Finding repair history and other moans and groans

I bought a beautiful 07 ST with low miles from a dealer. I had a bad experience with the dealer over all. I never do this, but it was my only option.
As I am fiddling with the bike over time, I found crash damage. Left engine guard bent. Rather then bother with the dealer I just ebayed a used bar.
It annoys me that they did not disclose the crash damage. They did tell me all the service work had been done by them since day 1. I asked for a copy. The salesman informed me that was illegal.
Um..OK.
So with the NEW engine guard in place, the plastic does not fit great. It took a set from being forced into place on the old bent bar and now there is a gap where it meets the frame. Yes I have to little nub pushed in to the frame grommet.
Is there ANY way I can secure these service records? I just want to see. I don't want to give up the bike and go to war over this. I just HATE being lied to.
The bike runs like a bear and tracks straight and true on the highway. I love it. Put about 1500 miles and all good.
I would like to see the service records or call the PO and ask him but I don't know his name. I THINK he lives in Woodbridge CT.
Any ideas?

It is a tough thing to track history since the states do not have a common database for vehicle registration, Honda does not have a common database across dealers to track maintenance, etc. Maybe a Carfax would help, IDK.

Find a friend who is a LEO.....then run the orig plates if the bike still has them. It should show a record of owners. Then do a little sluething and call the PO.

Just a thought....

ToddC

Not original plates and no cop friends still active. Carfax shows nothing.
Jim

In Colorado you can go to the state DMV and have a VIN search done. I have done this to retitle vintage bikes without titles. Here it is like 2 bucks for the search. Sometimes they release previous owners. But the got ya is that if the vehicle was not registered in Colorado nothing shows up.

Are you sure the bar you bought off ebay wasn't damaged? You really have to watch the ebay bars like a hawk. I know, I've been burned a could of times.

If the bar has any marks on the outer most part of it (the round area that contacts the ground when tipped over), the rear inner tab will bend in. Along with the triangle piece behind it. This will keep the tabs from lining up. I have bent them back out, but it's hard to get them prefect.

SupraSabre said:

Are you sure the bar you bought off ebay wasn't damaged? You really have to watch the ebay bars like a hawk. I know, I've been burned a could of times.

If the bar has any marks on the outer most part of it (the round area that contacts the ground when tipped over), the rear inner tab will bend in. Along with the triangle piece behind it. This will keep the tabs from lining up. I have bent them back out, but it's hard to get them prefect.

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All I can go by is, there is not a scratch on the new part. If it IS bent, somehow it's bent OUT, not in or back. Pretty much looks new. There was a kink in mine, a big scrape and it was bent aft and in. The 2 fairing bolts were in. So the panel was pushed IN tight to the frame and also back a little maybe. My feeling is the fairing panel took a set in that position and now with an unbent bar it's a bit loose. Not the end of the world and it MAY go back to it's original position but most likely not.
Also the engine protector bumper hole lines up with the screw fine.
Again what bugs me is the whole service records thing. My girl says take it back and have them sort things out but number 1: they won't do as good a job as I will and number 2: I wouldn't go back there for anything.
Plus nothing really needs sorting now.

Why not just stop worrying? And be happy?

Me_cmc said:

Why not just stop worrying? And be happy?

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I'm not worrying and I am happy Mon. I just like to know everything about my bike that I can. And you?
For instance, digging around I have found HID lights I didn't know I had.. hell for bright I might add.. and some things not re assembled quite right etc etc.
I may have many many more questions in the future but don't worry. I'm not worrying.

JimGregory said:

I'm not worrying and I am happy Mon. I just like to know everything about my bike that I can. And you?
For instance, digging around I have found HID lights I didn't know I had.. hell for bright I might add.. and some things not re assembled quite right etc etc.
I may have many many more questions in the future but don't worry. I'm not worrying.

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You might want to take the tupperware off and check to make sure the upper cowl stay isn't bent also. If they get out of wack, it will throw the rest of it off too. I replaced a couple of those on my bikes with the cop upper stay. The last I looked they were cheaper than the original, but stronger!

JimGregory said:

The salesman informed me that was illegal.

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Very well may be illegal to give the previous owners name and personal data to you due to privacy laws but it would be a hard sell to make me believe that any jurisdiction has laws against disclosing a vehicles information. Why don't you try asking the dealer to give the vehicles information to you with all of the previous owner(s) name, coordinates, etc. removed/blanked out.

Keeping in mind that most businesses in the U.S. can and do sell every shred of information they can gather about you for fun and profit, I doubt very much there's any actual legal obstacles.

Keep pressing then on it; maybe they'll escalate the reason to national security.

--Mark