How to Decode your VIN year
Have you ever wondered what year your Motorcycle, ATV, Side by Side, Dirtbike, or Scooter is? Sometimes when purchasing a used machine the previous owner had no idea what year it was and just guessed. Now you’re ordering parts for the wrong year machine! There is a simple solution to this. All you need to do is check the VIN (Vehicle Identification number)!
Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Polaris, CanAm, and BRP all have Vin Numbers. The industry has standardized VIN numbers to be 17 digits long and this was made mandatory in 1981. This is normally consists of a series of numbers and letters. There is a lot of information in a VIN like what plant the machine was made in, what type of machine it is, where the machine came from, or for this blog’s purpose what year it is!
The year is very easy to decode from the VIN number, all you need is the 10th digit! The 10th digit can be either a number or letter depending on what year the machine was made. Anything prior to 2001 used letters A-Z with a few of them missing (because they looked too much like numbers). The letters missing are: I, O, Q, U, and Z. You start at 1980 for the letter A and go on from there.
Once you get to 2001 it’s pretty simple. Whatever number the 10th digit is, is your year. If the 10th digit is 6, you have a 2006 model. If it’s a 9, you have a 2009 model. 2010 is when it switches back to letters. Letter A starts at 2010 and goes forward from there. *You should be able to tell the difference between a 1980 and 2010 simply by just looking at it*.
Here is a chart for all the years to make it easy! Print it out and keep it in your toolbox or screenshot it for later use! Try using our OEM Microfiche Parts Finder to find all of the parts your machines may need!
