Free Yamaha VIN Decoder – Vehicle Identification Number Decoder System and Vehicle History Reports for Yamaha. Lookup and Check Yamaha History.

1. SR125

I've been getting a lot of email over the last few years in the DON'T ASK column about folks trying to figure exactly what that old pile they have really is. While it's nice to know, it's also very important to know what it is when you have to scrounge up parts. It also seemed that most of the emails were concerning the old Yamahas. Was the first company to come out with a full line of real for the masses.

Not exotic European stuff that required insiders knowledge to keep running, but low-cost, well built, reliable that would keep running in spite of heavy-handed abuse and complete neglect in the maintenance department. Numbers on the head gone? There are also numbers on the that can help you. Lots of people learned to ride on the legendary Mini-Enduros, and thousands more cut their teeth on one or another version of the DT-1. This guide covers most of the stuff from the late 60s up to 1980. There are a few models missing I guess, but after too many hours of scouring the manuals and the web, I figured there's enough here to help most of the folks out there who remain confused. So have fun and let your fingers do the walking.

FRAME AND MODEL AND VIN NUMBERS, OH MY!!! Okay, gather 'round friends and prepare yourself, 'cause we're about to go down the rabbit hole. It goes without saying that the proper and correct identification of your bike is important for a number of purposes-first and foremost, so that you can order the correct parts for it!

But equally important is making sure that your title is correctly identifying your bike for registration, title, and licensing purposes, as well as for insurance registration purposes, etc. Our STRONGEST advice is to not rely on the information on your title, bill of sale, insurance documents, state registration certificates, what the former owner claimed, or any other PIECE OF PAPER-always go 'right to the horse's mouth'-or in this case, your bike's frame and engine case, and absolutely verify 100% what bike you actually have! You'd would be quite surprised how many people we come across who are ordering parts, for example, for a 1981 model XJ-whatever because that's what it was sold to them as (or titled as), when in reality they have a 1982 model!

YOUR FRAME AND ENGINE CASE ID NUMBERS ALWAYS SPEAKS THE REAL TRUTH! Some typed-up piece of paper from a government or insurance company clerk does not always fall into that same category of certainty! ALSO: verify that the engine in your bike is the original engine! Since many of the XJ-series engines are physically interchangable with each other, you never know what's been done over the years as far as engine-swapping is concerned!

Rings and pistons from a 650 model engine are NOT going to fit a 750 engine, even if the 750 engine is installed in an XJ650 frame!!! So please-spend the 90 seconds or so necessary to determine whether the engine is original to the bike, and if not, what year/make/model bike that the engine came from. The procedure for doing this is described completely further below. And finally, if you take a little bit of study time all of the information below, then soon you, too, can start 'code talking' about having a '1982 5N8 model' or a '750MK' and really impress the other guys at the shop with your intimate and devil-is-in-the-details knowledge about all things Yamaha. Okay, as is proper with any good training video, we're going to start with the big picture and then work down to the nitty-gritty details.

So, buckle up, or hunker down, or whatever your favorite metaphor is-because there's going to be a pretty smooth take-off, but then expect some bumps in the road ahead. Or, if you’re pressed for time like the rest of us, first go here: and then here: NUMBERS, NUMBERS-EVERYWHERE: In order to provide a simple basis of communication both internally (between the engineering, sales, production, marketing, and other departments within a company) and also externally (retail dealers, customers, governmental and other outside parties), vehicle manufacturers of all kinds choose to (and are now required to) provide unique 'shorthand' codes for each particular unit that they offer for sale. The most commonly used code is what is commonly known as a VIN or Vehicle Identification Number-a sort of 'DNA fingerprint' for an individual product. Besides containing a unique serial number for an individual bike, the VIN number also identifies unique characteristics of a bike, such as the manufacturer, the model or 'platform' identification, certain optional characteristics, the year of manufacture, etc. Before we get down to deciphering a VIN number, let's take a brief step back in time, and recognize that prior to 1981, there was no real set standard for how VIN numbers had to be assigned.in other words, the VIN Numbers used (by any vehicle manufacturer) prior to 1981 was more-or-less an internal-use number, and could be conjured up in whatever way struck a manufacturer's fancy and served their internal needs.

Starting in the late 1970's, with the proliferation of manufacturers, vehicle production volumes, and international sales, a solution to the 'VIN dilemma' was suggested by the International Standards Organization (outlined in ISO Standard #3779, for the ultra-curious), and this standard was adopted and required to be used by all manufacturers that sold vehicles into the USA by the National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration (NHTSA) as of 1981. This is when the familiar, still-used-today 17-position VIN number came into use, and similar structured VIN formats were also adopted by Canada, the European countries, and many other countries around the world.

