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  • Yamaha Motorcycle VIN Codes Explained

    Enter your vin below to get a full report covering any safety recalls, damage, mileage rollbacks, recorded images, equipment, ownership changes and theft records.

Yamaha motorcycle VIN codes (Vehicle Identification Number) are unique 17-character alphanumeric identifiers assigned to each motorcycle during the manufacturing process. These codes help track the history of the vehicle, provide information about its origin, model, and specific features, and are essential for registration, insurance, and ownership purposes.

Breakdown of Yamaha Motorcycle VIN Codes

  • Characters 1-3 (World Manufacturer Identifier - WMI): These characters identify the manufacturer and country of origin. Yamaha motorcycles typically have a WMI starting with "JYA" or "JY1," where "J" indicates Japan, and "YA" or "Y1" denotes Yamaha.
  • Character 4 (Vehicle Type): This character represents the type of motorcycle, such as street, off-road, scooter, etc.
  • Character 5 (Model): This character identifies the specific model of the motorcycle (e.g., R1, R6, FZ1, etc.).
  • Character 6 (Engine Type): This character indicates the engine type used in the motorcycle, such as 2-stroke or 4-stroke, and the engine configuration (e.g., inline 4, V-twin, etc.).
  • Character 7 (Suspension and Brake System): This character denotes the suspension and brake system used in the motorcycle.
  • Character 8 (Model Options): This character provides information on specific model options, such as special editions or trim levels.
  • Character 9 (Check Digit): This is a single digit that is calculated using the other characters in the VIN. It is used to verify the authenticity of the VIN.
  • Character 10 (Model Year): This character indicates the model year of the motorcycle, using a letter or number code assigned by the manufacturer. Note that the code cycles every 30 years, so you may need additional context to determine the exact year.
  • Character 11 (Plant Code): This character identifies the specific manufacturing plant where the motorcycle was assembled. Keep in mind that Yamaha's plant codes may change over time, and new plants might be added, while older ones might be closed. Therefore, it's essential to have access to up-to-date information when decoding the VIN.
  • Characters 12-17 (Sequential Production Number): These characters represent the unique production number assigned to each motorcycle as it comes off the assembly line. The production number helps differentiate individual motorcycles of the same make and model.

To decode a Yamaha motorcycle VIN, you can use an online VIN decoder or consult the manufacturer's documentation. Remember that it is essential to verify the VIN when buying a used motorcycle, as it helps confirm the motorcycle's history and any potential issues.

  • Character 4: Here is a breakdown of Yamaha's model group codes:

    A: Sportbikes B: Scooters C: All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) D: Dual-purpose bikes E: Off-road motorcycles F: Sport touring bikes G: Snowmobiles H: Motocross bikes J: Jet skis K: Street bikes L: Side-by-side vehicles (SSVs) M: Scooters and mopeds N: Naked bikes P: Dirt bikes R: Supersport bikes S: Snow bikes

    VIN Model Years

    An example of model years are shown below as you can see in the above example 'H' can represent either 2017 or 1987.

    A 1980 L 1990 Y 2000 A 2010 L 2020
    B 1981 M 1991 1 2001 B 2011 M 2021
    C 1982 N 1992 2 2002 C 2012 N 2022
    D 1983 P 1993 3 2003 D 2013 P 2023
    E 1984 R 1994 4 2004 E 2014 R 2024
    F 1985 S 1995 5 2005 F 2015 S 2025
    G 1986 T 1996 6 2006 G 2016 T 2026
    H 1987 V 1997 7 2007 H 2017 V 2027
    J 1988 W 1998 8 2008 J 2018 W 2028
    K 1989 X 1999 9 2009 K 2019 X 2029

     

    Yamaha 9 Digit VIN

    Yamaha's 9-digit VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) system, which was used before 1981, is different from the standardized 17-digit VIN system used today. The 9-digit VIN is composed of alphanumeric characters, each representing specific information about the vehicle. Here's how the 9-digit Yamaha VIN works:

    The first character represents the engine type. For example, "H" could represent a 2-stroke, 3-cylinder engine, while "J" could represent a 4-stroke, 4-cylinder engine.

    The second character represents the vehicle's class or category, such as "A" for motorcycle, "B" for scooter, or "C" for ATV.

    The third character represents the vehicle's model, such as "1" for a specific motorcycle model or "3" for a particular ATV model.

    The fourth character represents the vehicle's design feature, which could be related to its engine, suspension, or another feature that differentiates it from other models in the same category.

    The fifth character represents the production year, with letters A to Y representing years 1960 to 1984, and numbers 1 to 9 representing years 2001 to 2009. The production year may not be the same as the model year.

    The sixth character represents the factory where the vehicle was manufactured. Each factory has a unique letter code.

    The last three characters (7th, 8th, and 9th) represent the vehicle's production number or serial number. This is a unique number assigned to each vehicle during manufacturing.

    Please note that this information might not be applicable to all Yamaha vehicles, as there could be variations depending on the specific model or manufacturing year. Yamaha switched to the 17-digit VIN system in 1981, which is more standardized and provides more detailed information about the vehicle.

    John McDermott has Yamaha parts cross reference numbers on his site, this can be helpful to ID older bikes from the part numbers.

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