DON’T FALL FOR A FAKE: HOW TO SPOT A RINGER
Our crime expert’s top tips on what you should look out for
Bike theft is undoubtedly a big problem – but selling on stolen machines to unsuspecting buyers has become big business, too. Latest police figures show that 55% of the 24,000 motorcycles expected to be stolen in the UK this year will never be recovered. But have you ever wondered where these bikes go and how they remain undetected?
The answer is that a criminal industry has developed where stolen bikes and parts are turned into saleable machines that are sold on to unwitting buyers. And the problem’s so prevalent that 80% of motorcycle dealers have been fooled into buying these ‘fake’ motorbikes as partexchanges against new bikes. The process of building one of these fakes starts as soon as a bike is stolen. First, it’s stripped down into its component parts. Next, the criminals buy a similar written-off or accident-damaged example at auction for next-to nothing. The parts from the stolen bike are then used to repair the damaged one enough to fool a buyer or dealer and the remaining parts are then usually sold online through auction sites like eBay. The new bikes can be sold on with their real identities but are often in a dangerous condition with serious faults.
So how can you avoid being duped? Metropolitan Police Vehicle Crime Consultant, Dr Ken German, has some sound advice: “In today’s environment it has become hugely important when buying a bike to check its frame and engine numbers with the V5 registration document and ensure that they all match.”
“Also check whether the font (of the letters and numbers) on the frame and engine look original. Question the seller if the machine’s condition is not what you might expect for the year and does the mileage agree with any service history or MoT documents? “Any signs that the motorcycle could have been rebuilt should be a worry and checks for instance whether the wiring loom is correctly fitted, the fairing panels are showing odd screw heads or perhaps if any securing nuts holding the bike together appear to have been moved may confirm or negate any suspicions.” Once you get this far, a provenance enquiry with a company such as HPI or Experian, followed by a frame number check with the industry Master scheme through the Datatag database completes the jigsaw necessary when buying a used motorbike.
‘Any signs of a rebuild should be a worry’ DR KEN GERMAN, CRIME EXPERT