Prior to 1981, manufacturers could use a VIN number length of their choice, and Yamaha was no exception in this regard. In fact, because of the difficulty encountered with implementing this required 1981 changeover, Yamaha (and some other manufacturers) were granted a 9-month 'stay of execution' for their 1981 model-year offerings, where they could still use their older (shorter) version VIN numbers to identify their products.

Thus 1980, 1981, and perhaps even some very early production 1982 model-year bikes use a shorter VIN number that appears on the frame of the bike (more about this later), and may also include a printed paper decal that lists a different (longer) VIN number that is the 'extended', 17-posiiton version of the original, shorter VIN number. Although for the purposes of absolutely, positively identifying your bike for exactly what it 'is', the differences between the shorty VIN and the longer VIN are minor-although since the full 17-position VIN number contains more information, it makes the deciphering process a bit less time-consuming, but rest assured that-armed with the proper information-even a 'shorty VIN' can be just as accurately and fully de-coded. WHAT'S YOUR NAME, LITTLE XJ, BABY WHAT'S YOUR NAME?: Okay, here is how Yamaha VIN's breakdown. We're going to start with the full 17-position VIN, and only later go backwards and look at the shorty VIN's and see how they inter-relate to each other. As an example, we're going to play motorcycle manufacturer and we're going to build ourselves a 1981 XJ650 Maxim VIN. Here is a standardized 17-position string of letters and characters that we'll use as an example: abcdefg Now, we're going to break up that 17-character string into it's component bits and pieces, like this: 123 -45678- -9- -0- -a- -bcdefg It's broken up this way because each sub-group of positions (as shown above) has a specific meaning, and here they are: The first 3-position field ('123') is known as the WMI, or World Manufacturer Identifier code. For Yamaha, their WMI is 'JYA', and thus all Yamaha motorcycle VIN numbers from this era begin with JYA: JYA -45678- -9- -0- -a- -bcdefg For the curious, the WMI code actually has a specific meaning for each position: the first position identifies the country in which the vehicle was manufactured (J = Japan), the second position identifies the unique manufacturer (Y = Yamaha), and the third position identifies the vehicle type or manufacturing division (A = motorcycle).

The next 5-position field ('45678') identifies the vehicle characteristics, such a body style, engine type, model, 'platform', series, etc. Since Yamaha only identified these bikes by their general MODEL ID CODE, this field is always populated by the 3-position model ID code (5N8, 5G2, 4H7, etc.) followed by two zeros (thus 5N800, 5G200, 4H700, etc.). Although Yamaha could have coded engine size, or paint color, or whatever else they wanted to into those extra two positions, they chose not to, and thus they are always filled with zeros: JYA4H700 -9- -0- -a- -bcdefg By the way, the '4H7' model ID code is for a USA-destined 1980-81 XJ650 Maxim model, just so you can follow along more easily. The next 1-position field-position '9' above-is always a mathematically calculated 'check digit' that looks at all other positions of the full VIN number, performs a mathematical formula (multiplying, adding, and then dividing according to a pre-determined routine), and uses the remainder as the check digit.

This process insures that transcribing errors and forgery efforts can be identified more easily. For our example, we're going to use the number 6 as the check digit: JYA4H7006 -0- -a- -bcdefg Okay, the next position-the tenth position in the VIN number (designated by the number -0- above) identifies the year of your bike. NOTE: the 'year' actually refers to the MODEL YEAR of your bike, and not the year in which it was produced.

Since 'next year's' models normally are available in dealer showrooms sometime around September of the previous calender year, the model year of the bike and the calender year of a bike's production can differ. In fact, on the VIN decal on your bike, besides the 17-position VIN number, you will also find the date of the bike production in the format MM/YY, such as 10/80 (meaning October, 1980). A 10/80-built bike would be a 1981 MODEL YEAR vehicle. The model YEAR code in the tenth position of the VIN are as follows: A = 1980 B = 1981 C = 1982 D = 1983 E = 1984 F = 1985 G = 1986 and so on. Since we've agreed that we're putting together a 1981 model, then of course the tenth position is-from the chart above-the letter 'B': NOTE: we're going to confuse you now-and it won't be the last time.

The year-designation letter codes listed above ONLY PERTAIN TO THE MODEL YEAR CODE USED IN THE VIN. There is an alternative way of identifying the year of your bike by the Yamaha marketing 'model name' of your bike, and it also uses a letter code for such year-model identification purposes, BUT SUCH MODEL DESIGNATION 'NAMES' USE A DIFFERENT LETTER CODE THAN WHAT IS THE VIN 'YEAR' IDENTIFIER CODE! Bakuten shoot beyblade 2002 english patch download. Okay, deep breath now, keep going, and forget about that last paragraph for now-but, do keep it in mind for later. JYA4H7006B -a- -bcdefg The 11th position of a VIN number (-a-) is the location of the ASSEMBLY PLANT where the bike was made. All bikes in this era were produced in Japan, probably at their Iwata City production facility, which was the 'A' location. Thus the 11th position of all XJ model bikes will be the letter 'A': JYA4H7006BA -bcdefg And now we're down to the last 6 positions of the full VIN, and this is the unique, sequential 'serial number' of each individual bike. Your own bike has a serial number that is different than every other one ever produced for your model and year bike.

