Motorcycle Engine Serial Number Lookup
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AMC engine numbers usually start with the year of production, followed by model designation, and completed with the production number of the motorcycle. Yamaha Motorcycle Engine Serial Number Lookup Because VINs and engine numbers are different, the VIN should be used for proper identification, as the engine might have been replaced. The VIN is located on the steering head pipe, which is the the short tube at the forward part of the frame, near the handle bar mount.
Anyone who has started a motorcycle rebuild or restoration project, or recently completed one, can attest that there are a lot of codes and numbers associated to every bike. Manufactures stamp different parts of a motorcycle to help identify parts specific to that bike. These numbers can help in making sure an engine is original, help you find original parts, and even help in knowing more about your individual motorcycle.
Generally, there are two numbers that are on your motorcycle that you want to pay attention to. One of them is the VIN number, and the other one is your engine number.
How do you find a motorcycle engine number? Unlike a VIN that is placed in several locations around a bike, an engine number will be stamped or engraved in one spot on the engine block. Some make and models will vary, but generally, a motorcycle engine number can be found on or directly above the crankcase, and is made up of around nine characters.
Knowing how to find your engine number is important, and using it can save you a lot of headache down the road when you’re looking for parts.
Places You’ll Find The Motorcycle Engine Number
Engine numbers, no matter what the make or model of the bike is, will be found somewhere on the engine of the bike. Outside of this, it can be fairly bike specific to find the actual location.
Though motorcycles can be different, a common place to find the engine number will be somewhere by the crankcase (either directly on it or above it). Motorcycle engine numbers are engraved into the metal, so rather than looking for a plate or a sticker you’ll need to look for engravings. Sometimes dirt and grime can cover it up so be sure to give the outside of the crankcase a good cleaning if you can’t find it right away.
Engine numbers are made up of around nine characters. Keep this in mind while you’re looking for the number since motorcycles tend to have several numbers engraved in random places.
If you are looking at your motorcycle and don’t see the engine number right away, a good place to check will be in the owner’s manual. These are generally kept under the seat of the motorcycle. Look through the table of contents and see if you see anywhere that tells you where to find your VIN. Usually on this line or the next, it will make mention as to where to find the engine number.
If you don’t have your owner’s manual, you can easily (and affordably) access it on emanualonline.com. This is an excellent resource to finding your motorcycle specific manual and you can access it immediately after downloading.
The owner’s manual will not have your motorcycle’s specific engine number in it, but it will have directions on where to find it. In my experience, I have found it easier to find an engine code on a bike of older make.
On newer bikes, and sport bikes in particular, you will have motorcycle fairings and other body panels covering up the majority of the engine block. So, if you have a bike with fairings on the front and the side, be prepared to take some of those off in order to access the engine number.
What Does A Motorcycle Engine Number Look Like?
As I mentioned earlier, the motorcycle engine number is made up of around 9 numbers and characters. This is what mainly makes it distinguishable from the VIN other than its location.
It should be noted that generally there are 9 characters, but sometimes it can be up to 17 associated numbers. There may be some letters incorporated inside the number sequence as well. Some motorcycle manufacturers specify engine size, emission rating, cylinder count, and manufacturing date in this number, but other times it could just simply be a serial number that references something different to the company.
Every bike will be different, but the importance of an engine number is not in knowing what the displacement of your bike is, but should be used to help find manufacturer specific parts for the bike. If you do a quick google image search, you can see that every motorcycle prints the number differently.
There are examples posted on plaques that are rivetted into the crank case, and some of them are two rows of characters that are placed on the engine side of the kick stand. Before you look for the number on your bike, it’s a good idea to just check the owner’s manual. Looking at my owner’s manual, there is a section titled, ‘Owner Information’. Inside that is the description of serial number locations and blank lines where you can write in the numbers for quick references later on.
Is a VIN The Same As An Engine Number On A Motorcycle?
When you look up VIN numbers or engine numbers, you might find things referred to as frame numbers or chassis numbers. Don’t let these confuse you. Bike manufacturers can call the same number two different words even though it’s the same thing. For example, the VIN number is often referred to as the chassis number or the frame number, but it means the same thing.
