Is this the end of my beloved bike?

Hi guys, oh dear oh dear - did I have problems to get my bike back!!! I only just got it back today, can you imagine!

My internet is down at home, so it will be a problem to keep you updated, but I thought I tell you the story of this week briefly and then I will check tomorrow again if anyone was up for giving me some repairing instructions (remote mechanicing number 2)

So last Monday, after having been to A&M Motors for nothing, I got back in touch with the police and complained about the unorganised treatment and the withheld information... they appologized and promised that the officer dealing with my case will get back to me immediately...that happened 2 days later on Wednesday... he explained everything to me, appologized again and said I should have gotten a letter explaining everything...So he says he will talk to the colleagues that take the finger prints and will come back to me...

So on thursday he says they will most likely take the prints on friday morning and he will call me when that has happened...

So on Friday morning, 9:30 am, he calls again, says the bike has been looked at, and I can probably pick it up on Monday, but I shall wait for his confirmation on Monday - but he has talked to 2 supervisors, and I do NOT have to pay the recovery charge or the storage...

1 hour later, A&M Motors calls me up and say they are pleased to tell me that the police have finished with my bike and that I could pick it up now - so I am like, thank you very much, the police already told me and they also said I dont have to pay - she goes, yes you do, I go, doesnt the police decide that - she goes - if you dont pay, you not gonna get your bike- blabla, back and forth, so she says, give me the number, Iwill talk to the police...

Same day, afternoon, the police calls me again, and says I DO have to pay. But I am like, THE BIKE HAS OT BEEN TOWED DUE TO THEFT, BUT DUE TO POLICE EVIDENCE!!! Anyhow, I still have to pay.

So I get the final confirmation from the police on Monday at 4pm, get my friend with the van to come around this morning, we go to A&M Motors - all the way to Avonmouth, and they are like- no, you cant pick it up cos the police hasnt released it yet...

I go like, but you even called me on Friday morning to say I can pick up the bike - and he goes - no we didnt! And I say, I HAVE YOUR MESSAGE ON MY VOICE MAIL, SO DONT TELL ME YOU DIDNT CALL WHEN `YOU DID CALL!!!! Honestly, that ****ed me of sososososo much! How dears he! when I say I was called, and he says no!!!

So he made me call the police again, from my phone, then the officer wanted to talk to the A&M dude himself (using MY phone!!!) and he was told that he needs to send a fax to A&M.... half an hour later, the fax arrives...

I am like, so shall I pay now to speed things up...it turns out, I was right, and I do NOOOOOOOOT have to pay... ****ing lucky I am so happy about that!!!!

And then this: Me and my friend go to the yard to pick up the bike, and I ask the guy who towed it if he could give us a hand for 2 minutes to pick the bike up into the van, and he goes.....NO, YOU DIDNT PAY SO I AM NOT HELPING!!! What a **** head! Can you imagine! I was fuming!!! So I just grabbed some dude in a suite, said, I am not being talked at like this, and he was such a coward, instead of telling his colleague off, he helped us himself.

End of the story: I have been treated like ****, as if I am bothering people and hard to please, I have been insulted, I wasted a lot of credit on my private phone, a lot of nerves and emotions - but at least I didnt have to pay 105 pounds plus VAT...

So now I will take some more pics in case you guys need some more close up details and I will post them tomorrow. I definitely have to replace the yoke, cos it is broken, I have to replace the ignition cos the key wont move in it, and what about the steering lock? cos in the moment, the ignition is still on lock, and I can only move the steering a little bit (from left to middle-ish)...

Ah, at least my beloved and very special bike was only raped - not murdered...

Talk to you tomorrow hopefully,

all the best,
Nadine

[the_lone_wolf]

nadine, it sucks that you've been treated so badly just to get your bike back after it's been stolen, unfortunately it seems to be becoming normal behaviour these days. hopefully you can put it behind you and get on track to getting yoiur bike back up to speed...

also, watch out that the little scum that took it the first time don't get a second oppertunity, make sure it's locked if you leave it anywhere near where it was taken last time, even if the police catch them, they'll most likely get a slap on the wrist and a few hours community service

sorry to hear about all the hassle you've had lets hope its over with and you can get back on the road soon

[Biker Biggles]

Glad I was right about you not having to pay for the police removal.Now you can concentrate on getting it back to a rideable state.Hope its not too badly damaged.

[northwind]

I'll try and get the old locks off mine this week, but keep reminding me if you don't hear from me, I'm not very organised Glad you have it back, what a ridiculous situation to be put in.

Originally Posted by NadineDieBiene

stuff

Sounds like you need one of these ...

It sux bad, but at least all this horrid business seems to be behind you now!!

Bonus that you don't have to go to the expense and hassle of making a claim. I am sure the .org can fix her up again too and we will have yo on your way again in in time and all this carp will be forgotten!!

Glad there's some end in sight now Nadine - you should report this to the local paper! They'd jump on this story, I'm sure... Mind you, given the crazy state that the UK's in, I'm surprised that the police didn't arrest you for GBH because the thief got a thorn putting your bike behind the bush *joke*.

Apologies if my next snippet rubs you up the wrong way - I'm not trying to be awkward or prattish, but one thing in your tale of woe stood out, though:

Originally Posted by NadineDieBiene

So I just grabbed some dude in a suite, said, I am not being talked at like this, and he was such a coward, instead of telling his colleague off, he helped us himself.

Originally Posted by NadineDieBiene

Surely this approach was the best one? - what result would bollocking the monkey have? If he'd (suit) had just ranted at the **** who refused to help then (said ****) would have most likely just dug his heels in and skulked off, and then the suit would have disappeared and you'd be left on your own. I'd say that the guy in the suit was professional as (it wasn't his job?) he just rolled up his sleeves, got stuck in helping you and then went back to work. None of this "it's not my job" crap. I certainly know that on the occasion I've been bollocked in front of customers/other people when working in a shop it's the worst way of telling someone off - time and place, sadly.

Surely the suit guy shows that there are some decent people left?

Anyway, I'm glad you've got your bike back - happy riding!

Al.

Hi Nadine,

You mentioned in a previous post:

Bad news: As you can see in the pic, they broke the yoke as they must have forcefully unlocked the steering. I have no clue how to repair that myself- and my budget will not allow for professional help.

Got my own tale of woe here: A short while ago I lost one of my keys, and locked the other one (it was in my spare glove?) under the passenger seat. I went to the garage, and asked them if I could just force the steering lock and wheel it in. They said that hte steering lock had bits that actually "dug into the frame" and that breaking the steering lock also (often) lead to a hell of a lot of damage to the frame, not just the yoke....

Any .orgers have experience of this, or was I diddled too?

[yorkie_chris]

Sort of, the ignition barrel has a bolt which protrudes into a cutout in the headstock. But if he thought that breaking the lock was going to damage the frame then he's just not a very good twocker

Spare key under the passenger seat why not just use a hooked bit of wire?

[northwind]

Well, you can open the back seat without the key fairly easily- just get your hand or a hook or a pair of pliars onto the cable that runs to the lock.