Of all the issues in this world, riders protecting their hearing should not be an area of concern. While I have never had it enforced, riders not allowed to wear 2 ear plugs shouldn't be law.
Yeah I hear ya, sad thing is that few of the manufacturers give a shit anyways. Triumph from what I hear is very very good to deal with concerning any issues, but any of the big Japanese 4 are not known for their stellar "after the sale" personal attention to issues.
I've bought and sold tons of stuff on craigslist. Always be armed and have a buddy present when making a deal. Never had an issue. There are definitely flakes aplenty on both sides of the game.
I know plenty people who "tie one on" and still work at Lincoln. If you can hold back long enough to pass a test, you're in. And you're gonna get tested right around your 1 year and 2 year anniversary. After that, do what you want. Just know if you hurt yourself at work you'll probably be tested again. So either don't get hurt, or don't go to the nurse when you smash your finger or whatever.