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Well Poop. I'm motorcycle-only for the foreseeable future. I got thieved.

LearnedButt

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At work on Friday afternoon, and one of the women in my office comes in and says "there's a guy under your truck".

I run out in time to see a man and a woman speeding away. I walk down to my truck, knowing exactly what I was going to find, and yep. The bastards got my catalytic converter.

I called the cops, gave them the plate, make, model, year of the vehicle, description of the perps, and stated my observations were good enough to ID them in a line up. However, I doubt that they will catch them, or even put any effort into it, because where I live (California), we've effectively legalized theft.

On the off chance my info leads to an arrest and conviction, however, I'm going ham at the restitution portion. As an attorney, I've done restitution hearings before, and I know how to make them suffer.

So my truck is at the dealer and I'm in a holding pattern. Talking with the guy in the service department, and he's saying the Cat theft has gotten so bad of late that nobody can get their hands on replacements. He says it could take anywhere from a week if the stars align, or three months if things go bad. I told him this is going to exceed my comprehensive deductible, so if it costs 10 grand to expedite it, that's what it costs.

Good thing I have my NC750X. No idea how I will be able to take the kids to school, but maybe I can strap them to a Dale's rack?
 
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At work on Friday afternoon, and one of the women in my office comes in and says "there's a guy under your truck".

I run out in time to see a man and a woman speeding away. I walk down to my truck, knowing exactly what I was going to find, and yep. The bastards got my catalytic converter.

I called the cops, gave them the plate, make, model, year of the vehicle, description of the perps, and stated my observations were good enough to ID them in a line up. However, I doubt that they will catch them, or even put any effort into it, because where I live (California), we've effectively legalized theft.

On the off chance my info leads to an arrest and conviction, however, I'm going ham at the restitution portion. As an attorney, I've done restitution hearings before, and I know how to make them suffer.

So my truck is at the dealer and I'm in a holding pattern. Talking with the guy in the service department, and he's saying the Cat theft has gotten so bad of late that nobody can get their hands on replacements. He says it could take anywhere from a week if the stars align, or three months if things go bad. I told him this is going to exceed my comprehensive deductible, so if it costs 10 grand to expedite it, that's what it costs.

Good thing I have my NC750X. No idea how I will be able to take the kids to school, but maybe I can strap them to a Dale's rack?

One of my daughter's friends had the exact same thing happen to her today in downtown Orlando, FL, broad daylight, and nobody did a thing. Sorry to hear about the misfortune on your end. Is there something preventing you from renting a car (I don't mean that in a snarky way, simply curious)?
 
We have had a rash of them here. The worst one I have seen is they didn't even cut it off. They attached a sling around the cat connected to a van. Pulled off the entire exhaust system...but they didn't get enough hugs as children...
 
Yea wouldn't want to penalize them in any way - might traumatize them.
Then we'd have to pay for their shrink they'd need for the next several years to get over the trauma!

Am I just not getting it.
If they know that these "cats" are being stolen,
AND the places that buy them have been told not to buy them - ( that has happened around here - at least what the news reports say)
WHERE is the market to sell these "cats" then???
Why take them if you cant sell them??
 
Yea wouldn't want to penalize them in any way - might traumatize them.
Then we'd have to pay for their shrink they'd need for the next several years to get over the trauma!

Am I just not getting it.
If they know that these "cats" are being stolen,
AND the places that buy them have been told not to buy them - ( that has happened around here - at least what the news reports say)
WHERE is the market to sell these "cats" then???
Why take them if you cant sell them??
I would guess because there are shady scrap dealers that buy them anyway. If we prosecuted those folks who bought them the demand would dry up.
 
. . . The bastards got my catalytic converter.
. . .I doubt that they will catch them, or even put any effort into it, because where I live (California), we've effectively legalized theft.
. . . nobody can get their hands on replacements. He says it could take anywhere from a week if the stars align, or three months if things go bad. . .
Good thing I have my NC750X. No idea how I will be able to take the kids to school, but maybe I can strap them to a Dale's rack?
I hate thieves

criminal justice is becoming social justice in many parts of the nation

BUT can't you just have them put a flex pipe in as a temporary measure until they get a replacement CC in stock for your truck? That way you can still use the truck, might see an error code, but you at least have seats for the kids

I've found children do not like riding on the Dale's rack. But if you have top-load panniers you can just remove the lid and pop the kids in the side cases.
 
The benefit is having an old but awesome car…not a likely cat victim. Sorry for your troubles, OP. Like you say, at least you’ve got the NC…which is pretty darn handy. With bags, box, and frunk, I hardly ever drive my car anymore.
 
One of my daughter's friends had the exact same thing happen to her today in downtown Orlando, FL, broad daylight, and nobody did a thing. Sorry to hear about the misfortune on your end. Is there something preventing you from renting a car (I don't mean that in a snarky way, simply curious)?
Well, I'm not going to rent a car for 3 months unless I absolutely have to. I'm trying to limit my losses here and I don't have rental coverage (Which only would cover 30 days).
 
Well, I'm not going to rent a car for 3 months unless I absolutely have to. I'm trying to limit my losses here and I don't have rental coverage (Which only would cover 30 days).
Oh. Of course. I didn’t pick up on that time element. My other daughter recently had an accident, which was not her fault, and it took 115 days to repair.
 
Thought about it, but modern vehicles have oxygen sensors both before and after that go to the computer that does the EFI.
I just did a search. The 02 sensor ahead of the cat is the important one, but it only reads pre cat. The sensor after the cat only reads the effectiveness of the cat and doesn't alter the EFI. Cali vehicles may be different.
 
Sorry to hear it, LB.

Thought about it, but modern vehicles have oxygen sensors both before and after that go to the computer that does the EFI.

Yes, but as Alias wrote: Only the upstream sensor provides feedback to the ECU that affects air:fuel ratio. The downstream sensor is there to monitor catalyst efficiency.

A missing catalyst will thus trigger a Check Engine Light pretty quickly, but so long as the temporary flex pipe is sealed quite well AND the upstream sensor was not damaged or removed, the impact on mixture should be fairly small. There will be an impact due to the altered exhaust back pressure, but again it ought to be fairly minor. As a short-term get-me-by for kid-hauling, I’d do it.
 
SO not to by a green environmentalist guy (and I'm not) but .... really ride with no "cat"?
Yep its only for 3 months - and 3 months of polluting!
I dont care much about my exhaust - but the whole point of a "cat" is to stop bad pollution!
And if a lot of cars/trucls did this.... - why did we care if VW had their diesels polluting ??
 
SO not to by a green environmentalist guy (and I'm not) but .... really ride with no "cat"?
Yep its only for 3 months - and 3 months of polluting!
I dont care much about my exhaust - but the whole point of a "cat" is to stop bad pollution!
And if a lot of cars/trucls did this.... - why did we care if VW had their diesels polluting ??
Maybe the person to blame is not the the guy who has to take his kids to school and maybe, perhaps, blame the thief?
 
SO not to by a green environmentalist guy (and I'm not) but .... really ride with no "cat"?
Yep its only for 3 months - and 3 months of polluting!
I dont care much about my exhaust - but the whole point of a "cat" is to stop bad pollution!
And if a lot of cars/trucls did this.... - why did we care if VW had their diesels polluting ??

I was only speaking in the context of getting kids to where they need to be. If you have alternatives, that's great!
 
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