3 years ago my 1989 FJ was stolen and has never been recovered. I no longer live at that location. Now 3 years later thieves have struck again. :mad: :ireful: Sometime in the wee hours of this morning they attempted to steal the 95 FJ and the 90 VFR. I live in a mobile home park and I have no garage. It appears that they used a vacant lot to stage the bikes. Fortunately they were bad thieves and attempted to TOW the FJ with a strap. Before they were out of the Mobile home park they lost control of the bike, crashed and then abandoned their efforts. The VFR was laying on it's side in a sandy area and has received no damage at all. The FJ on the other hand was not so lucky.
Fred
WTF, that is very bad luck Fred. Time to lock the bikes up with a big cable to a post in the ground and put an electric horse fence around them...
Sorry to hear.
Time to find out who they are...set some bait and track them.
Photos
WTF! Fred at least put up cameras. I live in a small community. With extremely low crime. But my house will have 5 motion activated continuous loop cameras. That also turn on the 110,000 Lumens of LED floodlights. And 4 indoor cams on a DVR.
And no I'm not paranoid. It's just cheap and easy.
That still makes me angry every time I think about your first bike.
Quote from: aviationfred on September 18, 2020, 11:08:39 AM
3 years ago my 1989 FJ was stolen and has never been recovered. I no longer live at that location. Now 3 years later thieves have struck again. :mad: :ireful: Sometime in the wee hours of this morning they attempted to steal the 95 FJ and the 90 VFR. I live in a mobile home park and I have no garage. It appears that they used a vacant lot to stage the bikes. Fortunately they were bad thieves and attempted to TOW the FJ with a strap. Before they were out of the Mobile home park they lost control of the bike, crashed and then abandoned their efforts. The VFR was laying on it's side in a sandy area and has received no damage at all. The FJ on the other hand was not so lucky.
Fred
Fred,
Sorry to hear your bike got hammered.
Betcha next try, they will bring a pickup truck, or similar. I'd be willing to invest in disk locks; yeah, it's one more thing, but they might discourage a few folks, because thy are visible. Disk locks are often case-hardened, or made of some material that "work-hardens" as you saw it. "Work-hardening" stuff is about impossible to cut, because it gets harder to saw, as you cut. By the time you cut 1/8" deep, the cut starts ruining saw blades, until no amount of new blades will help. I'd put the disk locks on the rear disks, so they can't tow the bike with the front wheel up. It would take power tools to remove a good disk lock.
I have motion-detector outside flood lights at my place, and I once got the brand-new owners manual for a Sears floor jack under my 4x4 truck tire, when the lights came on and the thieves dropped the truck, took the jack, and made an escape. Nice try, for my new Goodrich road/trail tires with custom rims, but futile; I figure that US$70 for the lights saved me a US$1500 worth of wheels and tires. Then I added wheel locks, more for the visuals than for actual effectiveness, but at least now I get to wear out my own new tires.
A heavy chain connecting the two bikes together, and maybe then to a solid ground anchor, might be worthwhile. A simple black (not colorful) tarp may also be good, just for "out of sight, out of mind." The tarp can also provide some weather protection. If you run a steel cable through all of the tarp grommets, and padlock the ends together, you can make it difficult or impossible to remove the tarp without a key (or knife). Most thieves won't knife a tarp, just to see what you have under it, because then you would go on the watch for their return.
Hang tough, my friend.
.
As many know,, i can find parts that others have a difficult time finding..
:yahoo: I have already sourced a NOS Wet Pale Brown and Black main fairing. :dance: :yahoo:
Fred
Quote from: aviationfred on September 18, 2020, 02:04:42 PM
As many know,, i can find parts that others have a difficult time finding..
:yahoo: I have already sourced a NOS Wet Pale Brown and Black main fairing. :dance: :yahoo:
Fred
Help a midget out and find a silver & blue fairing too
Sorry to hear about your problems Fred, but nice to see that Daniel is sorting you out - he's a veritable Aladdin (he of the Cave) when it comes to FJ parts.
Although I have the luxury of an alarmed, brick built garage, at the end of a driveway with between 2 and 5 cars parked on it, I'm still a little paranoid when it comes to the bikes........but that doesn't mean I've spent a fortune protecting them.
Our 4 main bikes are parked in 2 rows, with the front wheels of the back bikes in-between and next to, the rear wheels of the front bikes. That way, I've been able to chain all 4 bikes together using 2 bike chains and 1 lock. But, on each bike I have an alarm padlock that I put through either the rear sprocket slots (and around the chain) or on the rear disc. I also have an alarm padlock on each bikes front wheel, attached through the brake disc inner "legs". I realise that's 8 alarm padlocks, but they were only something like (£6) $8 each, from Aldi and they're quite sensitive once set, so the go off with any attempt to "manipulate" them.
