I don't suppose I am much different to anyone else on that score either. Well maybe the gits that do the stealing feel good about it, - personally I wouldn't know.

This last week two South West riding buddies had their one month old 2004 KTM250 enduro bikes stolen from a local farm. - And yes they were in a very solid LOCKED outbuilding, for what it was worth.

There are many issues at stake here: Like why anyone thinks its their God given right, to just walk off with something, that someone else has worked so hard to buy - and feel that’s its alright to do it?

These guys cause so much hurt and pain, and quite frankly they don't give a sh*t about how you feel. In fact they feel good about it!

After two years doing overtime at work and saving so hard to actually get a 'new' bike, one of the lads was in tears all week. Fortunately this time it all appears to have turned out better than expected. The bikes were reported dumped about six days later and 20 miles away.

Although one had registered his bike so he could get Third Party, Fire & Theft insurance, he would not have got a pay out for months. He couldn't afford another dirtbike - not even a cheap one. So these light fingered gits would have deprived him of a year of riding for a series championship!

Now many dirt-bike riders are not so lucky as my friend. Once stolen dirtbikes are rarely seen again. And as many off-road competitors do not have a road licence, they cannot get theft insurance cover.

A BIT MORE WITTERING - THEN USEFUL SUGGESTIONS.

When I first started off-road riding over 18 years ago, trust and honesty ran throughout the sport of Enduro. Often you had to travel up to 200 miles to do a big event and many had no pit crew. All riders just left complete toolboxes with expensive kit in at the pits - or even somewhere allowed on route, and no one would dream of touching it - leave alone actually nicking anything!

In fact even when a spanner or part was desperately needed, one would wait till the rider turned up and ask. This often resulted in complete strangers being given expensive spare parts on trust that you would get them back at the end, - which wasn't so easy when the laps were 150miles long - and you had a good chance of not finishing - because they were tough!

(Any who doubt how tough enduro's were - ask someone who did this years Bob Perring Classic.)

Despite this you always got your kit back and therefore lending and helping was all part of the day, it gave great pleasure to help those in dire need and the whole scene felt like a giant family.

I must say I did not Motocross like this. Quite often you would move your bike off its tiny axle stand, and within seconds someone had taken it!

Trials I do not know about and therefore cannot comment.

Now Hare & Hounds brings about a mixture of people from various off-road backgrounds. Those who would like the whole world to be honest like they are, and those that nick anything that isn't nailed down!

SO WHAT WE GONNA DO THEN?

I am sure that most of us would like more security in our lives, - especially around our chosen hobby for relaxation and with that in mind I have a couple of suggestions to put forward -

Yes many of us have been followed towards home this way. If you feel you are being followed, take many extra turnings and keep a watchful eye. If you cannot loose them, go around to see a few BIG mates on the way home.

2) A suggestion to help stop dirtbike theft nationally: Most expensive dirtbikes are owned by those owners that race. That’s why we buy the latest bikes - to try and win, or at least get better results!

As it is we have to apply for competition licences, so the ACU and AMCA etc, keep our details on file for checking anyway. So why not add 2 more details - Frame and Engine numbers.

It occurred to me that if we had the frame and engine numbers checked during scrutineering - against our entry details. When these details go back to the ACU or AMCA etc. They can be checked against national database.

This way no one would be able to turn up at a legitimate race and use a stolen bike. If the only use for a £5,000 stolen dirtbike was blasting around a field - what would the value of a stolen new bike drop to then?

If thieves couldn't get much for them - they wouldn't be so inclined to nick them in the first place. Also a 2004 machine only blasting around fields and wasteland, would raise a few embarrassing questions to be answered.

This idea would need to be well thought out - and would need national approval to work. To work well, all disciplines of motorsport that could use parts would need to be working with us to beat the criminals. So the RAC, ACU, AMCA, and many others would need to be involved. And they should bother - as thieves not only ruin our sport - they ruin our lives!

YOUR FEEDBACK & HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS ARE REQUIRED.

I would like your feedback on my ideas - and PLEASE if you have any other good suggestions to help stop bike crime - lets hear about them in Biker's Chat'N'Help forum. Where I will set up a 'Prevent Stolen Bikes' discussion in the 'General Chat & Feedback' area.

Article - Adrian Harris.