Lo Bueno, Lo Malo y Lo Feo

I entered Baja Dec 18th and am now in San Felipe getting ready to cross the border for the long drive back to Canada and what that entails once back to that form of reality.

I will offer a trip report with pics and videos over time once back home sharing my most excellent adventure.

The trip has allowed me to meet some new Nomads up and down this extraordinary peninsula....so the social encounters enriched my focus on places to ride and explore: that was "the good" .... Lo Bueno.

The bad and the ugly happened to me in San Felipe Saturday night: my motorcycle was stolen.

Lo Malo y Lo Feo !!!

My loss of cameras in Loreto was due to my carelessness....the theft was due to a motorcycle theft ring that is known in town.

I have made a police report and a report to a Community Justice official ....and am making posters offering a $15,000 MP reward for the return or info leading to the return...."No questions asked".

I am staying at Kiki's Hotel and he is being very helpful with my efforts as he has encountered this issue with previous guests over the past few years, some of whom are friends of Kiki and myself.

So....if you want to keep it....lock it up.

I will need to leave San Flippedme in a few days and am at the mercy of my contacts keeping their ears to the ground as they know who the theft ring is but can't catch them red-handed: No evidence=no charges.

The bike is a 2009 KTM 690 and I will try and post a pic later.

my condolences my friend, thats awful!

The bike:







[Edited on 1-27-2014 by motoged]

Jeez Ged, I'm sorry to hear that. That was a sweet ride, and really an ugly bad way to have to end your trip. A Baja Boohoo for sure.

Que feo!

That sucks, so sorry to hear. I hope the rest of your trip went better.

Please tell us the motorcycle was insured.

I can relate: while I was living in Ensenada I had all my scuba gear stolen. Such a violation. Really sorry it ended this way for you.

so so sad to read this Ged... wow, the amigo country no mas???

OH Ged...so very sorry for your loss...at times like this I shake my head in wonder and one side of my brain thinks...nice guys finish last...

But the other side of my brain and my heart remind me that things happen for a reason and perhaps the Great Spirit had a hand in this...and prevented a fatal accident. You are well loved in Baja sir and we look forward to your presence next season.


It sounds as this has been a problem before in San Felipe...have others here heard of this moto theft ring? It would have been nice to know in advance so you could have taken more precautions in San Felipe. Perhaps the ride boards are onto it to warn others...maybe a decoy bike needs to be left with a remote camera aimed at it.

not that it helps now but how about lojack for your scoot! in mexico!

http://www.guidepointsystems.com/motorcycles/mcfaq.html

Dang GED! That hurts! Best of luck resolving this. It's amazing, at least to me, the bond you can develop with a piece of machinery like an adventure bike. Have you posted info on advrider.com? I'll throw a "heads-up" on the KLR forum.

Nomads,
My bike has been returned and I have paid the $15,000 peso posted reward for the "no questions asked" posters I put up this morning at 5 places (mostly garages that work with off-road vehicles)....but more probably because of the help from Kiki here at his RV Camp Hotel and his connections and involvement.

I can't express the range of emotions I have experienced since the theft Saturday night....and the amazing event of its return...and all those personal internal and external experiences in the time between.

I thank you for your empathy and support regarding this part of my adventure here in this place we all love....for its blessings and challenges.

From the depths of my heart, I appreciate the understanding and well-wishing from you.

[Edited on 1-28-2014 by motoged]

Resolution

What a great post to wake up to So happy for you Ged.

Roger, after Julio when I was able to return to San Nicolas to pick up the pieces of those 15 years, the only theft I could prove was by a gringo of a similar description. Your thief wasn't a tall thin, almost certainly undocumented, alcoholic whose name is both a proper noun and an adjective, was he? The "dick" I'm talking about still lurks in the area.

My hope for San Filipe is that while Ged didn't ask questions, SOMEONE who didn't make that promise is asking questions and and there is the possibility that someone will get burned at the stake for their lifestyle.

After Julio,when I arrived, my Mexican neighbors came to me to ask if they could BUY the things that hadn't been stolen. They knew what was there and hadn't touched it literally for months. The loss of personal treasures without much monetary value still breaks my heart.

Ged, I'm happy for you brother!

[Edited on 1-28-2014 by vgabndo]

That's great. I get very attached to my equipment and would be very distressed if this happened. I have learned to never trust and leave my stuff vulnerable because it's always when you're least expecting it that things go missing. Interestingly, I had nothing stolen on my whole Baja trip last month, and then we went camping up to Jalama Beach, California, near Point Conception, and I had my bicycle pump stolen. I locked the bike to a tree but some prowlers were in the campsite overnight stealing ice chests of beer. The sites are tight and the wind was howling, so they went to my bike and unzipped a pocket and took the pump. Luckily they didn't take the Gopro camera bolted to the front rack. I guess they didn't know how to open the housing.

