Salvagers allowed to keep BMWs from MSC Napoli

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Anyone who dragged a BMW motorcycle up Branscombe beach on the coast of Devon back in January this year has been told they can keep the booty.

 

Salvagers who signed the forms released by the Receiver of Wreck giving all their details have been told they can keep what they took ten months ago, including the lucky few who hauled BMW’s up the pebble beach.

 

BMW’s insurers have written off the loss due to the difficulties in trying to track down the parts and then check them all for water damage.

 

However, BMW has offered to buy back the motorcycles for a fee of around £3000 each and is currently in negotiations with those who had taken a bike and signed the Receiver of Wreck document.

 

If the German manufacture do buy the motorcycles back from the keepers they will be destroyed because of fears the motorcycles are unsafe.

 

It was confirmed after the MSC Napoli grounded on January 21 that 39 BMW motorcycles were on the ship being transported to South Africa, and MCN even tracked down one of the stricken motorcycles shortly after to find it still started first time.

Rob Hull

By Rob Hull