Back in February 1967, Donald DeVault reported his 1953 Triumph Tiger 100 motorcycle missing. And then, he spent the next 46 years wondering what had become of the Triumph, which police reported stolen shortly after DeVault called them about the bike. He never expected to see it again. But earlier this month, the bike—which DeVault originally purchased for $300—finally turned up at the Port of Los Angeles. It seems someone was trying to ship it to Japan but was denied when the VIN was checked by a U.S. Customs & Border Protection agent, who noticed that the bike had been stolen almost 50 years ago.
Police contacted DeVault a short time later and found out that the bike was his. So they plan on returning the bike to him in a few weeks after they launch an investigation into where the bike has been for the last 46 years. And DeVault is anxious to get it back into his possession.
"I really want to protect it this time," the 73-year-old Omaha, Neb. resident said recently. "I'm sure there's people out there that would want to take it away."
DeVault already has plans to repaint the bike back to its original color. And he's also going to have the words "46 Years Later" painted onto the bike's gas tank. It seems like a nice tribute for a bike that he probably thought was gone forever.
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[via ABC News]
