Quebec man’s east coast trip didn’t go as planned after motorcycle stolen in New Brunswick

A Quebec man is asking for the public’s help to find his motorcycle, which he says was stolen in New Brunswick.

Mathieu Archer, who embarked on a trip to the east coast, says it was an experience he’ll never forget but not necessarily for positive reasons.

He began his journey on Aug. 5, planning to visit New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

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Archer says he enjoyed his stay at a Moncton, N.B., hostel, so he went back to visit on his way out Thursday.

When he arrived to ask about a vacancy, Archer parked outside in view of the front desk. He then saw someone who appeared to be picking up his helmet; Archer assumed it had fallen on the ground.

“What he was actually doing was he was slipping my helmet on his head,” Archer says. “Within seconds, he slipped his legs over the bike, started the bike and left with it.”

The 28-year-old chased after the man on foot through Moncton’s streets but couldn’t keep up.

He called 911 and reported the theft to police.

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Despite losing his bike, Archer also says he had some luck on his side.

The traveller later met up with a man who was also heading to the Quebec area and had a motorcycle in the back of his truck. He let Archer take the motorcycle and drop it off at an agreed-upon destination, where Archer was picked up by friends.

The Kawasaki Z1000 has an estimated resale value of about $6,000, according to Archer.​