Vin number

[Fire-medic]

Don't overthink it. On your engine serial number, you'll see the prefix (the 'engine designator'), which shows the type of engine it was built-as. If you have a Japanese engine, they have very-strict licensing laws and by-law they greatly-reduce the power. That goes for the VMax, and it goes for the new stuff too, like the Grand-Prix replica Honda RC213, which in stock form is supposed to easily-reach 212 HP! However in Japan, it's limited to 70 HP. Even the USA version of the RC213 is a reduced-power version, and what I've read, you have-to order from a U.K. supplier/U.K. Honda dealer, a $12,000 kit to restore the power to a level which is allowed in other markets, for racing, should one wish to take their $180,000 bike to a trackday.

As I mentioned before, I believe that Japan doesn't have VBoost, so I assume there are no butterflies, no stepper-motor for control of the butterflies, and just open tubes from the front cylinders to the rear cylinders, or perhaps just caps over the VBoost castings attached-to the cylinder heads, the lateral passageways being 'blanked-off.' I'm sure someone on-here who has a Japanese-market VMax can confirm what type of VBoost elimination was used.

hu w posted:
"...the model run could end 6 months after the date stamp on the white sticker, and if no changes were made the sticker is still valid... ."

To my knowledge, manufacturers stop production during the summer, and spend a couple of months doing the new model year switch of the production line. Probably the latest they manufacture is June, with September or October being the return to production, bearing the next-year's changes ("bold, new colors and graphics!") or in Mr. Max's history, the digital CDI box in model year 1990+; in 1993, going from 40 mm downtubes/fork sliders, to 43 mm downtubes and sliders, and elimination of the fork air-balance preload system, to individual Schrader valves in the downtube nuts, individually; the 1996 spin-on oil filter and curved front-of-frame cross-brace providing clearance for it, and the helmet-holder, which can be re-fit to an earlier bike, by replacing the tubing; etc. By the time June rolls-around, they have a very-good idea of what the sales number for that season is going to-be, they produce enough vehicles to satisfy the demand, and stockpile them for shipment as orders come-in from dealers. This summer break allows for maintenance on the production line equipment, and implementing the changes for the next model year.

 

[85vmax]

My 85. Pics of original footpegs, sidecover, wheels.
By the way, the vin has no country designation.

 

[85vmax]

Can anyone decipher my vin.

 

[Fire-medic]

Well #2863 means it was the 2762 bike manufactured for the USA market. Sean Morley's table shows it as a USA production market, while Max Midnight's table leaves that blank.

Don't anyone get too-excited by seeing 85vmax's front Tokico 6-pot (3 opposed pairs) brake calipers and the pie-plate cross-drilled ventilated rotors, along with the adjustable rear shocks, that's all non-OEM stuff, or not that 1985 year. The wheels are correct for a 1985.

Is that February 1985 showing on the tag? Going by what I've seen elsewhere on the USA market production numbers, of 8,800, for the 1985 VMax production, that's about 1/3 of the way through the production run.

Assuming they build for nine months and re-tool/set-up for the next three months, that would indicate about 1,100 bikes per-month, for the 1985 model year. I would expect that a bike bearing VIN # 2863 would have been built during the third month of the production run; if the production begins for the whole-month of say, October then the end of the third full month would be the end of the calendar year, December. I'm gonna check-out the registry list and see what I can find.

Looking at three digit VIN's, I found a month of build date of November. Any other info?

 

[85vmax]

Correct on date. February 1985. What is the color code.
Rotor from 02max, calipers from gsxr1000., adapter from Capt. Kyle. Progressive rear.
Engine has same # also.

 

[huw s]

Don't overthink it. On your engine serial number, you'll see the prefix (the 'engine designator'), which shows the type of engine it was built-as. If you have a Japanese engine, they have very-strict licensing laws and by-law they greatly-reduce the power. That goes for the VMax, and it goes for the new stuff too, like the Grand-Prix replica Honda RC213, which in stock form is supposed to easily-reach 212 HP! However in Japan, it's limited to 70 HP. Even the USA version of the RC213 is a reduced-power version, and what I've read, you have-to order from a U.K. supplier/U.K. Honda dealer, a $12,000 kit to restore the power to a level which is allowed in other markets, for racing, should one wish to take their $180,000 bike to a trackday.