On my Vstrom, I was looking at what the engine code looks like and where to find it. When referencing the owner’s manual, I found that the VIN number was written as the chassis number in the book. If I was a first-time rider, I could be confused as to what those two terms meant.
The VIN number will be different from the engine number. The engine number is used to reference what engine is put in the motorcycle, but the VIN number is what identifies that bike that you have on the production line and on a title or registration. The VIN is bike specific, and no bike has the same one.
VIN’s on motorcycles work the same way that they do in a car. By looking at it, you can tell what model year the bike is, as well as other manufacturer codes that can distinguish the bike. The VIN is also an important detail to look at when purchasing a motorcycle.
Just like with a car, there are going to be several VIN locations around the motorcycle. It’s important that these numbers match all the way around. If a car or bike has been in an accident, then it might have non-original parts put on it. Also, VIN’s that don’t match can be a sign that the bike that you have has been stolen or tampered with. I know it’s not always practical to check the VIN all over the bike to make sure that it matches, but it’s good to know why the VIN is important.
Online you can find lots of resources that work as a VIN ‘decoder’, or car fax reporters, so that you can learn a little more about your motorcycle. The ‘decoder’ takes the numbers from your bike and tells you what each of them mean.
The car fax can be a useful report that gives you owner history of the bike. It can let you know about services that it’s had, or maybe let you know if the bike has been involved in an accident or something similar.
Motorcycle VIN’s can be found in several locations. The first and most common placement will be on the upper part of the front forks. It’ll usually be written on a clearly legible tag with VIN written across it. You can usually find one along the frame around or below the tank on a similar looking tag. Finally, on some bikes, the VIN is written along with tire pressure on a tag that sits near the end of one of the rear swing arms.
Why Motorcycles Have An Engine Number
A motorcycle engine number is great information to keep close by, especially for the hobbyist who is interested in DIY repairs, or full-size restorations. The engine code can also be useful if you are considering a bike and wonder about a particular engine’s reliability history.
Sometimes manufacturers have recalls on bikes and engines, and it’s important to know if your bike has any critical errors related to it. Taking the step to read up on your specific bike and its related engine can save you a lot of headache in the end!
This document currently will help you identify from 1923 to 1975 Norton Models. Pre-war Models were manufacted from 1923 to 1939. Pre-war Models are identified by their Engine Serial numbers. These numbers can be found in Table 4.
Post-war models are denoted from year 1945 on. Post-war Serial Numbers consist of three parts. First a Model Number (Table 2), second a letter code (Table 3), and last a unique number (Table 1). Serial Numbers are found on the Frame and Engine.
The Serial Numbers on the Frame and Engine from 1945 to 1974 should match. The serial numbers from 1960 to 1945 should include a year letter code.
Engine Numbers:
The Engine Numbers are found on the front of the crankcase or on the left-hand crankcase just below the cylinder. The engine number may include the engine dimensions, especially on the singles with the 79X100 mm bore and stroke.
Frame Numbers:
Feather Bed Frames: The serial numbers are located on the primary case side, rear frame gasset (below to the rear swing arm bolt). The Model code is written horizontal with the year letter (if one is present) and the unique number is written vertically.
Commando Frames: The serial numbers on the Commando Frames are numbered on a plate rivited to the headstock.
Small Twins (ie Jubilee):The frame numbers are stamped on the right-hand frame lug which carried the rear fork up to 1963. From then on, it was on the pillion footrest bracket.
Lookup Yamaha Motorcycle Engine Serial Number
Other Frames: The serial numbers are on the headstock.
When trying to date a engine/frame, the year code letter is the most useful up to 1960. The serial numbers have been known to have some overlap from one model year, or calender year, to the next. There are some exceptions to this. The unique numbers written in Table 1 below indicte year end values.
