It is a sad fact of life that 9 times out of ten, the arseholes who steal others property are somehow acquanted, usually a friend of a friend. I hope this story ends well but if bikies have got anything to do with it the bikes are probably in pieces in a container on there way to some foreign land. Usually NZ, Lebanon or the good ol USA. With that haul of classic machinery it would be hard to imagine that they would ever surface in Australia, especially the Black Shadow. In saying that, lets hope that whoever the pricks are, they are stupid enough to try and pass them as their own at a show or the like.
I had my very first bike stolen, The first 5 speed XR75 to be sold in Australia according to the then Coogee Honda. And yep, it was a friend of a so called friend. They broke into the house to steal it, along with the colour tele! I got the XR back thanks to the Randwick coppers but it was trashed beyond repair for a 12 y/o kid. The next bike pinched was my near new CR125RZ, and again it was someone I knew. I found out where it was as it wasn't everyday I got to see a gleeming red elsinore tearing around the streets of Randwick. It got sold for half an ounce of pot.....I bought it back for 150 bucks, actually, my grandfather bought it back for me, god bless him. I kept it at my cousins place after that.
These days, I keep what I have to myself and tell no one what I have in my shed. Only a select few know where I live and what I have and I fully intend on keeping it that way. My grandfathers wise words of "don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing" finally sank in.
While we are on the subject, Shannons due very reasonable insurance for classic bikes. It won't help get the bike(s) back but at least there will be some spondoolies to fund something else.
Best of luck to Paul and his family, not only for the return of his bikes, but for his health too.
