Recovered stolen Vespa after 2.5 years....

[offrdmania]

Look at this on the bright side Steve, you received it back but now you can spend time tinkering on it, getting to know it again and then you'll be able to enjoy riding it once again. Its a chance to fall in love with it all over again.

[Lol-x]

Originally Posted by cop414

I remember your original post Steve, I’m happy that you got it back, I bet you thought that it was gone forever!

Yes I had thought it was gone forever, can't believe its back.

Originally Posted by INC

To be honest, if you hadn't said it looks horrible, I would have said seeing this picture, that it looks great. I think, this beauty deserves a full recovery because she looks in good shape overall

Yes its not so bad, main issue is steering, which I hope is just a maintenance issue. Scratches and scrapes I can live with.

Originally Posted by 1st amg

Wow, Steve, I remember when you told us what happened. I would fix it, you can still enjoy it with some battle scars.....sort of like all the talk about scratches and dings on watches. Now that they are there, you have nothing to worry about babying it. Poor gal was used and abused and she came home.

Battle scars and petina we know what an old watch is like!

Originally Posted by mailman

Glad you found it Steve. I hope you can get it back the way you want it and on the road again.

Thanks Bro!!! I'll get it back to a level of enjoyment. After all this bike was a work horse and not a catwalk queen

Originally Posted by MrGoat

Me too. Most recovered stolen property doesn’t come back looking that good.

Hope you get her up and back to tip top shape sooner than later Steve!!

I think I'll get it insured and a wheel lock/clamp.

Originally Posted by 77T

When I recovered a couple of my stolen Rolexes I felt great. You should too Steve.
Congrats on the recovery.

My stolen Rolex never came back....

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Yes, I also remember your original post, Steve.
Mixed emotions, for you I suppose.
I've had a few motorcycles stolen. You never get over the shock of the bike not being where you left it.
How were you legally riding it, uninsured?

Anyway she's back home now, and I suppose, a nice little 'project' to get her back to looking her best.

My first motorised transport was a scooter, a Lambretta TV175, back when the 'world was still in black and white', Pan-Am 707's and British Airways, Vickers VC-10's in the sky,
MKII and S-Type Jag Police cars on patrol, Daimler Darts on the motorway, (chasing the new E-Types).....happy days!
The world, somehow seems a much less joyful place, these days.

Italian scooters are like mechanical watches, they have a timeless charm.

Originally Posted by brandrea

That’s so amazing Steve.
For sure, I’d fix it and enjoy it … now it’s an extra cool rise and story to tell

That's for sure, its a new story now.

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Glad you got it back Steve, sorry to hear of the condition. Vespas are fun, maybe customize it a bit while you;re in there doing stuff. Make it even better than before it got swiped.

Yes, Vespas are fun, iconic and extremely useful for getting around, and even going on tours or travel.

Originally Posted by alllexandru

You are a lucky man Steve, that has a very low percentage to happen still you got it back!
Cheers and enjoy your "new" old Vespa, has now tons of memory when you'll ride it back.

Yes, it is a rare colour model, I think they made a very low number of this "adventure Vietnamese green"

Originally Posted by 1William

Glad you got it back. I don't think I would take the time and energy to do the needed repairs or modifications. I would sell it for the most I could get and either buy another that I wanted or just pocket the money. That bike would be a memory. Let us know what you decide.

I'll give it a go at fixing it. But at the moment this model (Vespa Sprint 150) has been suspended as a motorcycle import because it only has single wheel (front ABS) and not rear. I'm told Vespa are working on fixing this and a new model is due to be released next year with twin wheel ABS.

Originally Posted by AzPaul

Glad you two have been reunited, but don't expect things to go right back to being the way they were. Remember, a lot of kilometers have passed. Just hope that after all this time, the Vespa hasn't moved on from you, or worse yet, blames you for what happened and all it's been through.

Hahaa!! Yes I'll see how it goes...literally.

Originally Posted by 330ci

I had half a dozen things we can’t talk about here returned by the police years after they were stolen.
Knicks in the wood, oxidation and scratches to the metal adorned them all when they were returned.
Just pissed me off/re opened the wound for me. I subsequently sold them all off for a pittance just to be rid of the negative energy.

I know exactly how you feel. I'm trying to just see if I can get it fixed so I can enjoy it once again, if we can't fall in love again then I'll move it on.

Originally Posted by Jackie Daytona

Glad they caught the person! Sorry the Vespa isn’t quite the same anymore, but glad you got it back!

Thanks Bro, yes I'm lucky to get it back, now see how I go.

Originally Posted by MrGoat

My understanding off memory was this was a special edition and a very special color and Steve couldn’t find another to replace it.

It is a limited edition colour.

Originally Posted by Easy E

Great to hear. Seems like it’s looks ok.
I have had a couple of stolen items that we don’t discuss here recovered. Weird having a cop hand you back items we don’t discuss.

