SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — A dirt bike that was taken from a Springfield dealership has been found in satisfactory shape, two decades after being stolen.
In August 2002, two dirt bikes were reportedly stolen during a burglary at Baers Cycle located at 11 Harvey Street in Springfield. According to the shop’s owner, Tim Baer, the missing motorcycles included a Yamaha YZ125 and a Kawasaki KX 250. Local authorities verified this information with 22News.
Eager to recover the stolen dirt bikes, Baer sought assistance and received a lead indicating that they might have been spotted in Holyoke. One day, Baer noticed what appeared to be the same two stolen dirt bikes being ridden in Holyoke but couldn’t apprehend them himself; thus, he promptly informed the authorities about his sighting.
The investigation stalled, then on April 2nd of this year, officers from the Massachusetts Environmental Police in Wareham reached out to Baer. They informed him that they had located the missing Yamaha YZ125. According to Baer’s statement to 22News, authorities suspect that the dirt bike changed owners multiple times prior to discovery; however, it remained in decent condition and was allegedly being used illicitly by an adolescent near the area of some power lines.
In order to regain possession, Baer settled the towing and storage charges and discovered that all of the vehicle’s plastic components were in excellent shape; three parts seemed virtually unused, the tires showed slight wear, the brakes had been recently replaced, there was an after-market cylinder installed, and the exhaust system looked relatively recent.
The 72-year-old Bear decided to retire from his profession and gifted his dirt bike to his grandson so he could have fun with it. He mentioned that the culprit behind the theft was not apprehended, but he expressed gratitude towards the Springfield police for maintaining the documentation since 2004 and praised the Massachusetts Environmental Police for cracking the case.
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