As I mentioned before, I believe that Japan doesn't have VBoost, so I assume there are no butterflies, no stepper-motor for control of the butterflies, and just open tubes from the front cylinders to the rear cylinders, or perhaps just caps over the VBoost castings attached-to the cylinder heads, the lateral passageways being 'blanked-off.' I'm sure someone on-here who has a Japanese-market VMax can confirm what type of VBoost elimination was used.

hu w posted:
"...the model run could end 6 months after the date stamp on the white sticker, and if no changes were made the sticker is still valid... ."

To my knowledge, manufacturers stop production during the summer, and spend a couple of months doing the new model year switch of the production line. Probably the latest they manufacture is June, with September or October being the return to production, bearing the next-year's changes ("bold, new colors and graphics!") or in Mr. Max's history, the digital CDI box in model year 1990+; in 1993, going from 40 mm downtubes/fork sliders, to 43 mm downtubes and sliders, and elimination of the fork air-balance preload system, to individual Schrader valves in the downtube nuts, individually; the 1996 spin-on oil filter and curved front-of-frame cross-brace providing clearance for it, and the helmet-holder, which can be re-fit to an earlier bike, by replacing the tubing; etc. By the time June rolls-around, they have a very-good idea of what the sales number for that season is going to-be, they produce enough vehicles to satisfy the demand, and stockpile them for shipment as orders come-in from dealers. This summer break allows for maintenance on the production line equipment, and implementing the changes for the next model year.

Ok, honestly not trying to overthink it but here we are again, this is my vin - i never said it was a japanese bike:
JYA1UT003GAxxxxxx
So following this:
The VIN # will have ten digits and follow the following format:
1st digit - country of origin
The second character represents the manufacturer. All Yamaha bikes should have "Y "here
The third digit identifies the vehicle type (A = motorcycle)
Digits four to six identify the model
Digit seven - the market for which he bike was intended - E = US 49 state, F = California, N = Canada etc.
The ninth digit is a security key to ensure the VIN is valid.
The 10th digit is for the model year. These digits run J through Y for 1988 through 2000 and then switch to a numbers system.

So mine is a model 1ut, digit 7? Is a 0....
And according to the chart the frame 3ga doesn't exist?

 

[huw s]

Don't

Honestlyoverthink it. On your engine serial number, you'll see the prefix (the 'engine designator'), which shows the type of engine it was built-as. If you have a Japanese engine, they ha very-strict licensing laws and by-law they greatly-reduce the power. That goes for the VMax, and it goes for the new stuff too, like the Grand-Prix replica Honda RC213, which in stock form is supposed to easily-reach 212 HP! However in Japan, it's limited to 70 HP. Even the USA version of the RC213 is a reduced-power version, and what I've read, you have-to order from a U.K. supplier/U.K. Honda dealer, a $12,000 kit to overthink it. On your engine serial number, you'll see the prefix (the 'engine designator'), which shows the type of engine it was built-as. If you have a Japanese engine, they have very-strict licensing laws and by-law they greatly-reduce the power. That goes for the VMax, and it goes for the new stuff too, like the Grand-Prix replica Honda RC213, which in stock form is supposed to easily-reach 212 HP! However in Japan, it's limited to 70 HP. Even the USA version of the RC213 is a reduced-power version, and what I've read, you have-to order from a U.K. supplier/U.K. Honda dealer, a $12,000 kit to restore the power to a level which is allowed in other markets, for racing, should one wish to take their $180,000 bike to a trackday.

As I mentioned before, I believe that Japan doesn't have VBoost, so I assume there are no butterflies, no stepper-motor for control of the butterflies, and just open tubes from the front cylinders to the rear cylinders, or perhaps just caps over the VBoost castings attached-to the cylinder heads, the lateral passageways being 'blanked-off.' I'm sure someone on-here who has a Japanese-market VMax can confirm what type of VBoost elimination was used.

hu w posted:
"...the model run could end 6 months after the date stamp on the white sticker, and if no changes were made the sticker is still valid... ."

To my knowledge, manufacturers stop production during the summer, and spend a couple of months doing the new model year switch of the production line. Probably the latest they manufacture is June, with September or October being the return to production, bearing the next-year's changes ("bold, new colors and graphics!") or in Mr. Max's history, the digital CDI box in model year 1990+; in 1993, going from 40 mm downtubes/fork sliders, to 43 mm downtubes and sliders, and elimination of the fork air-balance preload system, to individual Schrader valves in the downtube nuts, individually; the 1996 spin-on oil filter and curved front-of-frame cross-brace providing clearance for it, and the helmet-holder, which can be re-fit to an earlier bike, by replacing the tubing; etc. By the time June rolls-around, they have a very-good idea of what the sales number for that season is going to-be, they produce enough vehicles to satisfy the demand, and stockpile them for shipment as orders come-in from dealers. This summer break allows for maintenance on the production line equipment, and implementing the changes for the next model year.

