Travellers bike stolen in Damascus Syria
 

Damascus / Syria

22.01.2010

Hello all,

Mustahil means impossible in Arabic.

This is the word I hear from every local that knows about my story of yesterday. My bike, the 750 Tenere, got stolen outside the hotel Alrabie here in the city center of Damascus. In the hours of the early morning a group of five thieves broke the locks and one of them rode away with the bike.

I would have said myself, it is impossible that something like this happens in Syria. But you learn every day. A camera from a shop nearby filmed the incident, but I have not seen the video yet.

The police is working on the case, I have the help of the German embassy and from some local friends. But I have problems getting the media involved, as no bad news can be broadcasted. Also a big problem is, that I do not speak Arabic and most people do not speak anything else.

Anyone seen the bike since yesterday? Do you have any very good contacts with Syrian TV? Some newspapers said, maybe they publish the story on Sunday, inshalla.

I want to have the bike back.

Contact me over Email, or in the Hotel Alrabie, Saruja - Bahsa St. Damascus - Syria, Hotel Tel. 00 963 11 231 83 74, I will get a cell phone tomorrow, if you can help.

The photos are taken in Germany.

Greetings and a happy new year
Mika

I am really sorry for you... was there that period last year and everything seemed calm and peaceful. Things may changed from then... I am sure you will find your bike. Maybe not so easy but you will. They can't ride a big bike in Syria. So it's almost useless for them. Don't worry, I think everything will go well...

I'm sorry for the loss of your bike, Mika, also because I visited Syria astride my motorcycle in 2008 and I can figure out your surprise and disappointment.

I'm sure that the problem will be solved, though. Keep us updated.

Damascus / Syria
 

This is not an easy place to get your bike stolen.

In the early hours of thursday morning (3.45 am, 21.01.2010) a group of five thieves arrived in a grey KIA, at a nearby intersection. Two went to the bike, that was parked outside of the Hotel Alrabie. One of them (see picture below) is an expert on bikes, he broke the locks and started the bike in only three minutes. He turned the bike around. Falling off after a few meters, picking the bike up and riding it away.

There are no big bikes in Damaskus, as they are not allowed. The thief has experience riding a big bike and breaking the locks. Maybe he is not from Syria, maybe he is from Lebanon.

Anyway there is no market here to sell the bike, or the parts. But there is in Lebanon.

So far, all the media people (I dont want to call them journalists) I talked to, cant or dont want to do publish anything. It is depressing, because nobody tells you the truth.

The police is no help at all, even the German embassy put a lot of pressure on them.

I could find an expert to edit the video (which is bad quality) and we could get a picture of the thief. See below.

A German friend is here now, with his bike. And we plan to go twoup to Lebanon for a few days.

I would need contacts in Lebanon, Bike clubs etc.

Mika

mika,

I'm very sorry about the loss of your bike, but I'm not sure why you're surprised that the police don't care--despite German embassy "pressure"--it would be little different in most countries as far as I know...

And the "picture" is not particularly helpful--more than anything else it looks like a cartoon drawing of someone's grandmother, and I can't see how it would be helpful to anyone.

I appreciate your efforts to get the bike back, and wish you the best of luck, but I would not get your hopes up...

@ motoreiter

thank you for your reply and your statement.

have you ever been in Syria more than a few days?

there is more police (and people working together with similar services) here than in most countries (compare to the population). and in general Syria is a save country for travellers. this has not happened to a traveller here before, so I expected the police to do it more, as they promised.

But you are right I should not be surprised that all this huge police force does not get any info about the bike from their bosses. And that the police unit working on the case does not do much.

as there are no big bikes here, and the thief is a professional, I would say even a picture like this could help. anyway I dont have a better one right now.

In any other country I could just buy advertising space and publish the picture of the bike, but not in Syria.

I would appreciate you send me only PM and not post here again, because I dont need people telling me to give up.

Mika

Don't give up mika, or be desponded by any negative comments, everyone hopes that your bike will 'turn-up' with little or no damage.
Good luck

Hey Mika, I am so sorry for you!
 

Hey Mika,

it sounds unbelievable! How could this happen???

I hope you will get it back, I would spend at least 2 more weeks in the city, maybe you can buy it back for a reasonable price...sounds stupid I know, but I heard similar stories before...

Good luck! See you at the HU Germany or Italy Meeting!

