Motorcycle recovered in Calif 46 years after theft
 

Motorcycle recovered in Calif 46 years after theft


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a Nebraska man is getting his motorcycle back — 46 years after it was stolen from his backyard.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday the black and blue 1953 Triumph Tiger 100 was recovered last week at the Port of Los Angeles. It was on its way to Japan, with its value listed as $9,000.

The bike was reported stolen in February 1967. It was worth $300 then and wasn't insured.

The California Highway Patrol will return the bike to its original owner, who is now in his 70s and still lives in Omaha, Neb. His name was not released.

Motorcycle recovered in Calif 46 years after theft | Odd Headlines | Comcast

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1953 Triumph Tiger :cool:

http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/wp-cont...3-1068x570.jpg

Wow. Awesome

Some dude in Japan is really pissed the motorcycle he just bought isn't going to him. LoL

Sweet - but 46 years? Nice work, Columbo...

Wouldnt be surprised if it sat in storage this whole time.

Updated info
 

Man glad stolen motorcycle found after 46 years


http://por-img.cimcontent.net/api/as...3673cae4e5.jpg

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Donald DeVault wonders what kind of memories his Triumph motorcycle helped make in the 46 years since it was stolen, and he's looking forward to making more of his own when it's returned.

The 73-year-old Omaha man learned last week that California authorities had recovered his 1953 Triumph Tiger 100 at the Port of Los Angeles. The bike was about to be shipped to Japan when U.S. Customs & Border Protection agents who checked the vehicle identification number discovered the motorcycle had been reported stolen in February 1967.

DeVault said he is eager to get the bike back, but he thinks investigators may be even more excited than him about the motorcycle's recovery. DeVault had had the bike for only a year or two when it was taken from his fenced backyard.

"I really want to protect it this time," DeVault said. "I'm sure there's people out there that would want to take it away."

The bike was valued at $300 when in 1967. The shipping documents listed its value today at $9,000.

DeVault already has a Harley-Davidson and a Kawasaki motorcycle in his garage, so he plans to reserve the Triumph for special rides.

DeVault said he's talked about the motorcycle over the years whenever he was around bikers. It had a couple features unusual for Triumphs made in the early 1950s, such as its hardtail frame.

DeVault recalls Marlon Brando riding a similar Triumph bike in the movie "The Wild One," and after that it seemed like everyone wanted to ride a motorcycle.

But DeVault said he was already riding motorcycles by the time the movie came out, and continued riding for much of his life.

What sold him on the Triumph was the blue color and the name "Li'l Blue Bitch" airbrushed on the side of the gas tank.

A friend with a trucking company is helping DeVault arrange to ship the motorcycle home from California.

Once he gets it back in a couple weeks, DeVault plans to have someone restore the bike's name and paint "46 Years Later" on the gas tank.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/...cle-Recovered/

That's awesome that he's getting it back. But yeah, someone somewhere is losing a lot more than $300 on this bike!