For various reasons, Yamaha assigned a range of serial numbers for each bike year and model, and these numbers did not normally start with the number '000001'. The starting point for each serial number differs by year and model. For the 1981 XJ650 Maxim used in this example, the serial number range starts with serial number '100101'. Each subsequent 1981 XJ650 Maxim model 4H7 destined for the US marketplace got the next higher serial number, thus the second bike off the assembly line was #100102, etc.

Let's pretend that this was the 1,356th 1981 XJ650 Maxim destined for the US marketplace. So starting with the 100101 number, we add 1,356 to it, and get: 101456 ( = 1,356 + 100,100).

Note that since the first unit of production was #100101, you 'start counting' at 100,100 rather than at 100,101. So our final VIN for this particular bike is: JYA4H7006BA101457 which, breaking it down into its component, meaningful parts again, is this: JYA -4H700- -6- -B- -A- -101457 Now, with all of the above in mind, we can see from the above 17-position VIN that most of the information that is USEFUL is really just the MODEL ID part (4H700), the year (B), and the unique serial number portion (101457). In fact, in the model ID part, since positions 4 and 5 were not used by Yamaha to designate anything at all, and thus are always '00', then really only the model ID part (4H7) contain any useful infromation: 4H7-the model identification portion, in this case meaning a 1980 or 1981 XJ650 Maxim. B-the model year, in this case 1981. 101457-the unique production number ('serial number') of this particular bike. And Here's Where We Go Backwards: From the example above, we see that although a full 17-position VIN number was required of Yamaha (and everyone else) beginning in 1981, all of the useful information contained in the 17-position VIN can just as easily be captured by a 'shorty' version of the VIN, just as Yamaha used prior to 1981: 4H7-101457 That smaller string of numbers, above, is what was considered a 'VIN' number for 1981 and prior years.

BUT WAIT!, I hear you cry.where is that useful piece of information called the 'YEAR'? (in the full 'long VIN', recall that the 10th position uses a letter code to designate the model YEAR, and in our example it's the letter 'B', since B = 1981). Good question. And here's the good answer: Recall this statement from above: 'For various reasons, Yamaha assigned a range of serial numbers for each bike year and model, and these numbers did not start with the number 000001.'

Well, one of those reasons is that by assigning a defined RANGE of unique serial numbers to each year and model of bike, that unique serial number not only identifies the individual unit of production (thus completely serving the 'serial number, DNA-fingerprint' purpose of that number), but also serves as a way of identifying the year of production, too! Here, as an example, for the 1980 and 1981 XJ650 Maxim (4H7) models, we have: 1980: starting serial number of 0: starting serial number of 100101 Thus, if you come across this shorty VIN: 4H7-021338 then you know that since the 'serial number' is less than the number 100,101 (which is the starting serial number for 1981 models), then it's a 1980 XJ650 Maxim. But when you see this shorty VIN, as from our 'Build-A-Bike' example above: 4H7-101457 then since that serial number is greater than the '100101' starting point for 1981 model year bikes, then you automatically know that it's a 1981 (and not a 1980) '4H7' bike (an XJ650 Maxim). And In Confusion, Whoops, I Meant 'Conclusion': Because the rules changed in 1981, and forced vehicle builders to use a structured, standardized 17-position format for the VIN, the 1980 and 1981 model bikes can have both the long or the short (or both) VIN numbers on the bike.

SR125

With a little bit of additional information (the serial number range), you can fully 'translate' the shorty VIN into the longer 17-position VIN. The longer VIN is standardized, and I suppose that's good; and it also explicitly codes the model year (in the 10th position), which is really the ONLY feature that the shorty VIN does not clearly encode.

Now, onto the burning questions. Where on my bike is this long, or short, or any other VIN's?: I don't have the slightest idea. Just kidding. The number(s) are in at least two places, and on most bikes, three locations: 1) On the right side of the steering 'neck' or tube (or 'head pipe' as it is sometimes called), you'll find stamped the shorty VIN (1980 and early-1982 models) or the full 17-positions VIN (late-1981 and later years) is stamped, vertically, into the frame tube.

