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Tool T3 · free · no sign-up

Motorcycle VIN Check

Motorcycles built since 1981 for North America carry the same 17-character VIN as cars. Enter it to read the model year, make, model and engine. It is stamped on the steering neck; see where.

Input · cached lookups · rate-limited
  • 17 characters
  • No I, O or Q
  • Check digit
Vehicle identification number · waiting for input17 positions · no I, O or Q
1–3 · WMIMaker & country—
4–8 · VDSModel, body, engine—
9Check—
10Year—
11Plant—
12–17 · SerialUnique to this vehicle—

Position 10 gives the model year, which repeats every 30 years (C is 1982 or 2012). The decode settles it.

01Brands A–Z

Motorcycle VIN check by brand

109 motorcycle brands, from the big four Japanese makers to European and American builders, each with its models and where to find the VIN.

02Location
A motorcycle from the side: the VIN is stamped on the steering neck, the frame tube at the top of the forks (01), and a VIN sticker sits on the frame near the engine (02).01 NECK02 FRAME

Where to find a motorcycle VIN

  1. Steering neckStamped into the frame tube the forks turn in. Turn the bars to one side to see it.
  2. Frame stickerA VIN sticker or plate on the frame, often on the down tube or near the engine mounts. The engine number on the cases is not the VIN.
  3. PaperworkTitle, registration and insurance card all carry the full VIN.
03API

Decode motorcycle VINs in your app

  • The same decode endpoint for cars and motorcycles: year, make, model, engine
  • Salvage checks and US plate lookups on the same key
  • BASIC $0, PRO $69, ULTRA $99 a month, billed by RapidAPI
Get API key API docs
GET/v2.0/decode_vin
import os, requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/v2.0/decode_vin",
    params={"vin": "<motorcycle VIN>"},
    headers={
        "X-RapidAPI-Key": os.environ["RAPIDAPI_KEY"],
        "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
    },
    timeout=10,
)
spec = r.json()["specification"]

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