Duane Barham, left, rides his super-powered super quad bike in the ATV North Island Championship at the Whangarei Saloon and Stock Car Club's meet at Port Rd. Photo / John Stone
Duane Barham, left, rides his super-powered super quad bike in the ATV North Island Championship at the Whangarei Saloon and Stock Car Club's meet at Port Rd. Photo / John Stone
A $50,000 super quad bike powered by aviation gas, that rockets around the race track at 160km/h, has been stolen from a Northland home.
Owner Duane Barham has spent three-and-a-half years and plenty of dosh modifying the bike from a standard quad to a finely-tuned racing machine. He wants thebike back so badly he's prepared to offer a reward for its return.
"It's fully modified and there's no other like it in the country. Of course I'm gutted," Mr Barham said. "At the end of the day I lost a really cool toy but at least I have my children and health."
The solo father, with twin 9-year-old boys and a 7-year-old boy, said his heart sank when he discovered the theft on Monday about 3.10pm.
He had finished work and collected his boys from school. When they got to their Kamo home, items were scattered across the lawn but the modified Honda quad was missing.
Mr Barham said other motorbikes belonging to his children were on the grass along with their go-karts. The thieves had broken into and moved Mr Barham's van in the open-ended carport. The quad bike had been right at the end and not visible from the street.
"They lifted the quad up and over the jetskis and left all the other gear behind."
Since the theft, Mr Barham has discovered the bike was seen the same day being towed in Winger Cr, Kamo, not far from where he works as an engineer with MGE Engineering.
The bike was then spotted on a trailer being behind a silver coloured-van.
"I've spent a lot of time on that bike. The shocks come from Canada and cost $20,000."
The 39-year-old said the only reason he could afford the bike was the money he previously earned as a dairy farm worker. Mr Barham said he wanted his bike back and was prepared to give a reward to the people or person who returned his bike, no questions asked. He said the reward was negotiable and wouldn't say specifically what it would be.
The bike was so finely tuned it could also operate on methanol but was too expensive to run and instead was set up to run on aviation gas. "The bike sits so low they will have trouble riding it anywhere but a race track. Even on gravel the frame is dragging on the ground."
-Police are investigating. Anyone who knows where the bike may be or anything about the burglary should contact Whangarei police on 09 4304500 or anonymous on crimestoppers 0800 555 111
