While I am sure it was a great deal and was repaired correctly, anything with a Salvage title would have made me reconsider the purchase. Resale or trade in at a later date will be another problem

 

How did he register it the first time? Any search should have found it then as well. YOu say it was supposed to have been rebuilt and have a clean title. Once it has a salvage title I'm pretty sure there's no chance it will ever have a clean title after that. Once a salvage always a salvage.

 

That's how it is in NYS with a vehicle at least. But other states might have different laws. When I bought a "salvage" branded truck and fixed it, I had to have it inspected in order to put it back on the road and then the title was updated to "re-built salvage". Still a branded title.
Really neither here nor there though for the OP though. Hope your friend gets everything straightened out.

 

IMO, you can "wash" salvage titles in states that don't recognize titles so branded , that goes on with the flood vehicles from hurricane disasters. But I thought junk, non-rebuildable can't be washed.
http://www.fraudguides.com/cars/car-...washing-scams/

 

Wonder what kind of oil he would have used?

 

Would like to see the before and after pictures...

 

I agree, that would soften the blow. My dad bought his first "return to riding" bike with a salvage title. It was a 2001 Honda Shadow 1100, and the dealer selling it had the old owner on retainer with pics of the reason. Turns out the bike fell over in the garage and dented, amongst other things, the tank. Since the Shadow tank of that year was $1100, they totaled it. He kept the old tank just to show how little of a deal it was.

It's good to have backstory, better to prove the backstory.

 

A total rebuilt bike that looks new. Sounds to me like your buddy got a bike that was never wrecked. Doesn't sound like he can prove where the parts came from, Interested to hear how this turns out.

 

If he bought a 2014 three years ago as a previous salvage, something doesn't add up. Insurance companies aren't fools, and they are jealous of their money. They aren't going to total out a near-new bike for minor (cheap to repair) damage. Older bikes that are well depreciated might get totaled for seemingly minor damage. Not one that's only a year or two old.

I think your pal got whamboozled, but not in the way he thinks. Or maybe he's the one doing the whamboozling here.

 

As I said . Those involved with that bike did a skill full job of gaming the system and pulled a fast one. Not the first or last time this has happened. States have different laws on Salvage titles . A Junk branded title here is not suppose to be back on the road it is scarp.
It was not uncommon years ago to re-title flood cars in other states. Wash the title then sell it with a clean title. Saw a lot of that in Memphis years ago.
At least Wisconsin is working with him and he will get it back on the road even with a salvage title that beats not being allowed to register it. IMO there had to be some Hot parts used to make that bike like new again it is to prefect.
Keep track it was a Junk tiled bike had to have been wrecked almost brand new.
Some how they git it changed to Salvage title.
Then with a full rebuild managed to get the salvage brand removed.
Bike ended up at a legit dealer and was sold as low miles used bike
Because it had gone unregistered for a while it caused someone at DMV to look closer at it and they found a paper tail exposing what was done. Strange that someone at DMV would put the work into it.