Haha, yeah I appreciate law enforcement.

Originally Posted by subtona

A lesson on perspective a close friend gave me many years ago when I dropped my 3 day old bike. (BMW R1200GS)

Was griping to my friend Steve (coincidence) and told him this:

I went to visit a severely disabled young man who found joy in watching mortorcycles from the window he sat in front of during the waking hours of each day.
A good will effort if you will in an attempt to put a smile on his face.
I parked that new bike on the sidewalk right in front of his window.
When leaving, I was pushing the bike off the center stand, I lost the balance on uneven pavement and the bike fell to the street from the sidewalk. Putting a small scratch on the tank.

My friends immediate reply
“that’s great, you were supposed to crash at the corner!”

From that moment I viewed the incident as good karma and never looked back.

I know how you feel dropping an unmarked bike.
I had a Ducati with a high seat, got on it one day pushed off the gutter and overbalanced...Ouch, more emotional injury than physical!!!

Originally Posted by ltmgeller

I'm glad you got it back and now you have a project and maybe you can customize it the way you want it.

Yes for sure bro!

Originally Posted by offrdmania

Look at this on the bright side Steve, you received it back but now you can spend time tinkering on it, getting to know it again and then you'll be able to enjoy riding it once again. Its a chance to fall in love with it all over again.

Thanks guys!!!!

Yes it is like a new bike experience all over again.
The colour is like an army green and so the scratches and scrapes kind of add to the character. So now I will consider it to be a 'rat rod'.

I am concerned that it doesn't get stolen again. I'll consider a disc lock and some other measures like a tracking device to protect it. The problem is a couple of strong guys can just lift it on a trailer or put it in a van.

I didn't have insurance when it was stolen but I will get insurance now, that's essential.

[Lol-x]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Steve,

Glad you got your scooter back, albeit in not so original condition.

.......
The next day we drove home w/ a busted out passenger side window, the stench of urine permeating the entire interior, black fingerprint powder smeared everywhere, but still happy to have our equipment in tact.
dP

Dan you were so lucky, getting your vehicle and gear back so quickly..I've only had to wait since June 2022..

[harvey]

…can you hide an apple air tag in it?

[Tools]

I remember the original post.

On the bright side, that tank of petrol can almost cover the cost of impound now days.

[RichM]

Glad to hear that you got it back and that the system works. Going by the photo, it really doesn’t look too bad. You should have it up and running in no time.

Good luck and don’t lose it this time.

[alex.cicollo]

Hide an Apple tag in it somewhere.

[enjoythemusic]

See 4 min 5 sec mark onward....

[MovieGuy]

Long but interesting story along those lines:

A little over 30 years ago I bought my first "nice" mountain bike. It was a GT Outpost. I had it for a few years, hardly rode it, then sold it to a friend of mine who lived about an hour SW of me. Heard through a mutual friend that it was stolen out of his garage.

Fast forward 2-3 years later. I was driving and saw a young lady on a bike and did a double-take. It was a red GT Outpost. 99.99% certain it was my old bike. She was biking on one of the main roads through town so I drove up one block, did a u-turn and stopped at a stop sign so that she'd be biking right in front of me. As soon as she did I knew 100% that it was my old bike. Now, this was around 1996 and I didn't have a cell phone or anything. I ended up following her a few more blocks and she stopped at a grocery store, locked up her bike and went inside.

There just happened to be a stand outside where they were selling hot dogs and stuff like that for a fundraiser. Ended up I knew the lady running the stand and they had a phone out there so I asked her if I could use it and I called the police and explained the situation. The young lady came back out of the store before the police arrived. I walked over to her and said I have a few questions about her bike. Asked her where she got it from and she point blank told me that her brother bought it from a guy who stole from some kid. I told her that it is my old bike that I had sold to a friend, that I called the police and they were on their way. She unlocked the bike and left it there.

Police showed up, I explained the story, they were miffed that she left because she could have been arrested for being knowingly in possession of stolen goods. I said I didn't really care about that and was just wanting the bike back for my friend. The officer took the bike and said if my friend filed a police report stating that it was stolen he'd be able to get it back.

I drove home, called my friend, left a message on his answering machine and he called the police department the next day and got his bike back.

The craziest thing was, the bike went from my friend's place, to another big city an hour away from him and back to the city I was living in and I just happened to be driving on the same street at the exact same time as the person who had it.

[Lol-x]

Sometimes you can be lucky, and thankfully thieves are not so smart and make mistakes.

But it is rare that anyone gets a stolen bike back in my experience.

I could try to plant an air tag for tracking, but you can use an app on your phone to detect tracking devices. So a thief could do a scan and know he has to get the tag when he steals my bike, so is it going to be a worthwhile safeguard against theft?

[Speedbird-1]

Something like this (shown below), might give you a little 'peace of mind'.
But, as is always said, if thieves want your stuff, they find a way.

