Hero Honda motorcycles are known for their sturdy fuel-efficient engines, but the company may soon have to highlight other positive aspects of its engines — in advertisements — courtesy a group of bike thieves in Dahod, who are putting it to use as irrigation pumps.

This came to light after the Dahod police busted a gang of thieves following an unusual spurt in bike thefts in the region, and that too of one particular brand. As many as 20 bike thefts have been reported in the district in June 2009, of which 18 were Hero Honda Passion, according to the Local Crime Branch of Dahod police.

LCB Inspector B N Desai said the interrogation of one Ramesh Baria, a resident of Garbada, last month, who was caught by the residents while trying to steal a bike in Dahod, unearthed the racket. “The bikes are dismantled in Dahod, while the engine is sent to Ratlam and other areas where it is converted into a diesel engine by making minor modification, which serves the purpose of irrigation. The rest is sold off as spares,” Desai said.

He said the engines are used as pumps to irrigate the fields in the district which faces severe water crises throughout the year except during the kharif season.

Dahod Superintendent of Police Vipul Aggarwal said the motorcycle parts are taken to Madhya Pradesh to evade chances of detection.

He now plans to write to the manufacturers to make some modification so that the engines are rendered ineffective for use as irrigation pumps. “We plan to write to the manufacturers to make some modification in the engine design so that these bikes are not stolen,” added Aggarwal.

... contd.