The VIN on a motorcycle is usually located on the steering neck. It It is also located on the motor, near the bottom of the cylinders. Turn the handlebars to the left and you look on the right side of the steering neck. The VIN is always vertical on the metal.
Where to find the VIN:
The VIN appears on the motorcycles registration, title and insurance card (if it has one) so that’s one way you could locate the VIN.
Knowing where to locate the VIN on the motorcycle helps a lot when you don’t have those documents with you.
When I sell a bike, the person interested in purchasing it will want the VIN. I want the VIN so I can run a background check on the motorcycle I am about to purchase. I want to see if the bike has been in any accidents or has been rebuilt or stolen.
This really only applies to street bikes. I can almost guarantee you a second hand dirt bike has had a few things replaced or “rebuilt” after a crash. Buy at your own risk and just know they are made to take a beating.
The VIN On A Motorcycle – The Breakdown
The VIN consists of 17 characters and several codes that reveal the motorcycles manufacturer, model, year built, where assembled and the serial number.
The VIN is made up of letters and numbers and divided into 7 sections (See image below).
The only letters that are not used are Q, O and I so that they are never confused with the numbers 1 and 0.
There are never any spaces in a VIN and no special characters.
The first character of the VIN represents the country code. The United States is (1 or 4), Canada is (2), Germany is a (W) and England is (S).
The second character is the manufacturer. These are fairly easy to memorize, Suzuki is (S), Honda is (H) and Kawasaki is (K) to give a few examples.
The third character is the ID of the vehicle.
The fourth-eighth digits can vary depending on the manufacturer. These contain information about the engine size, type or model.
The ninth digit checks the accuracy of the previous characters for verification by the manufacturer.
The tenth digit is the year code. The eleventh is the factory code and the last digits twelfth through seventeenth give you the vehicles serial number.
Did you know there was so much information hidden inside a VIN? Pretty interesting stuff.
I usually keep a digital copy of all my vehicles VINs just in case I need to pull it up on my phone.
I hope this has helped you learn a little more about a VIN and where to locate it on your motorcycle.
Comment below if you have any questions or want to add any useful information!