Motorcycle Repair: MAINTENANCE, catastrophic nature, body panels

Question
IF I AM BUYING A MOTORCYCLE AND I WANT TO KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN WRECKED AND WHAT KING OF MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE,  WHERE SHOULD I GO TO LOOK SUCH INFORMATION UP?

Answer
Hi Marla.
 With the exception of anything obvious, like a banged up tank, bent handlebars and the like, there isn't really any way to tell for sure if a bike has been in an accident.  If the bike has only had local owners, then you could check around at the local shops and they would probably know the bike and/or owner if they had done any major work on it.

 For the most part, accidents are not that bad on the bike unless they have been of a near catastrophic nature.  Most accidents only require some work on the body panels or tank and bent handlebars.  That is most common.

 Take the bike on a test ride.  If the frame is bent, you should know right away if something more serious is wrong.

Good luck.
FALCON