Don't overthink it. On your engine serial number, you'll see the prefix (the 'engine designator'), which shows the type of engine it was built-as. If you have a Japanese engine, they have very-strict licensing laws and by-law they greatly-reduce the power. That goes for the VMax, and it goes for the new stuff too, like the Grand-Prix replica Honda RC213, which in stock form is supposed to easily-reach 212 HP! However in Japan, it's limited to 70 HP. Even the USA version of the RC213 is a reduced-power version, and what I've read, you have-to order from a U.K. supplier/U.K. Honda dealer, a $12,000 kit to restore the power to a level which is allowed in other markets, for racing, should one wish to take their $180,000 bike to a trackday.

As I mentioned before, I believe that Japan doesn't have VBoost, so I assume there are no butterflies, no stepper-motor for control of the butterflies, and just open tubes from the front cylinders to the rear cylinders, or perhaps just caps over the VBoost castings attached-to the cylinder heads, the lateral passageways being 'blanked-off.' I'm sure someone on-here who has a Japanese-market VMax can confirm what type of VBoost elimination was used.

hu w posted:
"...the model run could end 6 months after the date stamp on the white sticker, and if no changes were made the sticker is still valid... ."

To my knowledge, manufacturers stop production during the summer, and spend a couple of months doing the new model year switch of the production line. Probably the latest they manufacture is June, with September or October being the return to production, bearing the next-year's changes ("bold, new colors and graphics!") or in Mr. Max's history, the digital CDI box in model year 1990+; in 1993, going from 40 mm downtubes/fork sliders, to 43 mm downtubes and sliders, and elimination of the fork air-balance preload system, to individual Schrader valves in the downtube nuts, individually; the 1996 spin-on oil filter and curved front-of-frame cross-brace providing clearance for it, and the helmet-holder, which can be re-fit to an earlier bike, by replacing the tubing; etc. By the time June rolls-around, they have a very-good idea of what the sales number for that season is going to-be, they produce enough vehicles to satisfy the demand, and stockpile them for shipment as orders come-in from dealers. This summer break allows for maintenance on the production line equipment, and implementing the changes for the next model year.

Ok, honestly not trying to overthink it but here we are again :

 

[Fire-medic]

Correct on date. February 1985. What is the color code.
Rotor from 02max, calipers from gsxr1000., adapter from Capt. Kyle. Progressive rear.
Engine has same # also.
View attachment 71468

Abbreviation: DA
Code: OOKW
Dark Amethyst
Guessing on this, I think black was an alternate color.

 

[huw s]

I've just tried copying and pasting the chart by maxmidnight, but this bloomin ipad keeps reformatting it - come to that, it might be reformatting it before i see it?
And now it's double posted a reply....

 

[Fire-medic]

Ok, honestly not trying to overthink it but here we are again, this is my vin - i never said it was a japanese bike:
JYA1UT003GAxxxxxx
So following this:
The VIN # will have ten digits and follow the following format:
1st digit - country of origin
The second character represents the manufacturer. All Yamaha bikes should have "Y "here
The third digit identifies the vehicle type (A = motorcycle)
Digits four to six identify the model
Digit seven - the market for which he bike was intended - E = US 49 state, F = California, N = Canada etc.
The ninth digit is a security key to ensure the VIN is valid.
The 10th digit is for the model year. These digits run J through Y for 1988 through 2000 and then switch to a numbers system.

So mine is a model 1ut, digit 7? Is a 0....
And according to the chart the frame 3ga doesn't exist?

Looks-like a USA bike and is designated a VMX-12S. Without any info on the 0, 7th space, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Fire-medic]

Screw Apple. My AMD Ryzen 5 and Radeon card make short work of that.

 

[Fire-medic]

More:

 

[Clyde Porter IV]

I'm wondering if he is asking about the engine vin code which doesn't follow that naming convention. For instance most older Vmax's from the US have 1FK while later ones are 2WE.

I'm wondering if he is asking about the engine vin code which doesn't follow that naming convention. For instance most older Vmax's from the US have 1FK while later ones are 2WE.

These etched Numbers on the Block do not look 14 years old. But maybe I'm trying to get to the bottom of it. Does anybody have pictures or seen these wrote in the block by hand?

 

[one2dmax]

Some example engravings from the motor mounts area as well as a few head areas. The pics are just what I could zoom into from other pics I had (so not focused on just that area).