2) On the left side of the steering 'neck' or tube, there will be a white printed decal that will have the full 17-position VIN, along with typical boilerplate 'conforms with regulations blah-blah-blah' wording. NOTE: it is on this decal, and only on this decal, that the date of your bike's manufacture is also printed, in a MM/YY format (i.e. 10/81 = October 1981 = a 1982 model year bike). Note that for late-1981 year bikes and on, that the full 17-position VIN number appears on both the left-side decal and right-side stamping of the frame's steering neck tube. On some later model bikes-primarily late-model XJ900 models-this ID 'decal' became a metal plate that was rivited to the right side frame down-tube. 3) On the engine case, just behind or beside the clutch cover on the right side of the engine, on a small, flat machined pad that faces up (towards the sky).

On XJ550 models, this pad is oriented left-to-right on the engine case, while on all other models it is oriented front-to-back. What will you find on this pad? The 'shorty' VIN, as described previously. In our 1981 XJ650 Maxim, example, this flat pad would have this number stamped into it (as long as the engine is the original engine that came with the bike): 4H7-101457 Note that it does not matter what year your bike is; even after 1981, the number stamped onto this engine case pad is ALWAYS the 'shorty VIN' number, and never the 17-position VIN. From our discussion above, it is clear that if the engine in the bike is the original engine, then this number on the engine case will match, exactly, the shorty VIN on the right side of frame neck tube (1980 to early-1981 models), or, working backwards, to the model ID (4H7) and unique serial number (101457) of the longer VIN on 1982-later models.

Also, in situations where the engine has been replaced, you can actually figure out not only what engine it is (from the shorty VIN stamped onto the engine case), but you can actually work out the actual VIN number of the bike that such engine came from! All you need to know is the model ID codes (listed below), the serial number ranges (also listed below), and from that you can figure out the YEAR of the engine (and thus the bike).giving you that 'missing' bit of information that the full 17-position VIN does explicitly code for.and then, using the 'check digit' computation routine, you can actually calculate the full, complete VIN for the bike that an engine came from!

Now that's some kinda special party trick, you gotta admit! Some Other Semi-Useful Tidbits Of Information About VIN's:. In order to avoid visual confusion errors, the letters I, O, and Q are not allowed in any position of a 1981-later VIN. In order to avoid visual confusion errors, the characters U, Z, and 0 (zero) are not used for the model-year designation (the 10th position); however, the letters U and Z and the number 0 can be used in any other positions of the VIN. Although you didn't ask, here is how you calculate the 'check digit' that is in position #9 in the VIN: A) All letters and characters in the long VIN are assigned a numerical value. Numbers, of course, keep their like-value (i.e. 1 = 1, 5 = 5, etc.) Letters are assigned the numerical values as follows: 1 = A or J 2 = B, K, or S 3 = C, L, or T 4 = D, M, or U 5 = E, N, or V 6 = F or W 7 = G, P, or X 8 = H or Y 9 = R or Z B) A multiplication factor is assigned to each VIN character position: 1st position: x8 2nd position: x7 3rd position: x6 4th position: x5 5th position: x4 6th position: x3 7th position: x2 8th position: x10 9th position: unknown, this is what you're trying to figure out!

10th position: x9 11th position: x8 12th position: x7 13th position: x6 14th position: x5 15th position: x4 16th position: x3 17th position: x2 C) Okay, now convert the 17-position VIN to the numerical value as outlined in 'A' above: JYA4H700?BA101457 (the? Is the check digit we're trying to calculate) becomes, from the coding routine in 'A' above: 1811457 and multiply each position value by the multiplication factor in 'B' above: 1st position: 1 x8 = 8 2nd position: 8 x7 = 56 3rd position: 1 x6 = 6 4th position: 4 x5 = 20 5th position: 8 x4 = 32 6th position: 7 x3 = 21 7th position: 0 x2 = 0 8th position: 0 x10 = 0 9th position: unknown, this is what you're trying to figure out! 10th position: 2 x9 = 18 11th position: 1 x8 = 8 12th position: 1 x7 = 7 13th position: 0 x6 = 0 14th position: 1 x5 = 5 15th position: 4 x4 = 16 16th position: 5 x3 = 15 17th position: 7 x2 = 14 D) Now, add up all those sums from above: 8 + 56 + 6 + 20 + 32 + 21 + 0 + 0 + 18 + 8 + 7 + 0 + 5 + 16 + 15 + 14 = 226 Divide the sum (226) by 11 and note what the 'remainder' is: 226 divided by 11 = 20 with a 'remainder' of 6.here, I'd forgotten basic math, too, so here's what a 'remainder' is!: 226 divided by 11 is 20.5455, but the '.5455' part is not important. What IS important is that 11 x 20 = 220, and the 'remainder' is 6 (because 220 + 6 is = 226). The 'remainder' is the amount 'left over' when you are using just whole numbers, no decimal places or fractions allowed.

