Okay, two questions, I keep hearing a rumor that the Rancher shift plate recall.... If the bike was fixed at a dealer. (or the factory) the serial number on the side of the motor has been "punched, stamped or whatever your term is" Does anyone know any truth to this.

 

Yes, Honda asks you to do something like that. The best way to tell however, is to go to a dealer and have them run the vin on Hondanet, to see if a dealer claimed warranty on it for that issue, or if it is an outstanding campaign yet on your machine. Many times the marking will get overlooked and is not a reliable indicator in my book.