Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Looking at buying a zx10r.

Was wondering, just out of interest, how hard it is for some unscrupulous sellers to have the mileage altered?

I know it's highly illegal etc but that wouldn't stop some people if they could do it.

anyone know?

I believe it can be done quite easily. I read somewhere how to do it when I was looking for a new cluster from the states.

I'll see if I can re find it.

dont the numbers look out of alignment when been tampered with or is that just a old wifes tale

h.b.bear wrote:dont the numbers look out of alignment when been tampered with or is that just a old wifes tale

not on a digital speedo

Wattie wrote:

h.b.bear wrote:dont the numbers look out of alignment when been tampered with or is that just a old wifes tale

not on a digital speedo

Geezz im starting to show my age again and my lack of modern technology sorry

Tack wrote:Looking at buying a zx10r.

Was wondering, just out of interest, how hard it is for some unscrupulous sellers to have the mileage altered?

I know it's highly illegal etc but that wouldn't stop some people if they could do it.

anyone know?

not familiar with the ZX10

since the digital age its not as easy to change

but it is easy enough to change the gauges from ebay

like anything buy on condition

check for wear and tear across the bike

things like general wear marks , footpegs, brake disks, wheels for tyre changes etc etc

same applies for cars , check seat materials, carpets, steering wheels , door trims

if you go and look at it and it has 10K on the clock and the brake disks are worn out then obviously something isnt right

Tack wrote:Looking at buying a zx10r.

Was wondering, just out of interest, how hard it is for some unscrupulous sellers to have the mileage altered?

I know it's highly illegal etc but that wouldn't stop some people if they could do it.

anyone know?

A mate of mine worked as a detailer for a holden dealership in sydney a few years ago.They had a ss commodore as a company runabout and it had clocked up close too 2 hundred thousand kays,when it came time to sell it they used one of those electric shock clicker things on the ignition barrel and after a few clicks it went back to 68,000 kays.

Doesnt matter how fool proof things are susposed to be theres always someone out there that will find a way of getting around it

Doesnt matter how fool proof things are susposed to be theres always someone out there that will find a way of getting around it

I was wondering if the diagnostic plug could be used to fix inaccuracies in dash readings that sometimes occur from the factory eg inaccurate temp indication which means that odometer readings would be accessible.

So anyone with the diagnostic program on a laptop could have access. Does that sound feasible.

Hi there,
happy to be on the site, sorry the post is going to be negitave.
I was rolled by a Kawa dealer here in Perth when I bought a ZX-10R off them, it was listed as having 4,800km on it & was 2yo. I bought the bike pretty much on trust & didn't pay that much attention to it until it was delivered to my house(didn't have a licence at the time as I was serving a licence suspension so I did not have the opportunity to test ride it either). Money had already exchanged hands by the time the bike turned up to my house. Anyway, it was then I noticed the worn out rear brake disc!! & an oil leak from the cam cover as well a some other less obvious tell-tale signs. I can only assume the entire display unit had been swapped out. It's retaining bolts showed signs of being removed. Needless to say it changed my attitude towards motorcycle dealers, which is a shame because I had purchased bikes of similar km & age from other dealers in Perth without any problem.

Crimm wrote:Hi there,
happy to be on the site, sorry the post is going to be negitave.
I was rolled by a Kawa dealer here in Perth when I bought a ZX-10R off them, it was listed as having 4,800km on it & was 2yo. I bought the bike pretty much on trust & didn't pay that much attention to it until it was delivered to my house(didn't have a licence at the time as I was serving a licence suspension so I did not have the opportunity to test ride it either). Money had already exchanged hands by the time the bike turned up to my house. Anyway, it was then I noticed the worn out rear brake disc!! & an oil leak from the cam cover as well a some other less obvious tell-tale signs. I can only assume the entire display unit had been swapped out. It's retaining bolts showed signs of being removed. Needless to say it changed my attitude towards motorcycle dealers, which is a shame because I had purchased bikes of similar km & age from other dealers in Perth without any problem.

Hmm wouldn't suprise me if they had no idea either but.

Dashswap would be easiest cause i don't think they need any kind of reset or flash done to them (i could be wrong) and sometimes they come up cheap on ebay. As stated you can tell if something has been looked after or not especially bikes. easier than cars

Crimm wrote:Hi there,
happy to be on the site, sorry the post is going to be negitave.
I was rolled by a Kawa dealer here in Perth when I bought a ZX-10R off them, it was listed as having 4,800km on it & was 2yo. I bought the bike pretty much on trust & didn't pay that much attention to it until it was delivered to my house(didn't have a licence at the time as I was serving a licence suspension so I did not have the opportunity to test ride it either). Money had already exchanged hands by the time the bike turned up to my house. Anyway, it was then I noticed the worn out rear brake disc!! & an oil leak from the cam cover as well a some other less obvious tell-tale signs. I can only assume the entire display unit had been swapped out. It's retaining bolts showed signs of being removed. Needless to say it changed my attitude towards motorcycle dealers, which is a shame because I had purchased bikes of similar km & age from other dealers in Perth without any problem.

contact them

then contact dept fair trading and the motoring authority

wouldnt be too difficult get get them bent right over and potentially lose their dealer licence

Johnnie5 wrote:contact them

then contact dept fair trading and the motoring authority

wouldnt be too difficult get get them bent right over and potentially lose their dealer licence

Yeah, first thing I did was contact "Fair Trading" in order to get a heads up where I stood. Basically, it would have involved taking them to court & testimony from a trade professional on my behalf, in other words for the sake of a couple of grand it would have to get messy.

Whatever extra money the dealer made by ripping me off was lost by them in the fixes they were obliged to do under the warranty.

But I still had that feeling of someone's appendage firmly lodged up my date after this experience. Of course I will never have anything to do with that particular dealer again even though I own 3 Kawas.

Motto here: Buyer beware, even when buying from so called reputable Brand Dealers.