£2k Raised For Man Whose Vintage Bike Was Torched

More than £2,500 has been raised to help an islander bring his vintage bike back to life, after it was stolen and vandalised.

Elliot Coll only had the Honda C90 for a couple of days when it was taken and allegedly set alight and thrown into the sea.

It went missing from near his home in St Clement last weekend (12 February).

Elliot posted on social media in the early hours of Sunday morning, appealing for information to find his 'pride and joy'  bike.

A few hours later he returned to Facebook with an update:

"My bike was found.

On fire and drowned in the sea.

It’s completely dead and won’t work till I get the engine rebuilt but I think I can fix it.

Thanks to the police for their amazing efforts and the people of Facebook."

His messages were widely-shared, prompting generous islanders to begin crowd-funding to help Elliot repair his bike.

He has also received many offers of help from local businesses.

Elliot says the feeling of having something he's wanted for so long was such an amazing feeling - and having that cruelly taken away was horrible;

"The fact that it was so soon after I got it sucks, because I didn't even get to enjoy it.  A collector of vintage motorcycles in Jersey set up a page for enthusiasts of Honda C90s to go out for a ride this coming Sunday.  So I was really, really excited, getting everything polished up and all ready.  

Now I can't join them."

More than £2,500 has been raised to pay for replacement parts and restoring the bike.

"The money will go a long way to getting the paintwork done and making sure mechanically it is all sound.  It needs everything being bought again because it's completely destroyed.

A new seat is £450, which is what I had already paid to put a new seat on it - and then that seat got melted in the fire."

Elliot has paid tribute to those who shared the word and helped to reunite him with his prize possession;

"To the people who donated, to the businesses who offered me support and help to sort it all out, to the individual who picked up the bike to hose it down with fresh water for me, to everyone who has helped - it means so much to me.

To wake up from the worst night of my life, to have that amount of love is definitely something I will never forget."