So the check digit for this VIN is 6: JYA4H7006BA101457 By the way, if the calculations for a particular VIN leaves a 'remainder' of 10 or more, then the check digit becomes the letter 'X'. NOW MY BRAIN HURTS.PLEASE STOP!: No, you're doing really good! And now we're going to get to the devil-details. NOW you're gonna' become a full-fledged XJ Fanatic! Here's a review of the YEAR CODES in the 10th position of the full 17-position VIN's: A = 1980 B = 1981 C = 1982 D = 1983 E = 1984 F = 1985 G = 1986 and so on. Well, in the time before 1981-when there was no 17-position VIN's, and thus no 'year codes' as defined above-Yamaha did have a way to 'code' the year model of their bikes. Truth Be Told, they actually had two different ways.

The first method, we've already reviewed: the 'serial number range' method. For the people who had access to, or just flat-out memorized serial number ranges by bike model, this method works fine. Remember this?: 'For various reasons, Yamaha assigned a range of serial numbers for each bike year and model, and these numbers did not start with the number 000001. 1980: starting serial number of 0: starting serial number of 100101' Sure you do. Now, since most people weren't about to memorize serial number ranges, a second method was devised by Yamaha to code the year model into an easy-to-understand code. In naming their bikes, Yamaha would refer to bikes by their MODEL NAME (i.e.

XJ550, XJ650, etc.) and then add a-you guessed it-a LETTER CODE to the end of the model name, as such: XJ550H XJ750J XJ900RK Unfortunately, the letter codes used in this manner bear no relation to the letter codes used in the 17-position VIN schemes. Here's the Yamaha letter codes: A = 1974 B = 1975 C = 1976 D = 1977 E = 1978 F = 1979 G = 1980 H = 1981 J = 1982 K = 1983 L = 1984 N = 1985 S = 1986 A couple of things to note here: a) Prior to 1974, no code was used to designate the model year. B) The letter I is skipped from the 1981-1982 sequence. C) The letter M is skipped from the 1984-1985 sequence. D) The letter O, P, Q, and R are skipped from the 1985-1986 sequence. So the Yamaha coding system for identifying a particular bike was the use of the MODEL NAME (XJ550, XJ750, etc.) and then adding a year 'suffix' at the end: XJ550H is a 1981 XJ550 Maxim (the letter 'H' = 1981) XJ750J is a 1982 XJ750 Maxim (the letter 'J' = 1982) XJ900RK is a 1983 XJ900 Seca (the letter 'K' = 1983) Uh-oh.that last one is a bit confusing (there's two suffixes.R and K).

Well, to distinguish between a regular Maxim model and a Seca (or other) model, Yamaha also used other suffixes: nothing = a regular base model (Maxim is the base model in the USA and Canada) R = Seca C = could mean Canadian, or could mean California. M = Midnight version of a Maxim, if it's an XJ750, but 'L' if it's an XJ650 model, unless, of course, it's a 1982 or 1983 XJ650 model, in which case 'L' refers to the Turbo Seca model, and.

L = any one of a number of different things. I think the best thing we can say is that 'perhaps it's better than nothing'. The key point to remember is the letter codes above refer to the years. IF YOU ORDER RIGHT NOW, WE'LL THROW IN A FREE MODEL ID CODES BOOKLET.

Okay, from the above you can see what the Yamaha coding of the model and year was in their 'marketing' descriptions of their bikes. But there's another way, too.the MODEL ID CODE.

You've actually already been exposed to it within the VIN section previously; now, let's get serious about these codes! The Model ID Codes are just another way of using a short code to substitute for a longer description. In our original example, '4H7' is a shorthand way or expressing 1980 or 1981 XJ650 Maxim model.

Here's the list of 3-position MODEL ID CODES for North American models. OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY.: There's one other thing you need to know, but don't really want to know (I'm already ducking for cover as I write this.). It muddies the waters, it puts a fly in the ointment, and a monkey-wrench in the works, etc. It's sad, but it's true, so here goes: Remember way back when, we were talking about the long 17-position VIN, and we referred to positions 4-8 as the vehicle's 'characteristics' field: 'The next 5-position field ('45678') identifies the vehicle characteristics, such a body style, engine type, MODEL, 'platform', series, etc. Since Yamaha only identified these era bikes by their general MODEL TYPE, this field is always populated by the 3-position model (5N8, 5G2, 4H7, etc.) followed by two zeros (thus 5N800, 5G200, 4H700, etc.). Although Yamaha could have coded engine size, or paint color, or whatever else they wanted to into those extra two positions, they chose not to, and thus they are always filled with zeros.' Note that pesky word 'platform'.

