. good luck with the sale hope it goes to a loving home

[Mystery Machine]

Oct 22, 2010 13:33:35 GMT waveman1500 said:

Come on guys, he reported it lost to the police and gave them nine months to find the owner. What more can he do? If the owner has not reported it stolen in nine months then it probably isn't stolen. The new owner has every right to sell it.

^^ WHS ^^

If the bike was insured, and the owner was paid out then it's not his now anyway. If the bike wasn't insured, I hate to say it....but it should have been. Sure, it's a sad loss if it was stolen, but this is all speculation anyway. No one knows the circumstances as to how/why it was dumped in the lane in the first place so lets not start getting accuasational.

Arrocuda has reported it, tried to do the decent thing and hand it over as lost/stolen through the proper channels and has been told it is now his property. As Waveman says, the owner has had nine months to step forward, the Police would have had the registration on their database (if not, then it's certainly no fault of Arrocuda) and lets be honest here.....many people wouldn't have done the same.

Taken from the advert:

Took it to the local police station and nine months later, was given the title to it, as they were unable to locate the original owner.....

....Only document I have is the one the cops gave me to prove I had come about it legitimately, which I'll photocopy for the buyer.

Why should he be the one spending more time & effort trying to locate the owner? He's not gained ownership of the bike through any kind of devious intent and I say fair play. Fair play for being honest and fair play for being totally up front.

I hope you get a good price for it Dude and I hope it goes to a good home.