Edinburgh man finds ‘destroyed’ motorbike after it was stolen by careless thieves

An Edinburgh motorcyclist has been disgusted to find his bike completely destroyed after it was stolen this week.

The driver, @basicallyhappy, found his high-end chain sawed off on Monday morning (April 18), after thieves got away with the expensive model.

Costing over £4,000 and being his only means of transport to work, he had contacted the police and shared a desperate plea on social media to be reunited with the bike.

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Talk to Edinburgh livehe said: “After getting off to go to the gym I looked at where I usually park but the bike wasn’t there and I thought I must have parked somewhere else but then I turned down eyes and saw my chain.

“I called 101 and reported it was stolen etc and then posted on social media that it was stolen and lots of people shared it which was good.

“I got a message from a friend that someone they knew might have seen him around 4:30 p.m. so I got an uber there and tried to pick him up.”

After arriving in the Crewe Toll area, @basicallyhappy quickly spotted his distinctive white pattern and, in a move he “wouldn’t do again”, attempted to retrieve it.

He continued, “There were these guys coming in and out of a garden, and then one of them came out on a gray bike, and I just felt like it was stolen.

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“I rode up to approach the guy but as I walked towards him I saw my white bike through the open gate sitting in the garden.

“I shouldn’t have done it, but I went to see them and started trying them on, and begged them to let me get it back, explaining that I had worked very hard for it and that it was my only way to get around. I couldn’t let them get away with something I worked so hard for.

“They were trying to get me to pay, but I managed to slowly get out of it while persuading them that I needed it for the job and had paid for it.

“Then I rode it up the high street and met my friends, who tried to start it but it didn’t work, so we phoned the police again and rolled it down the street .

“Finally the police arrived after forever and they entered the police station with me.”

Despite the recovery of the bike, damage to a number of mechanical parts means @basicallyhappy is still without transportation.

Now awaiting news from his insurance company, he said: “It’s my only means of transport, I don’t have a car license so I have to have this bike.” I had to take a week off from annual leave to sort things out, and my job is quite far away, so getting there without the bike would be a huge hassle.

“I will definitely have more security now.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘At approximately 8.55am on Monday April 18, 2022, we received a report that a motorbike had been stolen outside a premises in Roseburn Street, Edinburgh.

“The theft would have taken place around 3:20 am.

“Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 0898 of 18 April 2022.”