American traveller falls victim to Queensland crime crisis after motorbike stolen

An American traveller who was attempting to complete a lap of Australia on motorbike has fallen victim to Queensland’s crime crisis after his Honda was reportedly stolen in Brisbane.

An American tourist who was attempting to complete a lap of Australia on motorbike has fallen victim to Queensland’s crime crisis.

Philadelphia native Max Cramer had his Honda Crf 250L motorbike stolen from his accommodation at Creek Rd, Mount Gravatt on Wednesday April 10, 2024.

The offenders also allegedly used his bank card which was found in the tank bag on the bike at a service station down the road, before Mr Cramer froze it.

Max Cramer had his Honda Crf 250L stolen from outside his house, on Wednesday April 10, 2024. Photo: Steve Pohlner

The theft of the motorbike comes after he travelled across the country, with his two-wheeled adventure starting from Broome, Western Australia in June, 2023.

“I came to Australia almost a year ago and started working at a kangaroo rehabilitation centre where we took in orphaned joeys and released them back into the wild,” Mr Cramer said.

American traveller Max Cramer with a kangaroo joey at the rehabilitation centre he worked at. Picture: Supplied

“I had no intentions of some grand adventure, when I first flew over I only wanted to get to see a bit of Australia and its wildlife.

“While working at the roo centre I spotted the bike that would become mine on marketplace and I thought it’d be pretty cool to do a lap of Australia, without actually really knowing how big Australia is.

“Naturally I needed cash for petrol so I took up a job on two different cattle stations over the span of five months.

“Since then I’ve been on my way and have made it almost three quarters of the way around.”

American resident Max Cramer had his Honda Crf 250L stolen from a Mount Gravatt address, while attempting to complete a lap of Australia on his motorbike.

Heading south from Broome, he travelled along the Western Australia coastline, across the Nullarbor Plain, into South Australia and onto Victoria.

He then hopped onto the ferry across Bass Strait into Tasmania, before making his way up to Sydney and into Queensland.

The journey American resident Max Cramer completed around Australia on his Honda Crf 250L before it was stolen. Picture: Supplied

After he made it to Brisbane in March, he decided to settle in and look for a job, while waiting for the wet season up north to pass.

Less than a month after arriving in Queensland, he fell victim to the state’s crime crisis.

Max Cramer still holds ambitions to complete his lap of Australia on motorbike. Photo: Steve Pohlner

“It’s s–t you know,” Mr Cramer said.

“I woke up in the morning and it was gone, I didn’t know where to go or what to do.

“I have the general sentiment that Australia is super safe, especially coming from the states, while in Australia, I felt like almost nothing could happen to me.

“I got to Queensland and I was told somewhat that it might be a little more dangerous once you start heading up north, but still everything seemed just hunky dory.

“It wasn’t, I guess.”

While Mr Cramer has come to terms with the fact that his motorcycle is long gone, he still holds ambitions of completing his journey, which has thus far proven eventful.

American resident Max Cramer on his lap of Australia. Picture: Supplied

“If I could get my bike back, that’d be awesome, but I doubt that would happen,” he said.

“For the past few months, I’ve been on the road, I’ve seen a lot of things through all the states.

“I got the bike at Broome and night fell before I got to Port Headland, I was about 100km out and I had no gear, nothing, I had a backpack with nothing in it except for my passport, so I had to pull into the caravan park and I slept in the toilet.

“When crossing the Nullarbor, I slept in some caves and when I woke up, I found Aboriginal handprints inside the caves, I thought that was pretty cool.

“I am very determined to complete my goal, I want to get back to Broome, I want to do a full lap.

“If I were to somehow ride into Broome, three months from now or less, or even four months from now, that would be the best feeling in the world.”

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said that police are appealing for information after the alleged theft of the motorbike last week.

“Investigations indicate between April 10 and 11, the red 2017 Honda CRF250 with Western Australian registration BM80234 was stolen from a Creek Road residence,” the spokesman said.

“Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the vehicle in the area, or may have relevant dashcam/CCTV vision, to come forward.”

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Originally published as American traveller falls victim to Queensland crime crisis after motorbike stolen