When a Brisbane golf course superintendent lowered the dam level he expected to find heaps of golf balls and maybe a club or two, but never a 2008 Harley-Davidson Softail Rocker.
Craig Clarke, of McLeod Golf Course, said he lowered the dam last week to stock up the holding dam and couldn’t believe his eyes when he went to inspect the dam.
“From 80m away I couldn’t tell what it was,” he says.
“When we got closer we saw it was a bike and one of the boys knew whose it was.”
The bike was stolen off a club member’s back patio at his house which backs on to the McLeod Golf Club two months ago.
Police and insurance investigators never found it, so the owner, whose name was not revealed, was paid out and bought another bike.
Now that the Rocker has turned up, the owner wants to buy it back, but the insurance company is selling it at auction.
Police could not supply any information on whether they had found the culprit who stole the bike.
However, Craig reckons it was some kids who wheeled it away in neutral, then found they couldn’t start it without the key, so they dumped it in the nearby dam.
“It was stuck in gear when we found it, but we think it may have gone into gear when it fell on its left side,” he says.
While it might sound humorous and no doubt the Harley jokes about boat anchors will be flying thick and fast, but it’s a serious matter and it affects all our insurance policies.
What sort of low-life thief steals a bike and when they can’t start it, destroys it by riding it into a dam?
Brisbane Motorcycle Towing removed the motorcycle from the dam and provided the photo below.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BIKE
- Buy a secure chain so you can chain your bike to an immovable object like a lamp post.
- Use a secure disc lock with a reminder cord attached to your handlebars so you don’t ride off with it still in place.
- Also, use the steering lock if your bike has one.
- Even when parked in a secure location such as your garage, consider the extra security of using the steering lock, a disc lock or chain as well.
- Pull out a spark plug or fuse, or have an immobiliser fitted.
- Don’t park your bike in railway or shopping centre carparks as these are notorious for theft.
- Park in a locked carpark. If you have to park in the open, leave it where you can see your bike or in view of a security camera.
- Otherwise, keep your bike out of sight, maybe parking it behind your car. If parking in a garage, block the bike with your car and ensure the garage is locked.
- When riding home, make sure you are not being followed.
- Stay alert for suspicious vans or trucks driving around late at night. These are used to transport stolen motorcycles.
- Put a cover over your bike. It might slow down thieves and prevent theft of accessories. But make sure it isn’t a flashy lone with the brand name of the bike on it. That only entices thieves.
- When riding in a group, park your bikes together.
- Consider marking your bike in a unique way that could aid in recovery and therefore dissuade thieves.
- At hotels or public parking spaces, try to park in view of parking lot security cameras.
- If you park your motorcycle outside your house, consider installing a motion sensor light near the bike.
- Install a motorcycle alarm and/or a hidden kill switch.
- Buy a GPS tracking system that can track and deliver your bike’s speed, location, and direction.