Similar Story
One of the guys I work with daily a few years back had two dirt bikes stolen. A CR500 and a KTM50 (his daughters bike). He always kept them at his dads house out in the country in a barn, chained to a pole. He always ran the chain through the back wheel and sprocket through both bikes.
One day his dad called and said that the barn was broken into and both bikes were gone. He called the cops and filed a report and claimed the insurance on the CR500. He was heart broken.
He looked basically all over Michigan on Craigslist hoping that one day they would show up. Then one day the KTM50 was on the list about 70 miles away. He was not sure if it was his, but figured he would go look anyway. Title in hand he showed up at the guys house just as if he was going to buy it. He started looking it over started it up heard it run and the guy started to try and negotiate. John said hold on one more thing I would like to check. He pulled out his title and checked and both numbers (frame and Motor) matched!!! He said I am not buying this, I am taking it, it's mine. He called the cops and they showed up verified what John already knew and let him leave with it.
John said he felt bad for the guy he got it from, the guy showed John a bill of sale and everything told him exactly where he got from, about another 50 miles north. They both told the cops about it all and the cops didn't even care!!! The other bike was worth $5,000 but apparently that was not enough money for them to bother with.
The cops told John he was an idiot for going straight into the lions den like that.