Yes, they're cheap, and likely easily cut off, but that's not the point. They're smallish and out of a thieves line of sight - so as soon as the bike is moved/rocked/tampered with the padlock alarm sounds - and they're nice and loud.
Because all 4 bikes are locked together, anyone moving one of the bikes will likely disturb the other 3 and set off 8 alarms, all at once - now that, I believe, would put off even the most brazen thief - and it cost me not a lot of money.
If you don't have a garage Fred, i'd suggest at least locking your 3 bikes together and definitely put alarmed padlocks on them.
If nothing else, when they try to move the bikes you'll be certain to hear the alarms before they actually move anything physically.
Dang Fred, who knew FJ's were so popular in Kansas.
Time for some cameras, motion lights like the ring camera light to send messages to your phone, then trip wires hooked to something like an air horn.
That way if some thief enters the area, you and all the neighbors will know something is afoul.
Randy - RPM
Effing thieving pikey bastards. I remember back when the first toss pots pinched your Fj. I was out on the road coming back east to west and kept my eyes pealed for it; really believing I would see it with it's distinctive paint scheme. Least you had better 'luck' this time. I think without a garage for your lovelies, your going to have to get security measures as mentioned or a big dog. Heck this is America, arm yourself to the teeth.
Crap!
So glad you didn't lose the bikes! Sucks to have to make the repairs.
Absolutely sucks to have some asshole lowlife scumbag SOB think he can just take your bikes. I hate a thief.
Although it's an expensive pain in the butt, may think about keeping them in a more secure storage unit. Think of it like keeping a plane in a hangar.
Wow, that sucks Fred.
It seems doubly wrong that it should happen to one of the forum stalwarts and all round good guy. I guess you can be grateful they didn't succeed and the damage was minimal.
I've never quite understood why anyone would steal an FJ when there's an abundance of more modern, valuable and easy to sell bikes to be pinched. I often leave mine places, at times even with the keys in the ignition, where I wouldn't leave other bikes based on the "who'd want to steal an FJ anyway" theory.
Clearly, I'm wrong (this is a one-off admission and not to be re-posted in any other context! :biggrin: )
Anyway, glad they didn't succeed this time Fred.
Noel
I remember when I was about 18, I had an old 60's 100cc Suzuki that I used to leave parked in the main street of town overnight with the key still in it while I went out with my mates getting on the piss. Next morning come back into town half expecting it to be gone but found it still sitting there untouched with the key still there. These days there's no respect for other people's property so if it's not secure or bolted down chances are it'll go missing. Obviously the scum in your area like all the mods you do to your bikes as much as anyone else Fred, so the time has come for some security measures to protect them otherwise it'll happen again for a third time. At home mine is parked in a secure carport, outdoors I at least lock the steering which would makes it harder to wheel away unless they pick it up and carry it away.
Sorry to hear of your trouble, Fred. My brother lived for years in a mobile home park, and security concerns were a constant thing. No garage or shed. The homes themselves were broken into regularly, as well.
These were not pros who were attempting to steal your stuff. The were really stupid pukes by the appearance of the crime scene. It wouldn't take Fort Knox level security to thwart idiots like these.
I'll not comment on what that will take in your case. My expertise is limited to what is installed here, mostly automatic lighting and dead bolts on a detached 1000 square foot garage and a smaller shed, and not your property. But, after a second attempted theft, and suffering through a successful first theft, it is probably time to step up the security a bit.
Good luck. Give it some thought.
Ted
There's probably more than a good chance that anybody that would target and steal an FJ is probably on this site from time to time. I thought we were all pals here.
aviationfred: sorry for that episode... but you need to look on the positive side: at least it was an attempt-theft and you still have your bikes!
do you have theft insurance you can trigger to at least get some money back to put the FJ back in shape?
