$5000 reward after ram-raiders strike

Tens of thousands of dollars worth of property has been stolen overnight by thieves who struck two Mount Maunganui businesses.

A $5000 reward is being offered by the owner of GP Motorcycles after a ram-raid at his Mount Maunganui store overnight, and Ramset's store was also broken into.

In the motorcycle shop raid, three bikes collectively valued at $40,000 were stolen after having arrived in the store only late last week.

GP Motorcycles in McDonald St becomes an official Honda dealer tomorrow. Owner Gary Pendleton said the offenders clearly had specific bikes in mind.

"They definitely knew what they were after, maybe somebody came and cased it (the shop) out over the last couple of days."

One of the bikes, a Honda CBR 1000 RR (Repsol replica), valued at $21,000, is a distinctive one-off special.

"There's only 20 in the country. There's no way they can register it."

The other two bikes taken were dirt-bikes - a red Honda CRF450, valued at $12,000 - and a red children's CRF80, valued at almost $6000.

The 41-year-old said the offenders had removed steel ram bars, locked with special padlocks, before reversing into the showroom's glass entrance, sometime between 7pm Monday and 6am today.

Mr Pendleton said police didn't arrive until 8am.

It is believed a truck stolen in Totara St on Monday night may have been taken by the offenders and used in the ram-raid.

"Those locks would have taken ages to cut off, they're a special lock that locks into itself," he said.

A surveyor was due to arrive at GP Motorcycles later today to review damage to the building, which Mr Pendleton estimates at "several thousand dollars".

The $5000 reward he is offering applies to either the recovery of the stolen bikes or information leading to the arrest of the offenders.

Meanwhile, Ramset New Zealand in Mount Maunganui is still counting the cost of a smash and grab this morning, with thousands of dollars worth of equipment stolen.

Ramset's manager Grant McFarlane said the alarm went off at the Portside Dr business at about 2.15am and on his arrival a few minutes after, he found the front glass door of the showroom smashed - the offenders had been and "done their business" and were long gone.

Mr McFarlane said police, who were on the scene within minutes, were unable to track the offenders.

His losses include thousands of dollars worth of tools, larger items including laser equipment worth $3000 each, diamond cutting equipment valued at $2000 a pop, and multiple items of powder actuated tools worth $1000 each.

"They are no good to anyone as the equipment is quite identifiable with the Ramset brand emblazoned on each item, and we have recorded all the serial numbers on Ramset's network database, which means anyone who either inherits the item or buys it off the offenders and tries to service it, anywhere in New Zealand, we will nab the buggers," said an infuriated Mr McFarlane, who was still tallying the cost of the burglary this morning.

Anyone with any information about the robbery should ring Tauranga Police on 577 4300.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES