Where the heck is my VIN?

I'm trying to insure my XJ750, and I can't find the dang VIN. Or at least, I think I can't. Progressive says what I thought was the VIN was too short; it's stamped into the metal in the side of the motor; says 5G2100XXX (last 3 numbers obscured for paranoia). Does that sound right to any of you guys?

The paperwork from the PO's mechanic lists the 5G2... number as the VIN, but Progressive thinks it's too short. They insured me anyhow, though.

thoughts?

 

Look on the Head tube....should be stamped there as well as a pressure sensitive sticker...couple of the numbers were rubbed off on my sticker.

 

Howdy, the VIN is found on the left side of the steering head, it is on a white sticker. If this sticker is missing, you may be out of luck. In Minnesota, the state uses the stamped number found on the RIGHT side of the steering head. The number on the engine is the engine number and when the bike is new this number and the one on the steering head match. I take it you don't have a title?

 

No, there's a title; I pick it up today. I was just trying to get my ducks in a row.

 

So I just called and checked; that is apparently the VIN as listed on the title. Go figure.

 

How's the weather? We just got a cool down here in Las Vegas. It's still ridin' weather here tho.

 

To clarify: The VIN found on the engine case is the "shorty" VIN, consisting of the model ID and actual "serial"number.

The VIN they were looking for is a standard 17-digit motor vehicle VIN.

If your frame label is missing, you're NOT out of luck. The "shorty" VIN can be "reverse engineered" into the full VIN using a formula found in this article: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14577.html

 

Before 1982 the manufacturers could use whatever they wanted for a VIN.

Then 1982 came along and someone decided we needed a standardized system, and the 17 digit VIN was born.

It's been the standard ever since, and whoever you talked to at Progressive is probably too young to know that (or care).

That's why Yamaha slapped a sticker on the head tube, they already had the frames made before the standardization, and had to do something in order to comply.

Use teh link Fitz gave you, and if you have trouble figuring it out, let us know. Some of us are math geeks and think figuring out VINs is fun.

 

You don't need to be a "math geek" it's a case of digit-by-digit coding formulas. My 10-year old loves to do them.

But it is fun.


"Fun fact:" My Norton, built in 1974, has a 6-digit serial number, period. No letters just six numbers.

 

So PA had no problems registering the shorty VIN, which is what was on the title. I'm now legal and registered.

Thanks for y'alls help! Also, thanks for the cool article about VINs. It was interesting!

 

Ride safe dude.

 

What happens if I found the metal plate attached to the steering head doesn't actually state a vin number the plate states the month the year the model 4K1 and bike number of the production line 001312 certified board and an approval number only numbers no letters

 

Well you actually have everything you need to translate your "short" VIN (4K1-001312) into a long VIN:

https://www.xj4ever.com/catalog/frame-engine-id.pdf

and

https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/tech-topic-model-id-and-vins.14577

Bikes prior to 1982 ---- and that can vary by country and also due to "special circumstances", such as importing a non-domestic bike into a country --- the full 17-position VIN's were not required. But as the above guides explain, you can "reverse-engineer" the full VIN from the short VIN.