It has now come back to haunt us. For a car, a 'platform' refers to the basic standardized frame or unibody, and as you probably realize, many cars in the same 'family' from a manufacturer all share the same basic frame, but with different body features (sheetmetal, trim, interiors, etc.) tacked on to create a different model. Well, the same thought kinda-sorta applies to motorcycles, too.and in the two-wheeled word, the 'platform' is the basic motorcycle frame. The same frame can be used to create any number of different models. For example, think of a Midnight Maxim: it's the same as the standard Maxim model that it's based upon, but with a special paint scheme and other minor feature differences. HOWEVER, from a marketing point of view, it's a different 'model', and thus carries a different MODEL NAME and a different MODEL ID code.

But it's the same frame underneath. And VIN's always carry the FRAME ID CODE within their sequence, rather than the MODEL ID CODE. THE FULL MONTY: Okay, what follows is the whole, fine kettle of fish, with all of the Model ID Codes, Frame ID Codes, frame serial number ranges, and Model Names all rolled into one chart. With this information at hand, you can properly identify your bike (or any other XJ-series bike) that you come across with absolute certainty.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY ORDER PARTS FOR YOUR BIKE, IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW WHICH MODEL YOU ACTUALLY HAVE, AS THERE CAN BE SUBTLE OR MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VARIOUS MODELS OF OTHERWISE SIMILAR BIKES! Also, please note that certain models, such as the XJ250, XJ400, and XJ500 models, while being very similar to their larger North American 'brothers', were never offered in the USA or Canadian marketplace, and therefore are not covered in much (if any) detail in our product listings (and unfortunately we do not have the product interchange information available for those models). FINALLY: although many other Yamaha series of bikes from this era, such as the XS-series, XV-series, and others may have used some parts that are interchangeable with the XJ-series models, we generally do NOT have such information available. In many instances, parts that may seem to be 'the same' between various model lines may indeed be the same parts, but most times there are small variations in design, fit, or specifications that make such components not suitable for interchange between different series of bikes. XJ250 Models 1984 XJ250 MODELS: COUNTRY: GUAM MODEL NAME: XJ250L STREET NAME: 1984 XJ250 MODEL ID CODE: 49W FRAME ID: 5K5 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 200101 XJ400 Models NOTE: many XJ400 models were styled and equipped almost exactly like the North American XJ550 Seca model, but used the small 400cc YICS engine. 1980 XJ400 MODELS: COUNTRY: JAPAN MODEL NAME: XJ400 STREET NAME: 1980 XJ400 MODEL ID CODE: FRAME ID: SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: unknown NOTE: the very first 'XJ' series bike made, exclusive to the Japanese marketplace, although some probably escaped to New Zealand and Australia.

Dual front disc brakes, dual rear shocks. Non-yics 389cc engine.

1981 XJ400 MODELS: NOTES: YICS added to the 389cc engine. The XJ400D version (Japan) has 4 mufflers (two on each side) and a black-painted engine. All but the XJ400 Special model are styled similar to the North American XJ550 Seca models, but came equipped with slotted dual front disc brakes. XJ550 Models NOTE: Although the North American market was treated to two different versions of the XJ550 model (Maxim and Seca versions), the rest of the world generally had only one version available, and that version is most similar to what is known as the XJ550 Seca model in North America. In addition, these 'overseas' versions came equipped with dual front disc brakes, swirly wheels, an oil cooler and the factory 'tail rail' which unfortunately was never offered on the USA or Canadian versions. Although not generally referred to in the overseas markets as 'Seca' models (since there was only one model available, there was no need to give it a 'name' needed to differentiate it between a base Maxim model), these overseas versions came equipped with the 'scalloped' design fuel tank, fuel gauge package, and other special components which are normally found in the North American XJ550 Seca models.

Also, although the XJ550 'evolved' over time into both the FJ600 and XJ600 bikes in various markets, these bikes-although sharing some features and components with the earlier XJ550 models-are different enough in most components and design to have very limited product or service interchange, and as such, are not listed nor covered by us. XJ650 Models NOTE: Although the North American market was treated to two major versions of the XJ650 model (Maxim and Seca versions), the rest of the world generally had only one version available, and that version is most similar to what is known as the XJ650RJ Seca model in North America. Although not generally referred to in the overseas markets as 'Seca' models (since there was only one model available, there was no need to give it a 'name' needed to differentiate it between a base Maxim model), these overseas versions came equipped with the dual front disc brakes, 'scalloped' design fuel tank, and other special components which are normally found in the North American XJ650RJ and XJ650RJC Seca models. NOTE: it has been suggested (but not fully verified) that some late-production 1982 XJ650RJ and RJC Seca model bikes came equipped from the factory with 750 engines (rather than 650 engines). All 750 engines are YICS engines, of course; so if your XJ650RJ/RJC bike has a YICS engine in it, it would be wise to check and make sure that it is indeed a 650 engine rather than a 750 engine.this can be easily determined by looking on the forward side of the cylinder 'jugs' casting. Along the centerline of the cylinders, towards the top edge (at the mating surface between top of jugs and bottom of head) will be the engine cc displacement cast into the metal. 1980 XJ650 MODELS: COUNTRY: USA MODEL NAME: XJ650G Maxim STREET NAME: 1980 XJ650 Maxim-I MODEL ID CODE: 4H7 FRAME ID: 4H7 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 USA MSRP PRICE: $ 2,749.00 COUNTRY: CANADA MODEL NAME: XJ650G Maxim STREET NAME: 1980 XJ650 Maxim-I MODEL ID CODE: 4H8 FRAME ID: 4H8 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ650 STREET NAME: 1980 XJ650 MODEL ID CODE: 4K0 FRAME ID: 4K0 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: styling and features the same as North American XJ650RJ Seca model, has dual front disc brakes, an oil cooler, and uses the non-YICS 653cc engine.