This is the anti-theft measure I took when I left the rental car in the desert. Just make sure not to lose the key to the bike lock!

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark_BC This is the anti-theft measure I took when I left the rental car in the desert. Just make sure not to lose the key to the bike lock!

that is truly GREAT news! now tell us the thought of a new Duke in the garage never crossed your mind?

congratulations!

A sincere BIG THANK YOU to all nomads who expressed their caring and well-wishing and prayers. This turn of events has been quite the whirlwind...

I see the theft as a theft issue, not a San Felipe issue.

And I see Kiki as an angel....the reward sweetened the pot for the chain of witness(s) and thieves....and Kiki's knowledge of his community made that work VERY quickly.

When I spoke with Kiki this morning he said that the result was VERY lucky...as last year when a friend has his bike stolen here, after a while they knew who had it, but one person in the chain was afraid to provide the last link for fear of repercussions.

Glad that goodness has prevailed.

I will take my baby for a ride to Coco's today and leave for home tomorrow.

It will take a bit before I write a ride report, but I will....

Support Your Local Burglar

Quote:

Originally posted by vgabndo Quote: Originally posted by Pompano My sincere sympathies, Ged. Being robbed also robs some of your compassion for your fellow man, no matter where it happens. I can say from personal experience that rewards do indeed work. My home was burglarized just once.... a long time ago when I had to fly north for a funeral. Home invasion hurts, and I don't like being a victim, so I offered a big reward for the capture and imprisonment of the criminal. Word spread via my reward posters, plus mi amigos in Coyote and Mulege helped to spread the word, locals and foreigners alike. He was soon captured and all of the stolen items were returned. Oddly, this character turned out to be a US citizen...bumming around Baja and robbing homes. Many residents thanked me for doing what they believed was a deterrent to crime. I hope the same happens in your case. Roger, after Julio when I was able to return to San Nicolas to pick up the pieces of those 15 years, the only theft I could prove was by a gringo of a similar description. Your thief wasn't a tall thin, almost certainly undocumented, alcoholic whose name is both a proper noun and an adjective, was he? The "dick" I'm talking about still lurks in the area. My hope for San Filipe is that while Ged didn't ask questions, SOMEONE who didn't make that promise is asking questions and and there is the possibility that someone will get burned at the stake for their lifestyle. After Julio,when I arrived, my Mexican neighbors came to me to ask if they could BUY the things that hadn't been stolen. They knew what was there and hadn't touched it literally for months. The loss of personal treasures without much monetary value still breaks my heart. Ged, I'm happy for you brother! [Edited on 1-28-2014 by vgabndo]

Firstly, glad you got the bike back, Ged. And sorry you had to resort to a reward. But, as you know, getting back on the bike and on with life is the main thing.

To answer vgabndo's question. Perry, your burglar is a different crook than mine. Here's a photo that I took of him standing in a police impound area. He's shorter and stockier than what you describe...plus he is no longer in the area. Like Ged, I paid a large reward and saw him brought to justice with the return of my stolen items. (One of which turned up in the home of a prominent and embarrassed citizen in a larger Baja Sur town, but that's another story and hilarious to boot.)

Baja justice is hard on the perp ...and even the victim. This fellow was very roughly handled and sent to prison, and Mexican prisons are no country clubs like a lot of ours up north. The ones in Mexico can actually punish you for your crimes. Anyway, the prisoner appealed to me for humanitarian reasons and I was compelled to help deport the crook back to the US or he was not going to make it very long in the cereso. You can replace stuff, but not a life. It all worked out for the best, though. I'm sure when they dropped him at that border gate he got down and kissed the ground. Not the guy you described...sorry, and I'm sure we won't see my crook in Mexico again. Not after a few months in that lockup.

I've blocked out identification...because I think this person may have suffered enough, and I have no need to beat a dead horse. But…I’m thinking of writing an account on the entire event….it was a real Baja Hoot with all the usual wide cast of characters. I still laugh when I recall having to buy film for the investigator’s camera to take photos of footprints, and then paying for the film developing…..riding with some feds to identify some goods at a mansion...spotting my tv in a certain officials office...a vhf in another across the hall...classic Baja!! Hoo Boy! Got to be sure I don’t singe any feathers, though. I’d have to check with various cops, federales, lawyers, a judge, a certain politician who knowingly bought stolen goods…ah well, best forget about it....for now.



Sometimes when back Up North, a friend will ask..."Whatever do you find to do down there? ....And why are you grinning?"





"Welcome to Baja ...back in the day anyway."


p.s. Ged, sorry about this little hijack, but thought you would appreciate hearing my story. Laughing always helps..

You guys are great !!!