When motorcycle thefts were rife in London in the 80's, I came out of the office one evening in Berkeley Square, to find my, brand new (just 75 miles on the clock) padlock and chained, Yamaha FJ11, GONE!
All that remained was the chain, and some 'strange looking' pieces of metal.
The police told me that the current practice of the, thieving b*stards, was to, place the padlock in a crucible made from aluminium foil, pour liquid oxygen or liquid nitrogen, onto it, then smash the padlock with 4lb hammer, simple!
Hence the remaining, strange metal pieces.

At home, a very loud alarm is probably your best bet. That or a Pit Bull Terrier or, perhaps the classical alarm system, a large flock of Geese....just ask any Roman!

[77T]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

Sometimes you can be lucky, and thankfully thieves are not so smart and make mistakes.

But it is rare that anyone gets a stolen bike back in my experience.

I could try to plant an air tag for tracking, but you can use an app on your phone to detect tracking devices. So a thief could do a scan and know he has to get the tag when he steals my bike, so is it going to be a worthwhile safeguard against theft?

I would say "yes". There is a benefit greater than the cost of an AirTag

The first thief in the chain of custody won't be the smart one. Nor the drug/fence dealer who get it within the first few hours/day.

That gives you and the authorities a jump on recovery.

But for the time you have an AirTag in it somewhere then you get the benefit of finding where you parked the dang thing after a few hours of piddling around on foot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Lol-x]

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Something like this (shown below), might give you a little 'peace of mind'.
But, as is always said, if thieves want your stuff, they find a way.

When motorcycle thefts were rife in London in the 80's, I came out of the office one evening in Berkeley Square, to find my, brand new (just 75 miles on the clock) padlock and chained, Yamaha FJ11, GONE!
All that remained was the chain, and some 'strange looking' pieces of metal.
The police told me that the current practice of the, thieving b*stards, was to, place the padlock in a crucible made from aluminium foil, pour liquid oxygen or liquid nitrogen, onto it, then smash the padlock with 4lb hammer, simple!
Hence the remaining, strange metal pieces.

At home, a very loud alarm is probably your best bet. That or a Pit Bull Terrier or, perhaps the classical alarm system, a large flock of Geese....just ask any Roman!

It is amazing the lengths thieves will go to get your property.

Originally Posted by 77T

I would say "yes". There is a benefit greater than the cost of an AirTag

The first thief in the chain of custody won't be the smart one. Nor the drug/fence dealer who get it within the first few hours/day.

That gives you and the authorities a jump on recovery.

But for the time you have an AirTag in it somewhere then you get the benefit of finding where you parked the dang thing after a few hours of piddling around on foot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

If I don't have an iPhone maybe its better to get an android brand tag like a Samsung tag. I'll look into it.

[77T]

I think it's market dependent on the tag.
By that, I mean Apple installed base versus Android. That's what I'd use as a guide. Maybe use both tag systems?

According to recent data in Australia, iPhones hold a larger market share - around 60% of the mobile operating system market, while Android holds the remaining 40%.

One doesn't need an iPhone to use AirTags. It is the "Find My factor" of other people who have an iPhone as they pass by an AirTag which lets it ping iCloud.

You can use any cheap old iPad on WiFi to activate an AirTag and add it to the Find My app in your free iCloud account. I have one that's over 10 years old and it works.

1. Go to the Home Screen on your iPad
2. Remove the battery tab from the AirTag
3. Hold the AirTag near your iPad
4. Tap Connect on your iPad
5. Name your AirTag
6. Tap Continue to register the AirTag to your Apple Account
7. Tap Finish
8. Hide it in the vehicle
9. Test it by parking at a gas station
10. Use WiFi on iPad to locate the AirTag.

You can use the Find My app on your iPad to locate your AirTag and you can also use the Find My app to share your AirTag with others.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[BNA/LION]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

Maybe my Vespa is not so bad, the more I look at it the more I think it can be optimistic that I will still get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Once I get the big things like steering, brakes and ignition fixed I'll feel a lot better.

Attachment 1468269

It looks pretty good considering how the thief's probably road it!

The person caught with the stolen property should pay the $500 for you to get it back, pay a min or .75 cents per mile it was used and a complete tune up. IMHO

Glad you got it back and I'm sure you will enjoy riding it when you get it fixed to your standards.

[HL65]

Glad you got it back Steve!

[Carguy87]

Glad you finally got it back! I remember the original post and being super bummed for you. You’ll have to post pictures once it’s all fixed up and back together!

[DLRIDES]

[nyc2la]

Glad it’s back to it’s rightful owner!

[Boopie]

Glad it’s back! I remember the original post. It doesn’t look too bad.

[Speedbird-1]

You need some extra lights, and a couple of mirrors, now Steve.
(notice the 'L' plate )
There's a Vespa, under there, somewhere!