COUNTRY: JAPAN MODEL NAME: XJ650 Special STREET NAME: 1980 XJ650 Special MODEL ID CODE: 4L6 FRAME ID: 4L6 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: styling the same as North American XJ650 Maxim model. XJ700 Models NOTE: The North American market was treated to two different versions of the 'XJ700' models; the USA only received the smaller 700cc version of these bikes (due to the “Harley Tariff” on bikes 750cc or larger), while the Canadian market received both the XJ700cc and XJ750cc-engine versions.

In addition, these bikes were produced in both a standard air-cooled version, and in a high-performance 'Maxim-X' series that featured the 5-valves per cylinder 'Genesis' engine, and these 'X' models also featured a water-cooled engine block system. Rumor has it that not all of the XJ700 air-cooled models were able to be sold in the USA, and that a good number of them were re-exported (new) to the European market for re-sale sometime in the late 80’s.

Besides the engine-size and type differences, both the USA or Canadian versions are basically identical in design and features. The XJ750-engine versions of this bike (Canadian-only) are listed further below in the 'XJ750 Models' section. ALL of the water-cooled, XJ750-engine versions of this 'XJ700' style bike were the water-cooled versions and were 'Maxim-X' models. XJ750 Models NOTE: Although the North American market was treated to three different versions of the XJ750 model (Maxim/Midnight Maxim, Seca, and the previously mentioned XJ750 Maxim-X versions), the rest of the world generally had only one version available, and that version is most similar to what is known as the XJ750 Seca model in North America. Although not generally referred to in the overseas markets as a 'Seca' model (since there was only one model available, there was no need to give it a 'name' needed to differentiate it between a base Maxim model), these overseas versions came equipped with the 'scalloped' design fuel tank, gauge package, and other special components which are normally found in the North American XJ750 Seca models.

1981 XJ750 MODELS: COUNTRY: USA MODEL NAME: XJ750RH STREET NAME: 1981 XJ750 Seca MODEL ID CODE: 5G2 FRAME ID: 5G2 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 USA MSRP PRICE: $ 3,150.00 COUNTRY: CANADA MODEL NAME: XJ750RH STREET NAME: 1981 XJ750 Seca MODEL ID CODE: 5H2 FRAME ID: 5H2 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 COUNTRY: UNITED KINGDOM MODEL NAME: XJ750 STREET NAME: 1981 XJ750 MODEL ID CODE: 5N1 FRAME ID: 5N1 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: styling and features the same as North American XJ750 Seca model, has dual front disc brakes and an oil cooler. COUNTRY: JAPAN MODEL NAME: XJ750A STREET NAME: 1981 XJ750 MODEL ID CODE: 5G8 FRAME ID: 5G8 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: uses the 750cc engine in the XJ650RJ frame, and looks like the North American XJ750 Seca, and comes equipped with an oil cooler. MODEL NAME: XJ750E STREET NAME: 1981 XJ750 MODEL ID CODE: 5G9 FRAME ID: 5G8 SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 010101 NOTE: this model uses the 750cc engine in the XJ650RJ Seca frame and styling. XJ900 Models NOTE: Although available in the North American market for only one year (1983), the XJ900 models were actually the longest-running production version of any XJ-series bike of this era, and since so many of the sales of these bikes occurred in the 'overseas' markets, it is hard to gather and portray information on many of those models (since we here in the USA generally do not have access to those sources of information).

However, here are some general guidelines on these bikes that may perhaps prove interesting, if not valuable: Most 1983-84 XJ900 models had an 853cc engine, which was later increased in size to an 891cc engine in late 1984-on. The North American XJ900RK model used the 853cc engine. All of the 1983 and some early 1984 XJ900RK and XJ900RL models had an anti-dive front suspension system and DeCarbon remote-canister rear shock absorbers, both of which were eliminated on the later models.