don't know anything about the reality of the United States; but if the community you live in has some sort of Management/Owner/Agency I'd file a report with them to see if they could increase the security; and also file a report with the Police Department, so at least it's recorded on "paper" that a theft attempt has been made - and even if they don't catch the culprits at least it goes into the official statistics in your area, and if the statistics are high enough they might put (more) Police patrolling the surroundings (don't know if that logic is followed there)
by my experience the thefts can either be "opportunistic" i.e. someone was happening to pass by and saw your bikes or "ordered" i.e. someone went there on purpose to steal it (usually for resale as a whole or to break into parts and sell them on websites)
in Porto/Portugal a few years back there was a "craze" of Smart cars; so soon after some Smart cars got their wheels, bumpers, steering wheels, etc. stolen... because dodgy shops would "order" those parts from A, who knew B, who knew C that made the actual theft; then sold it to B, who sold it to A, who sold it to the shop who would put that part into the Smart car and charged the Customer... and even with all those levels of payments it was still cheaper than buying the same part from the scrap places. Fortunately Police later intervened and dismantled those organized "grand theft-auto" gangs
so I don't know if the VFR and FJ are very popular and in high-demand in your area or the US as a whole... but if they are, you might be looking at an "ordered" theft... perhaps someone is really targetting one of those models on purpose due to demand
another thing is that in these days of the so-called "social" networks people (not saying you do)... but people often put everything online... their (almost) precise location, photos of their house, their cars, bikes, house contents, etc... so it's easy for someone handy with computers to "go shopping" for things... my advice is to never share anything like that online... or to self-censor geo-locators... most of the times the person on the other side of the internet is a good guy, but sometimes it's a bad guy
in these occasions I put down my pacifist side and bring my "old-school" side... someone ought to teach those punks a lesson the old fashioned way... finding who the punks are, following them, knowing their routine, then getting a couple of buddies and... well, you know the rest... let's say they'd need a visit to the nearest ER and I'm sure they'd never do it again
my FJ 1100 is also stored in my Inlaw's garage... which is a shared/building garage with no doors or walls... it's like a parking space in the building basement... I put 2 big chains around it with a decent padlock... but it too can be easily stolen if someone wants to... all they need is an angle grinder and a van... plus there's no CCTV, no GPS tracking and no insurance... so I pray they don't steal my bike
good luck on putting your FJ 1200 back together!
regards
Thanks too everyone for their inputs. For the interim while I look for a place with a garage. I have taken initial steps to secure the bikes a bit better. The Bus will be parks sideways across all the bikes overnights. I know this is all rudimentary for a thief who is really intent on getting to any of them. After I return from my trip to the east coast, I will get new disc locks with built in alarms and a coated chain to connect all 3 bikes together
Fred
Sorry to see that great looking bike like that. You know with the druggies in abundance now days anything that isn't nailed down will be stolen, dismantled and sold on ebay. With the used parts prices on ebay they still stand to make a good profit even on older bikes.
I was in a hurry and left my strap. Could you mail it back to me? :biggrin:
Disk locks will help. Chain all three bikes together..
That strap can be tracked...
Quote from: ZOA NOM on September 20, 2020, 04:06:35 PM
That strap can be tracked...
The Responding officer took the strap. There was also a black Balaclave laying in the road about where the bike was was dropped and where the drag marks started.
Fred
Bloody hell Fred!
Such a bummer for you, but as the others and you have said, at least you still have your bikes.
Great work getting the replacement fairing, and a NOS one!!!! WOW!!!!
Best wishes mate.
Sorry to hear about the robbery i know how it feels .One time i got lucky and was waked in the middle of the night by a guy steeling my bikecycle carrying it over his shoulder.I ran out in my underwear sneaked up from behind and hit him hard as i could betwen his shouldeblades.He fell down
and crawled fast away like a lizard making funny noises :good2:
I know the feeling. A few years back my 95 1200 was stolen from my garage in which I thought it was secure. To get the bike the scum had to drag my caravan away from the roller door it was backed up against in the driveway. Then get the door open. The bike had to be maneuvered past my wife's car and another bike with very little room to spare. When telling my mates abiout it the coinsensus was it was a targeted theft. Why? There were other more valuable bikes in the garage e.g. a restored 76 Honda CB750F1, 73 CB350F and a couple of Yamaha DT dirt bikes. The clincher was an FJ110 I had just acquired which was parked on a concrete apron outside between the garage and my house - with the keys in it! (it was a non runner at the time). It was also at a time when small race cars using FJ engines were becoming popular. I never got it back. At least it was insured.
The Insurance adjuster arrived today and I was given a cash number that I can live with. Repairs have already begun. Back to the OEM Orange lenses. New clear ones will be ordered. Replacement air scoop bumper was already on hand. Tomorrow the bike will be taken the the garage for fairing and crash bar repairs.
Fred
Spent the day repairing the main fairing so that it will be at least presentable at the Vintage Yamaha Rally this coming weekend.
Impressed with those repairs!
Little did you know just how useful that was going to be when you found it ... :cray:
Great job Fred!