Jens from Worms/ Germany

Hi Mika,

When I stayed in Damascus last year, I stayed at camping 'new kaboun'.
And dispite of what has been said here, there are big bike's in Syria.
I,ve seen them myself.
If you come out of the camping and go right and take a left, somewhere along that road (sorry I don't know exactly wich one) there is a sort of bike shop and they had 'big bikes'.
The man from the camping is a nice guy and I'm sure he help you find it if you asked.
It's a long shot but it may be worth a visit.

new picture
 

@ Rinus

Thank you for your reply. I stayed at New Kaboun Camping before I moved into town. Yes, the owner is very nice. I will do a run on Wednesday to some bike shops and mechanics outside of Damascus. Good idea, I will go to the Camping again and talk to the owner. Maybe he has an idea.

Anybody contact in Lebanon? Bike shops? Mechanics? Bike clubs?

The computer expert got a better picture out of the video. This is it.

Mika

Lebanon contact details.
 

Hi Mika

Contact details sent to you private email, I'll try to get some more.:thumbup1:

you tube video
 

my friend Jan Neumann, who is here in Damascus at the moment on his SuperTenere, made a youtube video about my bike getting stolen ....


YouTube - Mikas Bike_0002.asf


have a look, and send it to all your biker friends in Lebanon and around the world.

maybe if someone could post a link to the video on facebook Lebanon Motorcycle Club. Thank you.

Mika

Hi Mika
As already written via email, so sorry to hear about your bike being stolen. On the video at about 1 min 30 sec, are those big flashes of light from cutting equipement? If they are, the theives must have been very organised!

My aunt works at the US embassy in Beirut. Will send her a mail now.

Good luck
Chris

Viggo Normann
 

Hello again,

I would need the email address/ contact details of a Norwegian bike traveller

his name is

Viggo Normann,

he is born in 1984, and he stayed here in Damascus around 06.01. to 07.01.2010

does anybody know him?




@chris

I think the flashes you see are from the headlight of the bike, but I dont know how the broke the steering lock.


Mika from Damascus

Mika, really sorry to read this. Every travellers worst nightmare to wake up and find the bike gone, you must have been shell-shocked. I hope it turns up for you.

Beirut
 

Hi there,

we (my friend Jan Neumann and I) are in Beirut at the moment, yesterday we crossed the mountains on Jans Supertenere riding in snow and on ice.

Thank you guys from the HUBB for the good biker contacts here in Lebanon.

I had to learn that normaly bikes are stolen in Beirut and taken over the border to Syria, and not the other way.

The value of my SuperTenere in Syria is about 8000 USD.

So, next week it will be back to Damascus, now I have biker contacts in Syria and some more ideas how to get my bike back.

Wish me luck.

Mika

I wish u luck, Mate.
 

We are all with u. Been following it since beginning. Will be soon on my way back through Damascus.
Good luck again from Cairo.

That's not a common name in Norway but I can't find anyone where the name and age match. Do you have any other information?

There is a guy who might match but he is born in 1977 and from his profile-picture in facebook it looks like he might have been in that area.


Edit: Personal info removed

If you like I can try to check a few places.

viggo normann
 

@ Alibaba

pls try a bit more and check place, I have sent emails to addresses that I found on google but no answers.

would you pls contact this guy (I think the photo is taken in Petra/Jordan) over facebook maybe it is him.

this are all the informations that I have, maybe the birthdate is wrong

Motorcycle traveller Viggo Normann, born 1984

thanks
Mika

Hi Mika,
Sorry for the incident that I really can't believe it happened in Syria as people is one of the nicest I ever seen but can't say the same for police and gov't.
Can be sure they know somebody inside police and may be even have help.
Do not be against Syrian people as one broken egg doesn't mean all is the same.
Lately hundreds of thousand people moved to Damascus from Iraq and they all try to deal with difficult living conditions and hunger and it is already difficult in Syria. Lebanon is another story which you may be right.
Sorry again...

I have asked a few questions, have to wait and see.

Edit: Personal info removed

It sure looks like Petra, I've written him a mail.

On LinkedIn too
 

At least one "Viggo Normann" also has a LinkedIn account. Would check him out there myself, but I lost my username and password and my employer has banned social networking sites :(. Can anyone else try to contact him?

Hang in there Mika!
Chris

It's the same Viggo as mentioned above.

Hi Mika

I was in Damascus, AlRabie hostel around the time you describe.

I am sorry to hear about your bike. Hope you can get it back somehow.

---
Viggo Normann
Norway

Mika

I stayed in Damascus 7-9th of january, and then again 11-12th of january. Both times at Al Rabie.
The visa transaction from Al Rabie said something like "Al Rabie, Lebanon", if this is of interest..
I remember seeing a german bike, probably yours, parked outside one of the days I was there.
Are there any specifics you are interested in knowing from me? I doubt I can be of much help, but I'll give information you think can help you in this matter.

