Enter the VIN of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to read what the number says.
Enter the 17-character VIN of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the decoder shows the manufacturer, the model year and the country of manufacture. It is free and needs no registration. Our catalogue lists 317 Harley-Davidson models, newest first, from the Heritage Classic Liberty Edition and Road Glide ST CVO back to machines from 1957, with engine sizes from 101 to 2147 cc and up to 153 hp in our data.
The VIN itself holds no accident history, mileage, theft entries or owner details. That information comes from a vehicle history report.
317 models in our data, newest first.
A modern VIN has 17 characters, and the letters I, O and Q are never used. Characters 1 to 3 identify the manufacturer and the country. Characters 4 to 8 describe the machine, and each maker codes them in its own way. Character 9 is the check digit, required in North America. Character 10 gives the model year, character 11 the assembly plant, and characters 12 to 17 are the serial number. The model year helps when names overlap: the Softail Fat Boy, Softail Fat Boy 117 and Softail Fat Boy Grey Ghost Limited are easier to tell apart once you know the year of the bike in front of you.
On a motorcycle the VIN is usually stamped into the frame, often near the steering head, and repeated on a plate or sticker. It is also written in the registration papers, so you can compare all three. Our data reaches back to 1957, but 17-character VINs apply only to vehicles built since 1981. An older machine can carry a shorter frame number, and a VIN decoder cannot read that. For anything newer, from a Dyna Low Rider to a Sportster S or a Pan America, the full VIN is what you enter.
The decoder reads the number. A history report looks for the records tied to it.
Harley-Davidson history reportLook at the frame first, often near the steering head, where the VIN is usually stamped. It is also printed on a plate or sticker and listed in the registration papers.
The first three characters identify the manufacturer and the country, which is why the decoder can name both. Characters 4 to 8 describe the machine, but each maker codes them differently.
The model year is the 10th character of the VIN, and the decoder translates it for you. This works for VINs of 17 characters, which apply to vehicles built since 1981.
It cannot show accidents, mileage, theft entries or previous owners, because none of that is stored in the VIN. It also cannot read the shorter frame numbers found on some older machines.
Compare the VIN on the frame, on the plate and in the registration papers, and make sure they match and the stamping looks untouched. Then ask for service records and look into the bike's past beyond what the VIN tells you.
Enter the VIN of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to read what the number says.