New guy here, XJ550 VIN numbers

Hi all,

Mike here from Western Michigan. Just tonight I picked up a 1982 XJ550, without a title :-( From what I understand, here in MI you can title a vehicle with only a bill of sale and a VIN number, but I'm having trouble getting the VIN off the bike. The sticker on the steering tube is damaged, so I can only make out some of the numbers. The stamped numbers on the steering tube and the engine read: 5K5-020856. The sticker has the same 020856 numbers at the very end of the number, but I can only make out part of the preceding letters/numbers. What I can make out is JYA(not quite 100% sure it's A) ...rip... 500 4 ...the rest is readable. Take a look at the pic attached showing the part of the VIN that I can't read. Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

- Mike in GR

 

Mikef, your full VIN would be:

JYA5K500?CA020856

where the question mark is a "check digit" computed mathematically.

You can read more than you ever wanted to know about all this over at:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=7541.html

including a link to a website that will take the rest of your VIN number (that I gave for you above) and calculate the correct check digit, so you can have a complete real VIN!

BTW, I believe the "4" is the check digit for your bike......

 

Hey, Len... I hate to be a pain but this stuff mystifies me completely. Can you hocus-pocus me a VIN for my Canadian Midnight Max 750, serial number : 22T-000208? I'm going to try to get papers for this bike soon so the VIN might come in handy... Thanks!

 

Well, it should be JYA (all of these era bikes begin with JYA) then the model number, (i.e. 22T or 5K5, etc.), then always 00, then the check digit (?), the the "year code" (A = 1980, B = 1981, C = 1982, D = 1983, E = 1984, F = 1985, G = 1986), then always the letter A, then the 6-digit unique "serial number" of your bike (which should match the six digits stamped on the engine case, behind the clutch cover, if your bike has the original engine in it).

So, for a Canadian 1983 XJ750 Midnight Maxim, we get:

JYA
22T (note: for some reason, I find two different lstings, one says 22T and the other says 33U, so you'd have to try it both ways)
00
?
D
A
xxxxxx <<< the 6-digits that are unique to your bike (000208 in your case)

Putting it all together makes:

JYA22T00?DA000208

or

JYA33U00?DA000208


Now go here:

www.kerrywilson.com/vin.htm

and you can get the full, true VIN.

 

Thanks chacal,

Now that I have the VIN I can go and get a title and registration and hit the road.

- Mike

 

Thanks, Len! That's some pretty good necromancy, that is... :wink: