View Full Version : Stolen and Recovered


coffee_brake
February 4th, 2019, 10:34 PM
The '19 Superbowl was certainly not worth this mess. I had a designated driver to drive me home from the Superbowl party so I didn't take the bike out on Sunday night and it was stolen (and almost immediately crashed) after the would-be thief cut the ignition wires and tried to splice them, but dropped the bike on BOTH SIDES trying to get it into a truck near my house. Both fairings damaged and evidence of a hard drop on both sides, but no evidence the bike was made to run so I assume the thief didn't know how to do the resistor in line to make the bike start.

I've never had anything stolen, never made an insurance claim on a bike or vehicle in my entire licensed driving life of 30 years. I have no idea what to do here.
I'm assuming the bike will be totaled because the fairings/fairing stays are all broken and the handlebars and forks tweaked, and the even the exhaust is rattling.

I'm a bike mechanic on one of my jobs so I'm not scared to replace fairings and do up the wiring, just never dealt with insurance before. Nor do I have any way of knowing how long these punks kept spinning the starter motor trying for a spark that never happened.
I really like the bike, I would like to get it back from insurance cheap and do it back up myself. Yes it will be incredibly pink and sparkly because I never had any pink bike or gear of mine stolen.

Advice? Ideas? I've locked the front wheel to the wall for now in hopes this is enough deterrent for thieves.

csmith12
February 5th, 2019, 04:38 AM
Welcome Jenn,

Sorry to hear about your bike. Wait until all the insurance stuff has settled before doing anything. Their buyback offer will tell the tail from here.

Good luck!

coffee_brake
February 5th, 2019, 08:41 AM
Thanks, it looks like things are moving right along with them.

CaliGrrl
February 5th, 2019, 11:08 AM
Sucks to get stuff stolen. My friend just had his truck stolen. I'm glad yours was recovered and I hope you can get it back and back into shape.

DannoXYZ
February 5th, 2019, 02:48 PM
Welcome to Ninjette! :wave:

sorry to hear about your bike. My brother got me this lock: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/xena-xx15-disc-lock-with-alarm

Whenever bike's not running, I use it. When I go to S.F., even in private parking garage, I use it. Bike thieves are lowest form of scum!!!

Triple Jim
February 5th, 2019, 08:35 PM
I wouldn't worry too much about how long the starter was spinning. I suspect the battery would run down well before any trouble arose.

coffee_brake
February 6th, 2019, 10:42 AM
Thanks, you're right Triple, the battery was in good shape.

The insurance rep saw the bike today and says they'll total the bike and if the buyback is low I'll keep it.
The rep said I could go ahead and get it running to see if the engine was OK. The wires were cut so close to the ignition switch that I had to solder on extensions, and then just twisted them back to the harness. After disconnecting the battery of course.
It runs fine, started right up, everything works except the turn signals and tail light. I rode it all over the neighborhood with no problem.

I have two wires still hanging from the harness side that don't have a match on the ignition switch side. One is blue, other is orange with green stripe. I'm sure these are the tail light and signals but I don't know where to hook them up. I can't find any more wire stubs left on the ignition switch.

I need a wiring diagram. I don't see that Clymer's makes a manual for this bike (I like paper manuals and prefer Clymers). Are any of the download manuals any good?

Does the fan circuit run through the ignition at all? I'd like to make sure the fan runs since there's no temp gauge.

I'll re-paint the bike and repair the cracked fairings, actually practicing doing graphics dips now, and was intending to dip the Ninja when I have enough skill. Will it be less desirable if it's pink? Or butterflies? I'd prefer unicorns but I can't find any hydrographics with that yet. :) Laugh if you want. I'm 45, wrench my own and dammit I like sparkly bikes. Seriously, would a thief rather not mess with a hot pink glitter-flake bike?

Lots of questions, especially about getting my hands on a wiring diagram. Thanks for your patience.

coffee_brake
February 6th, 2019, 10:44 AM
Welcome to Ninjette! :wave:

sorry to hear about your bike. My brother got me this lock: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/xena-xx15-disc-lock-with-alarm

Whenever bike's not running, I use it. When I go to S.F., even in private parking garage, I use it. Bike thieves are lowest form of scum!!!

I've got a cable lock on it now and I work at a Cycle Gear, so I can pick up an alarm lock to take with me. You can bet I will from now on!

CaliGrrl
February 6th, 2019, 11:40 AM
There was a comment on an article about scooters for women in ... Pakistan maybe? They were all pink so the men wouldn't steal them. So you may be onto something by making it sparkly and pink. :)

DannoXYZ
February 6th, 2019, 12:01 PM
ahhaha,,.... in S.F. pink might make it even more attractive!!!

Check out this thread for wiring-diagram: https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=330116

BLUE at ignition-switch becomes RED/BLUE on harness for brake-light.

ORANGE/GREEN at ignition-switch becomes GREEN/WHITE on harness then ORANGE/GREEN again after fuse-box and goes to turn-signal relay.

coffee_brake
February 7th, 2019, 07:53 AM
Danno, mine's the 300. This diagram for the 250 is still useful especially since so much of the ignition switch is alike, but how different is the 300?

I'm willing to get a manual, I just would like to know what kind y'all use. I don't get a lot from the Kawasaki shop manuals, but I don't see that Clymers makes one.
If I must buy a download-type or CD manual, what have y'all found useful?

Tooch
May 2nd, 2019, 06:56 PM
Jenn,

Just saw your post and I'm sorry to hear. I'm heading to Charleston on Saturday and will be there for the week on vacation. I'm doing up my wife's bike, but I do have the stock slip on I could bring down with me and you're welcome to it for free if it helps your rebuild at all

coffee_brake
May 2nd, 2019, 11:26 PM
Alex thank you so much but I got a good exhaust on now.
If y'all get bored, look me up, we can hit up a good local brew it ride!

JohnnyBravo
May 3rd, 2019, 08:54 AM
I like sparkles bikes an pink bikes too; I’m too lazy to steal though ��

Hope it all turns out for the best

coffee_brake
May 3rd, 2019, 09:24 AM
I'm a huge My Little Pony fan...hmmm...

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/010/518/2ba.jpg

GAU-8
September 30th, 2019, 08:20 PM
Oh that's my favorite! Ive always adored "Vulcanized Rubber" pony!

Anyways back on topic.