GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (May 19, 2013) — A man from West Michigan whose classic motorcycle was stolen and stripped is back riding after rebuilding it.
For years, Doug Streichhirsch’s favorite mode of transportation has been his 1971 Triumph Bonneville.
When he first bought the bike he spent hours wrenching with his best friend, Graham Gepheart, to fix it up. “We found the bike together,” Streichhirsch said.
“About five years ago, I was looking for a street bike to ride and a project,” he remembered. “We worked on it, and put it together.”
But Gepheart was killed while riding his own motorcycle.
Then, just one month after his best friend’s death came another blow for Streichhirsch: the motorcycle that bonded the two was stolen from his yard in the middle of the night.
The thieves were caught on surveillance video taken from a nearby business. FOX 17 aired that footage, which helped lead police to the suspects.
Streichhirsch got his bike back — in boxes.
“Luckily, they didn’t take any of the mechanical parts. The engine was still intact,” Streichhirsch said. “They didn’t tear any of that apart.”
Like the memories of his friend, each part was put back where it belongs.
Today, the motorcycle is a rolling tribute to a best friend who shared his passion for riding on two wheels.
