I can start my bike now with a screwdriver, as well as open the gas lock. On top of that, it's been spray painted white, then black and the chrome needs a good cleaning with some gentle chemicals to get the paint away from places it shouldn't be. I'll need to replace the places that the keys go, so no other jackass tries to steal my shit with a pocket knife or screwdriver, I need a new license plate, and eventually, all the other minor aesthetic shit that needs to be fixed after being ridden hard and re-sprayed, but I got it back and it seems to be in fine working order. Aside from the paint, and mud it's no worse for the wear.
I've already invested in a disk lock/alarm for the brake system, and I've been looking at new ignition switches too, so just maybe I can make this thing a might harder to steal in the future.
Just looking at the state of it, I'm almost more upset about getting it back than when it went missing to start with.
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I do have the worst luck ever, turns out. Plus, I think my motorcycle is cursed. No more than two months after I got hit by a truck and got the bike from the shop and now it turns up missing this morning sometime.
So I fought to get up out of bed, not wanting to go to work at 5:30 and I got my wish. I wanted to call in, but it wasn't under the circumstances that I wanted when I finally did.
Came outside, grabbed a damp towel off the line so I could wipe down the seat when I cranked it, turned to go towards it and uttered the following words; "What the FUCK...".
Following the events of what-the-fuckery, I came back in, alerted the wife, my friend, and then the police to the incident and for some reason went back out to look, knowing full well that it wasn't there. Why did I do this? I'll tell you - because that is where the thing SHOULD have been.
and it wasn't. and it's still not.
More developments when the case cracks.