BTW: I'm not a biker born in 1984. I'm a 1977 model

Hello Viggo
 

Hello Viggo,

thank you for your posts and your email. I have replied to your email before reading your posts.

A Swiss bicyclist told me, that the thieves tried to steal another motorbike (just a few days before mine was stolen) but did not manage to start it. She said the biker was from Norway, and we found your name in the hotel book. So, it was not your bike that they tried to steal.

As I arrived around 20th of January, you did not see my bike. So the biker I will have to look for is German, do you remember the brand of the bike??

At the hotel they told me it is very safe to park my bike outside. Did they know better?

@Samy

Thank you for your thoughts. I agree with you, Syrian people are fantastic, very friendly and welcoming, and living conditions are not easy here. But if something like this happens to you, you see a different side of the country.



More later

Mika

I don't remember the brand, but it was quite big, looking a bit like yours.
I'm pretty sure the plates were german. I remember thinking about the route you'd have to travel with a bike all the way to Damascus.

Al Rabie is highly recommended in LonelyPlanet, so I don't think they are doing any monkey business. My guess would be travelling thieves from a bad neighbourhood or countries nearby.

I agree with all of you that syrians are very friendly and welcoming. :) I would like to come back some time.

Hello Hubblers,

today I met the local motorcycle club here in Damascus, three weeks after the bike got stolen !!!!!

A great bunch of guys, they ride mostly Harleys and Gold Wings, but also Africa Twins and Varaderos. They will try their best to help me to get my bike back. It was very good to talk to them, and we had fantastic arabic food.

As today is Friday (the Sunday in this part of the world), I will start tomorrow again to run around and knock more doors ....

@Viggo
No, I dont believe the hotel staff is connected to the thieves, but if only ten days before I arrived the thieves tried to steal another bike, why did they tell me it is very safe to park the bike outside?

More later

Mika

Ouch for you and your bike
 

Hi Mika, greetings from Abu Dhabi, UAE. I'm just another hubbler. I feel so terrible for you and your stolen bike. Besides the emotional loss, I hope you have insurance to cover some of the financial loss.

Ouch.

Keep your chin up!

Shu

@ doschinos

thank you for your reply. no I dont have insurance and money is not the point.

I started to describe the loss of my bike to the locals here like this:

imagine you come home and your house is gone, there is only a big hole in the ground and nothing left of it. How do you feel if something like this would happen?

Greetings from Damascus
Mika

Carl Rommel
 

hello again,

we have the first person that looks like the thief on the picture and he is into big bike here in Damascus .... but it is to early now to tell you more ... but he is from the neighborhood.

the biker traveller I am looking for is Swedish (another bicyclist told me about him), his name is CARL ROMMEL, born in 1980

@Chris pls check the HU website if he is registered and send him an email with my details thanks

More later
Mika

Hi Mika
I've had a search of the HU member list, but it's only searchable by nickname, not real name (also, people are not required to give their real name). I looked at carl/karl/rommel combinations, but no luck. I'll send a pm to Grant who has administrator rights. Maybe he can help more.

Good luck,
Chris

Hi Mika
Just sent this chap a message via facebook: Carl Rommel | Facebook

He's Swedish, is called Carl Rommel and his Facebook image is of someone, (presumably him) in front of posters Kings Hussain/Abdullah of Jordan. Also based on his education, he could well be born in 1980. I gave him your email and described the situation and gave a link to this post.

Will let you know if I hear more.

Chris

Received a reply from Grant. He can't find any CR in his substantial HU database. I recon it's the Facebook-CR from the post above. Hopefully he'll get in touch.

buena suerte
Chris

Hi Mika
I forwarded a Facebook message from CR to me to your email address. Another dead-end. Any positive news?
Chris

no news
 

Hi all,

no news means bad news.

I am still hunting the thief. Have a look at the picture again, we believe now that he is from Sudan and that the hair on the picture is his real hair. And somebody has seen him ... so maybe more on this today in the afternoon.

Its now nearly a month. The first little report is published in an English newspaper here ... Syria is not an easy place to get the bike back ...

at Chris and Grant. Thank you for checking the names. But this is it, we cant find the name of this mc traveller.

More later
Mika from Damascus

There are only two entries in the Swedish phone book for Carl Rommel.

You have to add +46 and remove the first 0:

[url=http://personer.eniro.se/query?what=wp&search_word=carl+rommel&geo_area=]carl rommel - telefonnummer, mobilnummer, adress, karta & v

at AliBaba: Carl Rommel is not the Swedish bike traveller we are looking for. We only have a sort of name: Eawith Nedergaara (1982) - but we are also not sure if this is the name of him.

