After 17 years stolen motorbike back with family
It was stolen from a Waitomo shed and auctioned in Arizona more than a decade later, but a family has been reunited with a treasured motorbike thanks to internet sleuthing.
Francis Gluyas bought himself the motorbike upon returning to Invercargill from World War II in 1954.
He had been serving as a Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft mechanic based in Singapore and the Pacific Islands.
The 500cc 1929 BSA Sloper motorbike covered many miles before he, his wife Margaret, and their four children moved to Waitomo in 1974 and it was stowed away.
Then, the collector’s item was stolen from the family’s shed in 2005 – but after 17 years and a trip halfway around the world, it has been returned to its rightful owners.
The family never gave up hope and had been doing internet sleuthing to try and find evidence of where the bike might be, Senior Constable Allan Wells said.
‘‘The family still had the original motorbike ownership papers in their possession and held onto them, just in case,’’ he said to the Police Ten One Magazine.
He worked with the family, particularly Francis Gluyas’ son Ken, to find the motorbike and had stayed in touch about any leads over the years.
‘‘At the time the motorbike was stolen it was fully restored and a collector’s item.
‘‘I recall that it was one of three of that model Sloper registered at the time in New Zealand,’’ Wells said.
‘‘Because of the rarity of the motorbike, I kept a copy of the file thinking it would one day turn up,’’ Wells said.
Then, in December 2019, Ken Gluyas– who now lived in Australia – found a motorbike that looked remarkably like theirs on Google.
He had been searching online and killing some time while on holiday in New Zealand to visit his sister in Cambridge. But, the motorcycle was in the USA.
‘‘I thought to myself, could it really be the family motorbike?’’ Ken Gluyas said.
‘‘As luck would have it, the Google search led me to a USA motorbike auction site in Phoenix Arizona, where I came across 10 photos of a motorbike that had a remarkable resemblance to my dad’s.
‘‘I tracked down those involved in the sale and purchase of our motorbike, and I discovered that a collector had paid US$20,000 to the auction house and the motorbike was now in New York.’’
He contacted the police, who worked with American authorities through Interpol over many months to get the motorbike returned.
‘‘We liaised with the auction company that sold the motorbike and the individual who purchased it in good faith,’’ said Wells.
‘‘At the same time, we identified that one of the photos revealed the engine number, which had obviously been altered.
‘‘We ascertained for this BSA Sloper model that the engine number should only have one letter followed by four digits – an extra number and letter had been stamped on to the engine, and the original letter had been altered.’’
Wells said that was the catalyst for the motorcycle’s Amercian owner to accept that it was the stolen Gluyas family motorbike.
‘‘This is when I liaised with the American authorities through Interpol and the lawyers representing those involved in order to prove ownership and proof of identity,’’ he said. ‘‘Looking at previous similar cases, it’s not often you get classic cars and motorbikes back in one piece or at all.’’
Wells said Police had a suspect in mind but never had enough evidence to pursue the matter.
‘‘The individual who stole it is likely still around, and I hope they get to see this story and reflect on the heartache they caused,’’ he said.
‘‘I know how much the motorbike means to Ken and his family, and I’m very pleased that it’s back where it belongs.
‘‘To have held on to the file all these years and to have this outcome is very rewarding.’’
Two and a half years and a few thousand dollars after it was found, the motorbike was with Ken Gluyas in Australia.
‘‘Someone will know who stole the motorbike back in 2005 but I don’t really care any more,’’ he said.
‘‘We can now show our grandchildren the motorbike and tell them all about its history.’’