Understanding Motorcycle And ATV VINs
Why Your VIN Is Important

In the
U.S., all cars, trucks,
motorcycles, ATVs and other motor vehicles used on the road
require a Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN. Your motorcycle's
VIN might not necessarily be worth memorizing, but you should
certainly know where to locate the number and what each digit
means.
VINs are important because it gives light to the history of your
motorcycle. This code is used on vehicle registrations, titles and
sometimes insurance cards. VINs are also critical to know if you
ever take your bike to the repair shop. Your VIN helps
mechanics find the right parts for repair and it's a nice gesture
to provide whoever is working on your bike the code beforehand.
Additionally, VINs are necessary whenever you decide to buy or sell
a motorcycle. Knowing the VIN of prospective motorcycle will help
you know if the ride has ever been in an accident, stolen or
damaged in any other way. This information is helpful when buyers
are inspecting your bike for sale and it gives you more information
and confidence in a purchase when you're looking to buy.
Where To Locate The VIN

For the most
part, the motorcycle VIN will be on the steering neck, but some
models have the VIN placed near the motor by the bottom of the
cylinders. You can simply turn the motorcycle's handlebars to look
on the right side of the bike and it will be etched into the metal
vertically.
For ATVs, manufacturers tend to not follow the same direction. Most
ATV VINs are located on the left side of the frame under the
shifter, but some other areas include the plastic slit through the
hood of the ATV. If you're still having trouble, a quick search on
the Internet will tell you right away where to look.
Decoding The VIN

Your bike's VIN
is 17 characters, which consists of information such as the
manufacturer, model year, where it was built and the specific model
type. All VIN codes are designed the same way. Here's a quick
introduction on the basics of your motorcycle's VIN number:
- First three
characters - The first three characters make up the
World Manufacturer Identifier with the first digit being the year
it was built and the second and third character being the
manufacturer.
- Characters four through
eight - This group of characters makes up the
Vehicle Identifier Section - which details the portrait of the
motorcycle's brand, engine size and type.
- Ninth
character - This character is the security code,
which categorizes the VIN as a vehicle authorized by the
manufacturer.
- Tenth character - This character tells you the
model year of the bike.
- Eleventh
character - The 11th character explains which plant
assembled the motorcycle.
- Characters 12 through
17 - These last six characters are the specific
serial number of the ride.
There are plenty of websites that offer detailed information on the VIN you're searching. However, many websites like DMV.org charge $25 to do so. You'll be glad you checked the bike's history before you make any purchase.