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Buying USED Bike, NEED HELP, strange situation

1K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  Spike 
#1 ·
Okay here's a strange situation that I have encountered.

So I want to purchase this bike and I am doing all my research. The bike is with its second owner so I would be the third owner if I purchase it. So I want to stay away from bikes rebuilt and whatever to avoid you know possibility of tampering and bad ICBC inspections.

The bike currently is under Alberta insurance but the bike is here cause the owner is attending school here.

So the mileage is around 10k and it's a 2004 sport bike model.

So I goto carproof.com and then run a VIN check on the bike. And it shows that the bike is not a rebuilt or salvage or whatever. So that's good.

However, there is one claim on it and it's of around 3k value (it says it is of category 'vehicle - collision' - that's all it says). So I'm wondering if I should still purchase it. See the thing is that it's not a rebuilt but how can there be a claim of that great value on the VIN report? The owner says that the bike has not been in any accidents and stuff and he has maintained it regularly.

He does not have papers of that claim because it possibly could have been with the first owner. Or maybe even he doesn't know of this claim because the report provided no information about it other than it's value. But the bike is still not a rebuilt or salvage. So you see, I'm rather lost in this situation. Help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS in advance.

And it sucks to have paid 32$ for the check and then not purchase the bike!!
 
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#2 ·
Alls I know is that a used car guy I know is involved in the business. They won't purchase cars from alberta since there is no accident history kept for the vehicles (whereas in BC through ICBC there is). So if that rings true for bikes also, I don't think a written off bike from alberta will show anything if you were to run its VIN. Not that I would shy away from a good deal, but I think you might need to go the route of a visual inspection rather then the paper trail to know its actual history.
 
#4 ·
^ +1 what they said

Dont forget to do a lien check as well in case someone owes something on the bike.

And 32$ is peanuts compared to being stuck with a lemon or a headache.... I got a 120$ mobile inspection done on a vehicle I was just about to buy only to have it fail miserably.... 120$ well spent IMO
 
#6 ·
And these days $3000 on a dropped bike can often be just the fairings, clipons, mirrors, sidecovers and other "outside skin" items. It doesn't take much of a drop to add up to that much in parts and labour at all. When I had a relatively simple low side a few years back the final bill was over $5000. And it happened while I was on a road tour and the fall didn't prevent me from carrying on for the next week and finishing the tour... complete with the bandaid on the side of the bike that one of my so called "buddy's" just happened to have.... :D

But definetly get it inspected by a proper mechanic. That's at least as important as the checking for possible rebuilt status.
 
#10 ·
what kind of bike is it , and is the guy yough or older as that should say alot
He's still in school, doing post secondary, so rather young I would say.

Well I emailed him and he says he will check with the first owner to see. The first owner is supposedly a friend of a friend of his?!?!?!? I haven't seen the bike yet but it's in Victoria right now. So if I were to purchase this bike he would have to come here and if I disagree I would have to pay the ferry cost of him coming here with the bike.

From the pictures, which there are about 5, and they are high resolution close up shots of the bike. The bike looks pretty good... so i'll just wait until his reponse.

Yet again, thanks for the help.
 
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