Enter the VIN of a Yamaha motorcycle to read what the number says.
Enter the 17-character VIN of a Yamaha motorcycle and the decoder reads the manufacturer, the model year and the country of manufacture. It works for machines from 1972 to the present in our data, which covers 712 models, from the 50 cc PW 50 to big-capacity bikes with engines up to 1854 cc. The decoder is free and needs no registration.
The VIN says nothing about accidents, mileage, theft entries or previous owners. That information comes from a vehicle history report, which you can order separately once you have the VIN.
712 models in our data, newest first.
A modern VIN has 17 characters, and the letters I, O and Q are never used. The first three identify the manufacturer and the country where the machine was built. Characters 4 to 8 describe the machine, but each maker codes them in its own way, so a decoder that reads only the VIN does not turn them into an engine size or trim level. The 9th character is a check digit, required in North America. The 10th gives the model year, the 11th the assembly plant, and characters 12 to 17 are the serial number. That is how a VIN from a recent MT-07, Tracer 9 GT or XSR 900 gets its year, while an NMAX or a Tricity 125 gets its year the same way.
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 printed in the registration papers. Seventeen-character VINs apply to vehicles built since 1981. Our Yamaha data starts in 1972, so a very early scooter or enduro bike may carry a shorter frame number that a VIN decoder cannot read. For those, the number in the papers and the stamping on the frame are what you have to go on.
The decoder reads the number. A history report looks for the records tied to it.
Yamaha history reportLook at the frame first, usually around the steering head, where the number is stamped into the metal. It is also on a plate or sticker and in the registration papers.
The first three characters identify the manufacturer and the country of manufacture. The decoder uses them to show who built the motorcycle and where.
The 10th character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the decoder translates it for you. The same symbol is reused after 30 years, so an older machine such as a 1980s enduro bike is best checked against its papers as well.
It reads only the VIN, so it gives the manufacturer, model year and country of manufacture. Accidents, mileage, theft entries and owners are not stored in the VIN.
Compare the VIN stamped on the frame with the plate and the registration papers, and make sure they match and the stamping looks untouched. Check that the model year and engine size in the papers fit the machine in front of you, since a 125 and a 700 can look alike from a distance. Ask the seller for service records too.
Enter the VIN of a Yamaha motorcycle to read what the number says.