The 1983 XJ900RK models had a fork-mounted front fairing, which was prone to cause high-speed stability problems. The 1984-later models had a new, larger frame-mounted fairing, and some models were also fitted with a front 'belly pan' surrounding the lower front exhaust header pipes and engine case area. 1983 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: USA MODEL NAME: XJ900RK STREET NAME: 1983 XJ900 Seca MODEL ID CODE: 35H FRAME ID: 35H SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 USA MSRP PRICE: $ 3,699.00 NOTE: 853cc engine, handlebar-mounted fairing.

COUNTRY: CANADA MODEL NAME: XJ900RK STREET NAME: 1983 XJ900 Seca MODEL ID CODE: 31E FRAME ID: 31E SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 853cc engine, handlebar-mounted fairing. COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900F STREET NAME: 1983 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 31A FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 853cc engine, handlebar-mounted fairing, belly pan. MODEL NAME: XJ900F STREET NAME: 1983 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 32F FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 030101 NOTE: Switzerland. 853cc engine, handlebar-mounted fairing, belly pan. COUNTRY: OCEANIA MODEL NAME: XJ900U STREET NAME: 1983 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 33F FRAME ID: 33F SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 853cc engine, handlebar-mounted fairing. 1984 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1984 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 42R FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 032101 NOTE: Switzerland.

853cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1984 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 42N FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 034101 NOTE: 853cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. COUNTRY: OTHER MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1984 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 48G FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 003101 NOTE: Switzerland. 853cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. COUNTRY: OCEANIA MODEL NAME: XJ900RL STREET NAME: 1984 XJ900 Seca MODEL ID CODE: 47L FRAME ID: 33F SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 001101 NOTE: 853cc engine, frame-mounted fairing, belly pan. 1985 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 58L FRAME ID: 58L SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: Finland, Germany, Sweden, and England.

891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 1FW FRAME ID: 58L SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 010101 NOTE: France.

891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 1FW FRAME ID:??? SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 013101 NOTE: Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden. 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 58N FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 050101 NOTE: Switzerland. 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. COUNTRY: OCEANIA MODEL NAME: XJ900N STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 1FX FRAME ID: 1FX SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 891cc engine, no fairing.

MODEL NAME: XJ900FN STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 58M FRAME ID: 58M SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 891cc engine, 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing, non-air adjustable forks, non anti-dive system, belly pan. MODEL NAME: XJ900Police STREET NAME: 1985 XJ900 Police Special MODEL ID CODE: 53M FRAME ID: 33F SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 005101 NOTE: 853cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. 1986 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1986 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 1FW FRAME ID: 58L SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 013101 NOTE: France.

891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. 1987 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900F STREET NAME: 1987 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 2HL FRAME ID: 58L SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 020101 NOTE: Greece. 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing, non-air adjustable forks, non anti-dive system, belly pan.

MODEL NAME: XJ900F STREET NAME: 1987 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 58N FRAME ID: 31A SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 051101 NOTE: Switzerland. 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing, non-air adjustable forks, non anti-dive system, belly pan.

COUNTRY: OTHER MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1987 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 2UR FRAME ID: 2UR SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. COUNTRY: OCEANIA MODEL NAME: XJ900T STREET NAME: 1987 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 2HM FRAME ID: 1FX SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 003101 NOTE: 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. 1989 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1989 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 3NG1 FRAME ID: 58L SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 029101 NOTE: 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. 1990 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900 STREET NAME: 1990 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 3NG2 FRAME ID: 58L SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 037101 NOTE: 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. 1991 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900F STREET NAME: 1991 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 4BB1 FRAME ID: 4BB SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 000101 NOTE: 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing.

1992 XJ900 MODELS: COUNTRY: EUROPE MODEL NAME: XJ900F STREET NAME: 1992 XJ900 MODEL ID CODE: 4BB2 FRAME ID: 4BB SERIAL NUMBER STARTS AT: 008101 NOTE: 891cc engine, frame-mounted fairing. NOTE: XJ900 models were sold off-and-on in other parts of the world up until 1994, and in some countries was marketed under the name of the XJ900S Diversion series of bikes.

THE TEST: Here are a couple of real XJ bike VIN's (mostly culled from bikes listed for sale from eBay). Go ahead and identify them for what they really are. 16G004078 JYA1FH009FA000241 JYA10M006CA004270 5G2-107546 JYA4U8004BA004890 For extra credit, determine the missing VIN 'check digit' in the following VIN's: JYA4H700?AA00638 JYA5K500?CA027661 JYA5V300?CA000432 Anyone who got all the answers correct should stay after class and clean the erasers.

CONCLUSIONS: If you're not confused yet, then you haven't studied carefully enough.