Not sure where to post about theft/potential parts availability

[TattooToniH]

Hi, I'm Toni and not actually a katana owner or rider. I am however, the ex fiancee of the late Chris Scott (based in Swindon) who was an owner of a 1981 Series 1 GSX 750 Katana. It was off the road and he had wanted for many years to get it back on the road but disability and lack of dosh stopped play. I am also the mother of his two (now adult) kids, Sabrina and Ben Scott and we had his funeral ten days ago, which was heartbreaking but a nice send off. The katana passed to his son who is going to work on it over time and restore it. And then this...

Last night Ben’s van was broken into in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, and a black mini moto (with gold and silver coloured forks) and some of his dad’s personal effects were taken, including some of the katana bodywork, the wiring loom and the full gasket set from his late dad’s bike that he so desperately wants to restore. That stuff is like rocking horse shit so the chances of him finding it again are slim to non existent. The scum had to know where the van was and they most likely know Ben, so this is personal and truly hateful because if they knew that much, chances are they know what this means to him. We need as much help as possible to get the katana stuff back. Ben is broken up about it, and in so much rage.

The bike parts are from a 1981, A reg Series 1 Suzuki GSX 750 Katana and include a full gasket set, the wiring loom and some bodywork. The bodywork is the traditional silvery/gold colour.

Ben has tracked down some CCTV footage and a link to an album of images of the two guys who did this is given below.

They first approached the van (which is tucked away) at around 2:01 this morning, taking bags containing the wiring loom, a clear plastic box of personal effects and the full gasket set and another box of bodywork and then returned about half an hour later, taking the black mini moto.

If you are offered any of this stuff please buy it and get in touch with us. We will find a way to reimburse you. This is the biggest chance we have of getting those bike parts back as the bike is old and rare and the parts just cannot be found anymore.

They have taken the last thing a father was able to give to his son after he died. Ben never got a chance to go out for a ride with his dad because his dad could never afford to get his bike back on the road as he was disabled and could no longer work. So it is a mission for Ben, in honour of his late father, to restore this bike and make his dad’s dream come true. It is all he can do for him now and they have destroyed his chance of doing this. Please help us to find a way to get the bike parts and personal effects (in the clear plastic box that they took) back to us so my boy can honour his dead dad.

We are lucky to be part of the biker community who are always there for each other and Ben was raised old school, he nods, he stops and he’d help any of you if he was able.

Please help me to help him.

Here’s a link to an album (on Facebook)of the thieving scumbags who did this in case anyone can recognize them: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 4a3967fe92

I’m pleased to say that we have already had several people suggest who the thieves are, which is wonderful. Both have been named more than once so I am hopeful that with the help of the Police and Ben’s many friends who so want to know who has done this, that convictions and recovery of items may happen soon, as it’s less than 24 hours since the theft so hopefully they haven’t had the chance to sell the items. However, if anything like this comes up for sale, please, please get it back to us. You would earn the gratitude of our kids and me.

Cheers, Toni

[stockcar]

Very sorry for your pain.......

[TattooToniH]

Thanks @stockcar

[fossie]

As stated sorry to hear about these thieving scum. You may well be suprised how unrare katana items are. Should you fail to retrieve your stolen items.
Good luck and thanks for the heads up.
We are here should Ben need help.

[TattooToniH]

It would be lovely to think that even if we can’t recover the stolen items, we might be able to find replacements. That would be the kind of surprise I could definitely live with right now. Thanks fossie

[johnr]

most katana bodywork is still available, fairings and sidepanels are available new as replica parts and are as good as original stuff and a fraction of the suzuki prices. clocks are tricky to find and looms are still out there. if it turns out that the stuff doesnt get returned, then its not a reason to lose hope to complete the bike, as i say, most of the stuff is out there if you know who to ask and where to look.
when they guy is ready to start rebuilding, send him to this forum and if possible we will help out wherever we can.
ive seen the fb thread already, brian in cornwall sent it to me the other day. if anyone tries to offload the kat bodywork to anyone in the kat/oldskool world, we will get to hear of it.

[TattooToniH]

That’s great johnr, it’s awesome that it’s getting round so far. But these are all original parts and my son, Ben is honouring his father who’s funeral we had on 14/09, after depression, bereavement in 2016 of his best friend, and the DWP led him to suicide. Ben is 22 and his sister Sabrina is 23. I am just praying that we get the parts back so my kids can rest and grieve, so we all can. Chris, the father of Sabrina and Ben, was my closest friend; even though we weren’t a couple, we were there for each other. I know it’s just a few bike parts but it’s really not; the significance is huge. I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to say but we need the original parts back