From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: Stolen  AARGHHHH.....
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Lines: 43

In article <JPOLITO.93Apr15095753@sysgem1.encore.com> jpolito@sysgem1.encore.com (Jonathan Polito) writes:
>
>In article <1993Apr15.002222.23057@microunity.com> ericm@microunity.com (Eric Murray) writes:
>
>   Watch out.  Often when some scumbag steals the cover, that means
>   that they were or are looking to steal the bike.  In my case, I
>   had a faded cover stolen off a bmw R100RS that was stashed in an
>   apartment carport and not visible from the street.  They evidently
>   decided the beemer wasn't worth stealing, but did try the next night to
>   steal a Honda Hurricane 600 parked in the next apartment building.
>   A neighbor heard them wheeling it out and called the cops.
>
>
>I know this is just setting myself up, but this is actually one of the
>things that is really good about BMW bikes.  From all accounts I've
>heard practically no one steals BMWs. Probably it is similar for Moto
>Guzzis and other relative "exotics" since there isn't a large demand
>for parts and the bike would be much easier to track down. It seems
>that the most stolen bikes are Harleys and 600cc Jap sport bikes. 

Well, I'd say you're mostly right, but for different reasons. (BTW, as of a
couple years ago, the most stolen bikes in Orange County and SF were 750
GSX's and Ninjas). Probably the biggest reason BMWs aren't ripped off is that
most people who buy BMWs will only deal with the actual BMW dealer, or mail-
order types. Most of these can have their inventory checked fairly easily
by law-enforcement types, and their mark-up is usually sufficient to keep 
them honest about acquiring parts. 

For Harleys and rice-rockets, you've got 2 different situations. There is a
HUGE aftermarket in Harley parts, so a bike can be parted out fairly easily.
Ditto the non-sport Japanese bikes, but the prices on the parts for these are
not as high, comparatively. For the 'rockets', anytime a bike goes down, the 
plastic is usually cracked, and is expensive to replace. It's fairly easy,
then, for a disreputable shop to take a fairing from a stolen bike, slap it
on a bike in for repair, repaint it, and make a tidy profit. The other parts,
more traceable, can be used, or discarded if they are too traceable.

Mike
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