At a glance
- Length
- 17 characters, the same format as a car
- Positions 4 to 8
- Make, type of motorcycle, line, engine and net brake horsepower
- Model year
- Position 10, which vPIC flags as uncertain on bikes
- Where to look
- The steering head, near where the handlebars meet the steering post
On this page
- How to read a motorcycle VIN
- Why does a motorcycle VIN's model year need checking?
- Example: three Harley-Davidsons from one recall
- What a motorcycle VIN decode can and can't tell you
- Can you look up a dirt bike VIN?
- Why does a custom bike's VIN have a 9 in position 3?
- Where is the VIN on a motorcycle?
- Common questions
- Sources
How to read a motorcycle VIN
Road motorcycles follow the same federal VIN rules as cars (49 CFR Part 565), but positions 4 to 8 must describe different things: the make, the type of motorcycle, the line, the engine type and the net brake horsepower. Each maker picks its own codes for them and files the key with NHTSA. Here is a 2020 Harley-Davidson from a recall report:
| Position | What it means on a motorcycle | On 1HD1KRP18LB600080 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Manufacturer and vehicle type | 1HD: Harley-Davidson Motor Company |
| 4 to 8 | Make, type of motorcycle, line, engine and horsepower, in the maker's own code | 1KRP1: Street Glide Special (FLHXS), a touring bike with a 1,870 cc two-cylinder engine rated at 92 hp |
| 9 | Check digit | 8 |
| 10 | Model year | L: 2020, or 1990 |
| 11 | Plant | B: York, Pennsylvania |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number; the last four must be numbers | 600080 |
Decoded with NHTSA's vPIC. The horsepower a maker codes may differ from the bike's actual net brake horsepower by up to 10 percent (49 CFR 565.15, note to Table I).
Why does a motorcycle VIN's model year need checking?
Model year letters repeat every 30 years, so the L above could mean 1990 or 2020. Cars and light trucks settle it in position 7: a letter there means 2010 to 2039, and a number means 1980 to 2009 (49 CFR 565.15, note to Table VII). Motorcycles don't have to follow that rule.
A 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 shows why it matters. Its VIN, ZDMDAG6W8TB008542, has a 6 in position 7. On a car, that would make the T in position 10 mean 1996, not 2026. NHTSA's vPIC added a warning that the model year may be wrong to all four motorcycle VINs we decoded for this page, so the decoder lets you enter the year from the title and decode again.
Example: three Harley-Davidsons from one recall
Harley-Davidson's recall 22V-781 covered 199,349 Touring, CVO Touring, Trike and CVO Trike motorcycles whose brake lamps could stay lit when the brakes weren't applied. The recall report gives VIN ranges. Here is what vPIC returns for three VINs at the ends of those ranges:
| VIN | vPIC decode |
|---|---|
| 1HD1KRP18LB600080 | 2020 Street Glide Special, Motorcycle - Touring/Sport Touring, 1,870 cc, 92 hp, built for 49 states (except California) |
| 1HD1FMP11NB645226 | 2022 Police Electra Glide, Motorcycle - Standard, 1,868 cc, 94 hp, marked as a police model |
| 1HD1MCP19NB854018 | 2022 Freewheeler (FLRT), Three-Wheeled Motorcycle with 2 rear wheels, trike chassis, 1,868 cc, 92 hp |
All three decode clean, with a correct check digit, a York, Pennsylvania plant and the model-year warning. A trike is still a motorcycle to NHTSA, and vPIC records the wheel count.
What a motorcycle VIN decode can and can't tell you
From the VIN, vPIC can return the make, model, series code, body class (street, touring, standard or three-wheeled), displacement, cylinders, horsepower, plant and destination market. Recalls in the results are listed for the model and year; to see whether a repair is still open on one bike, enter its VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup.
A VIN can't tell you color, mileage, owners or crash history. It may not pin down the exact trim either. Ducati codes its whole Panigale V4 line with one letter, so a Ducati VIN can't tell a V4 from a V4 S. Check the bike and its paperwork for that. Selling the bike yourself? Put the VIN on a free motorcycle bill of sale.
Can you look up a dirt bike VIN?
Often, yes. Makers file decoding tables with NHTSA, and some include their off-road models: Ducati's 2026 table gives its motocross-only Desmo 450 MX the code D in position 5 and the cross-country Desmo 450 EDX the code F. vPIC can only decode what a maker has filed, though. When it hasn't, the decoder can still confirm the check digit, and position 10 still gives the year code.
For four-wheelers and side-by-sides, see the ATV VIN decoder. For maker-specific codes, see the KTM, Yamaha and Harley-Davidson VIN decoders.
Why does a custom bike's VIN have a 9 in position 3?
A builder that makes fewer than 1,000 vehicles of a type a year counts as a low-volume manufacturer. It puts a 9 in position 3, and positions 12 to 14 complete its six-character maker code (49 CFR 565.15(a)). That leaves only positions 15 to 17 for the serial number. If you see a 9 in position 3, read positions 1 to 3 and 12 to 14 together to find the builder.
Where is the VIN on a motorcycle?
Start at the steering head. Federal rules put a motorcycle's certification label, which carries the VIN, on a permanent part as close as practical to where the steering post meets the handlebars, readable without moving anything except the steering (49 CFR 567.4(e)). The VIN must also be marked on a part that isn't meant to be removed except for repair, or on a plate permanently attached to one (49 CFR 565.13(e)). Compare both with the title and registration before you buy.