Wild ride to regain his cycle
Stolen bike spotted, so man gets it back
FAST, BUT not furious.
Biker bar and restaurant owner Shmuel Avital and his custommade KTM 390 Duke motorcycle are together again, thanks to a tight-knit biking community and the Highway Patrol.
On Tuesday morning, Avital arrived for work at his East Village eatery Spiegel and immediately noticed his custom-made bike, which he parks out front, was missing. Avital, who hosts a very popular motorcycle-friendly Two Wheels Tuesday event every week, immediately got the word out that his easily recognized bike was out there somewhere.
Motorcycle clubs including The Missfires, MotoFellas and NY Classic Riders joined in the hunt by sharing information with their members.
“I posted photos on Instagram and put my phone number on it and all the motorcycle community shared it,” the longtime biking enthusiast said. “I got a phone call from a truck driver in the Bronx, he saw the bike, snapped a shot, and he sent me a picture.”
Avital then called his neighbor Brian Hamilton, who works for the Highway Patrol, told the officer that he was going to get his bike back and sprang into action on his primary ride — a much more powerful KTM Adventure. After motoring 13 miles up the FDR, Avital was in the Bronx where he spotted the stolen bike, phoned in the location to Hamilton and pursued the alleged culprit.
“He pulled up next to a red light and I pulled up next to him,” Avital says.
Stalling until Hamilton arrived, Avital persuaded the rider, later identified by police as Dequavais Lewis, to turn off the engine, pull over and let him check out the motorcycle.
“I was asking if he was selling the bike, asking him questions about the bike,” Avital said. “He was trying to tell me it’s not his, he just bought it from someone — my questions didn’t make sense and he didn’t make sense.” Even though he’s an experienced racer, Avital, an Israeli army veteran, didn’t want to chase after the alleged joyrider he’d spent his morning tracking down.
“When I saw the police cruiser coming toward us, he was trying to take off so I tackled him and held him down,” he said.
With help from an NYPD pickup truck, Avital and his two bikes were home in time for this week’s Two Wheels Tuesday with plenty to celebrate. He says it’s rare for a stolen motorcycle to find its way back to the rightful owner.
“Between the police and Highway 1 (patrol) they really helped,” Avital said. “Normally, it never ends that way.”
Police charged Lewis, 20, with criminal possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without a license. He was arraigned Tuesday, released on his own recognizance, and is due back in court June 20.
“He’s a kid who is admiring the wrong heroes,” Avital said. “We should probably get him a job in motorcycle world and get him back on track.”