Yamaha Motorcycle Engine Serial Number Lookup
Both Frame and Engine Serial Numbers (Table 1)
| 1946 | 2131 | ' | |
| ' | 1947 | 7756 | ' |
| ' | 1948 | 13792 | ' |
| ' | 1949 | 35560 | ' |
| ' | 1950 | 42700 | ' |
| ' | 1951 | 48900 | ' |
| ' | 1952 | 55350 | ' |
| ' | 1953 | 60700 | ' |
| ' | 1954 | 66600 | ' |
| ' | 1955 | 71360 | ' |
| ' | 1956 | 77400 | ' |
| ' | 1959 | 80488 | ' |
| ' | 1960 | 87038 | ' |
| ' | 1961 | 94500 | ' |
| ' | 1962 | 101060 | ' |
| ' | 1963 | 105000 | ' |
| Atlas (code 20) | Feb 1964 | 108000 | First Atlas |
| ' | Sept 1964 | 111377 | -- |
| ' | 1966 | 115871 | -- |
| ' | 1967 | 120323 | -- |
| ' | May 1967 | 121307 | N15CS |
| ' | May 1967 | 121307 | Concentrics Carbs & coil ignition |
| ' | May 1967 | 121665 | P11 |
| ' | Aug 1967 | 123364 | -- |
| ' | Jan1968 | 124372 | P11A |
| ' | Sept 1968 | 128646 | P11A Ranger |
| ' | Nov 1968 | 129145 | Last Ranger |
| Commando 750cc | Aug 1967 | 123666 | First Model |
| ' | Feb 1968 | 126125 | First Production Machine |
| ' | Mar 1969 | 131180 | Fastback |
| ' | Mar 1969 | 131257 | S with Camshaft Points |
| ' | Sept 1969 | 133668 | Fastback withcamshaft points |
| ' | Sept 1969 | 134108 | First wolverhampton engines (P-suffix) |
| ' | Mar 1970 | 135140 | Roadster |
| ' | June 1970 | 135088 | Last S |
| ' | Sept 1970 | 139571 | Fastback MK II |
| ' | Jan 1971 | 141717 | Last Fastback MK II |
| ' | Jan 1971 | 141783 | Fastback MK III |
| ' | Jan 1971 | 142583 | Roadster MK II |
| ' | Mar 1971 | 145234 | SS |
| ' | Apr 1971 | 144343 | Fastback LR |
| ' | May 1971 | 146074 | Hi-Rider |
| ' | Oct 1971 | 150723 | Last SS |
| ' | Jan 1972 | 200001 | Fastback MK IV |
| ' | Jan 1972 | 200001 | Roadster MK IV |
| ' | Jan 1972 | 200001 | FastbackLR MK IV |
| ' | Jan 1972 | 200001 | Hi-Rider MK IV |
| ' | Jan 1972 | 200001 | Interstate |
| 750cc | --- | 200976 | First Combat Engine |
| ' | --- | 211110 | First Detuned |
| ' | 1973 | 212278 | Interstate |
| ' | Mar 1973 | 220000 | Roadster MK V |
| ' | Mar 1973 | 220000 | Hi-Rider MK V |
| ' | Mar 1973 | 220000 | Interstate MK V |
| ' | Oct 1973 | 230935 | Last 750cc Commando |
| Commando 850 | Apr 1973 | 300000 | First 850 |
| ' | Sept 1973 | 306591 | MK IA 850 |
| ' | Jan 1974 | 307311 | Mk II and IIA 850 |
| ' | Feb 1975 | F12001 | Frame number MK III |
Model Code Translater (Table 2)
| Year | Approx Engine Number | Year | Approx Engine Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | 4200 to 7550 | 1932 | 51820 to 54120 |
| 1924 | 7550 to 11900 | 1933 | 54120 to 56140 |
| 1925 | 11900 to 27500 | 1934 | 56120 to 59500 |
| 1926 | 27500 to 32800 | 1935 | 59500 to 62800 |
| 1927 | 32800 to 36900 | 1936 | 62800 to 69800 |
| 1928 | 36900 to 41000 | 1937 | 69800 to 81500 |
| 1929 | 41000 to 45600 | 1938 | 81500 to 87920 |
| 1930 | 45600 to 49250 | 1939 | 87920 to 94700 |
| 1931 | 49250 to 51820 | - | - |
350cc machines from 1929 to 1939 had seperate range of numbers. From 1929 to 1936 these ranged from 1000 to 6200. From 1937 to 1939 they ranged from 6201 to 10700.