Stolen memories of a one-of-a-kind bike

Rex Randall just wants his minibike back.

While it might not hold a lot of monetary value, it’s priceless to him because of the memories it evokes.

“I built it with my father when I was a school kid. . . I’d ride to school on it.

“He was a really good engineer and he made the frame and he welded it and I fabricated a lot of it myself.”

That was more than 50 years ago, and while Rex has moved around over the years, the minibike always went with him or was stowed away.

About 12 months ago he decided to pull it out of storage and restore it.

With his grandkids growing up, he had imagined riding it around with them and creating another generation of memories of the little red bike.

But, less than a week after it had been finished, with the paint barely dry, it was stolen.

The one time he left his garage door open, someone came off the street and took it from his workshop.

Not visible from the footpath, and with a whole bunch of much more valuable power tools lying around, the bike was the only thing that was taken.

Rex had barely even been able to ride it, having only taken it up and down his cul-de-sac road to make sure everything was in working order.

“I have no intent of going out and buying something to replace it, because it can’t be replaced.

“I can’t replace ‘that’ bike.”