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Display Mesage #98317


Strange VIN number
Written by lcshepp on 10/29/2010 at 05:26 am

Hi Daniel,

> My bike has a serial number, 100401, but the official registration
> documents show the VIN number to be "2100401"
>
> So am I correct in guessing, ignoring the fact that the VIN is totally
> bad, that my bike is a first generation PC, 401st of the production
> line, and if I believe the VIN information in the files/Tech data
> here, it's a California spec version?

First off, that isn't a VIN number. Serial number, yes, but not a VIN.
As far as I know, only the US and Canada use the VIN (maybe Mexico?).

PC VIN numbers are in the form: JH2RC34abcMd00????

The small a will be 0 (49-state) 1 (California) or 2 (Canada)

The small b is a check digit that is calculated; I don't know the formula...

The small c is a letter for the year of manufacture: K for '89, L for
'90, R for '94, S for '95, T for '96, V for '97 and W for '98.

The small d is a number that Honda used for relative year of
manufacture: 0 for '89, 1 for '90, 2 for '94, 3 for '95, 4 for '96, 5
for '97 and 6 for '98.

The last five digits are the production number for the bike for that
type (0, 1 or 2) for that year.

The rest of the characters are covered in my page on VIN construction
(see my page of links below).

The full frame number on your bike is probably RC342100401.

That would imply that it is a model that went to Europe (the 2 - no VIN
numbers), that it was manufactured in 1990 (the 1 - second year of
manufacture) and that it was the 401 model for 1990 for Europe.

The models that went to Europe might be mixed with the Canadian models
(which do have VIN numbers) but I have never been able to determine that
for sure. The Canadian models are all RC342 at that point in the VIN.

Now you know all I know about PC serial numbers and VINs.

If you visit my page of PC800 links (www.pc800links.net), you will find
a page on PC800 serial numbers and the information I have on all of the
PCs that were produced. There is also a page on VIN number construction
linked on the page of links.

FWIW...

Leland

PS If your bike were a Canadian or US model, there should be a tag
above the radiator that shows the full VIN number. I believe it is also
stamped on the steering head but because of the tupperware it's hard to
read.

--
Leland Sheppard
Placerville, California, USA

...Life is good on the Pacific Coast...

'94 Pacific Coast, "Black Beauty", 211,500 miles
'89 Pacific Coast, "Shadow Dancer", 122,975 miles
'90 Pacific Coast, "Red Baron", 108,500 miles
'96 Pacific Coast/SuperSport sidecar, "Handsome Hannigan", 31,275 miles
'02 Ural Patrol, "Boris Blueanov", 15,282 kilometers
'89 GB500, "Little Bugger", 13,875 miles
'02 GL1800, "Copper", 59,200, '07 Aspen Classic, "Copper's Camper", 2,011 miles
iPCRC #72; IBA #10582; AMA #481368

Mother of all PC800 Web Site Lists: http://www.pc800links.net

Message Thread for message #98317