Nedergård and Nedergaard are swedish names, Eawith is not.

Mika, I feel really bad to read about your bad luck and hard times you are going throuh. Having travelled in Syria for almost 2 weeks, i cannot imagine such a thing happening to me.


Hats off to alibaba, chris and the others helping you out in such times. Makes us all realise how strong the bond of being motorcyclists/travellers is. :clap:

wishing you the best
Vicks

I'll second that.

Hat's off to you for your courage and perserverence.

:thumbup1:

secure parking in that lane
 

Very sorry to hear they pinched your SuperTen, Mika. Not so surprised by the police's reaction. I too would have guessed it will end up in Lebanon. Never saw big local bikes except police. Zillions of CGs.

We were in that lane a few days ago staying at the Haramein a few doors down. I noticed some overland bikers (Turkish and Swiss) parking their big BMs right outside which seemed bit risky to me, despite Syria's good reputation.

Not much use to you but for others heading for this handy quarter in Damascus, the Haramein had a secure courtyard round the back where you can park a moto out of sight. There was an Ozzie KLR in there.
Haramein is 300sp cheaper than Al Rabie and a nice joint.

Didnt some guy get his AT pinched down this way a few years back - and after a splash Honda stepped in with a new one? Would be great if Yam came in with the new Super Ten... You never know.

Otherwise, hope it turns up and you can carry on RTW.

Chris S

:rofl:

Don't hold your breath on that one, Yamaha UK nearly coughed and puked blood about replacing an exhaust that was rusting on a bike with 800 miles on the clock under warranty.
:thumbdown:

I stayed at the same hotel in 2007/2008 from where this bike got nabbed. At the time, there was a German rider and two Kiwi's there, too. We all parked outside, locked up on the street. I parked on the street in Lebanon, too. It's just a gamble, I guess. Better to park inside when possible, that's for sure. What can I say? Hope you get your ride back... though in Syria, that's unlikely.

Hi Mika,

My condolences on your motorcycle theft.
Has there been any news?

Some news ....
 

Hi all,

after a month in Damascus I returned to Europe and spent two months in Spain on my second bike - an Africa Twin. In November 2010 I will take a boat from Spain to Brazil to complete my journey the other way around on the Africa Twin.

This is what I received on 30.07.2010 from a French biker, that I met a few days after my bike was stolen in a bar in Damascus old town.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hallo Mika,
my name's Sébastien, we met in Damas in january 2010, i am the lonely rider with the transalp, do you remember?
life is strange sometimes but two weeks later, i have met the people who have stolen your moto in an internet café close to the bar we met,
they were a group of people from libanon (i suppose) showing the pictures of your moto on the screen and talking in a loud way about the price they expect for the machine with skype that i could hear all the discussion. (vulgar bandit)
they speak a lot of language and seem to be real trafficants, i was feeling scare cause my moto was staying less than hundred meter from that place...
I wish you will start new travels soon, with a new bike,
good luck mika, who know, you maybe find your bike one day, i will concentrate the research in Libanon in your place ;)
Sébastien
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here my answer 30.07.2010 to Sebastien:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Sebastien,

good to hear from you. How are you, where are you?

I spend a month in Damascus, so I was there when you met the thiefes. Did you get any additional information? Skype name? Car number or bike number? Was one of them black? Why do you think they are Libanese?

Do you know, that I still want my bike back and that I havnt given up. So I need more informations from you. Why didnt you contact me earlier?

Thank you, I am waiting for your answer.
Greetings
Mika

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here Sebastiens answer 01.08.2010

hallo Mika,
i just found your mail adress on the paper you write me few days ago, i am back to france since about one month after a 14000km trip,
i am almost sure this guy were libanese, i am more sure that they were not arabs.
i haven't seen any black with them, they got a white face, they were big and shaved hair, vulgar (like russian mafia...)
that is nice that you didn t gave up, i hope you wil find your machine, were are you staying now?
chears
Sébastien

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today is the 18.08. and I have sent Sebastien a couple of emails with no reply.

Also my "friends" from Damascus do not answer any of my emails.



More later - inshallah

Mika

Hi Mika, sorry I cant help but I agree with vicky's post here. I really hope you get these rats.

You have helped others who read this. You have had great support from HU people, who have been so good at trying different ways to help.

Lets hope you get a result. I am, like you, disappointed with the French rider.

We hope to hear from you about this.

@chris
as far as remember that was in dubai and honda dubai gave him a same color AT.

@mika

hope you will get it eventually mate.. it is really sad story!