Motorcycle VIN decoder
Type the VIN from the steering head or the frame label; the first 11 characters are enough for the model. Example: JYARN23E*9A reads as a 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1.
Motorcycles sold in the United States carry the same 17-character VIN as cars, under the same federal rule, 49 CFR Part 565, and their makers file the same VIN decoding data with NHTSA. This decoder reads the structure in your browser, then asks NHTSA vPIC for the make, model, model year, engine displacement, motorcycle type and assembly plant, and the NHTSA Recalls API for every campaign on that model and year. Two things differ from cars. Motorcycle VINs are often stamped into the frame and are hard to read in full; vPIC can decode a pattern of the first 11 characters, with the serial replaced by nothing or an asterisk, and still identify the model. And there are no NCAP crash ratings or EPA fuel economy labels for motorcycles, so those sections stay empty. Recall names can be written differently by vPIC and by the recall database, such as YZF-R1 and YZFR1; the decoder matches them for you.
Example: this VIN, decoded
2009 Yamaha YZF-R1
Motorcycle - Sport · 4 cyl, 1.0 L, In-Line · Gasoline
Assembled in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
Recall campaigns
1
2009 YZF-R1
Engine
998 cc
Motorcycle - Sport
Campaigns cover the 2009 YZF-R1 as a model. Whether this vehicle was already repaired is on NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Factory record
| Make | Yamaha |
|---|---|
| Model | YZF-R1 |
| Model year | 2009 |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle |
| Body | Motorcycle - Sport |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.0 L, In-Line |
| Fuel | Gasoline |
| GVWR | Class 1A: 3,000 lb or less (1,360 kg or less) |
| Manufacturer | Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. |
| Plant | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan |
vPIC returned: 6 - Incomplete VIN. A blank line means the maker did not report it, not that the equipment is missing.
Recall campaigns for the 2009 YZFR1
14V044000February 10, 2014
exterior lighting › headlights
Yamaha Motor Corporation USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 YZFR1 motorcycles manufactured October 2008 through August 2013 and 2012-2013 XTZ12 motorcycles manufactured October 2011 through August 2013. In the affected motorcycles, use…
Remedy: Yamaha will notify owners and dealers will replace the headlight socket, free of charge. The recall began on March 10, 2014. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-800-962-7926.
Open status for this VIN, including over-the-air fixes already applied: nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Where the VIN is on a motorcycle
The VIN is stamped on the steering head, the tube at the front of the frame behind the fork, usually on the right side; turn the handlebars to the left to see it. A label on the frame, often on the down tube or under the seat, repeats it with the date of manufacture and the weight ratings. The engine has its own number, stamped on the crankcase, which is not the VIN and does not decode here. For an older bike, the title and the registration card carry the VIN too; compare all of them with the VIN matcher.
Reading a motorcycle VIN
The first three characters identify the maker and its country: JYA for Yamaha in Japan, 1HD for Harley-Davidson in the United States, ZDM for Ducati in Italy. Positions 4 to 8 encode the model, engine and frame type in each maker's own scheme, which is why vPIC is needed to read them. Position 9 is the check digit, position 10 the model year. One difference from cars: the rule that uses the seventh character to choose between the 1980s cycle and the 2010s cycle applies only to cars, SUVs and trucks, so a motorcycle year code can be ambiguous on its own. vPIC resolves it from the maker's data; the model year chart explains the cycle.
Recalls on motorcycles
Motorcycle campaigns are fewer than on cars but often concern parts that matter more at speed: brake hoses, fuel lines, headlights, frames and wheel bearings. The lookup lists them by model year with the remedy; the open status of one bike is on NHTSA’s VIN lookup, which covers motorcycle manufacturers. Helmets and tires have their own equipment recalls, filed under the equipment maker.
Buying a used motorcycle
Theft is the main risk with used bikes, and stolen frames are sometimes given another VIN. Check that the stamping on the steering head looks original, with no grinding marks or uneven characters, and that it matches the frame label and the title. NICB VINCheck lists thefts reported by member insurers, and an NMVTIS report shows title brands; the comparison of free and paid checks covers both. The car VIN decoder handles four-wheel vehicles, with crash ratings and mpg.