Do The Numbers Match?

VIN # Location and General Information

Note On Altered VIN Numbers

Title Problems?

Model Year Designation All Years

Model Designation Sportster

Model Designation Four Speed Big Twin

Model Designation Five Speed Big Twin

Engine Types

V-Rod Models

Do the numbers match?

When you are buying a bike from someone, always, ALWAYS check the numbers on the
bike against the title. They must match EXACTLY. If you find a typographical error of the VIN # on the title it will have to be vin verified at the local DMV or maybe the local Highway Patrol Office. If you are registering in the same state as the title, it may not be too much trouble to
fix, but, on an out of state title you will most certainly be in for a major battle.

VIN Number Location & General Information

Mid 1930's - 1961

engine number is the VIN and is located on left case. no frame number

First two numbers are the year

Letters (up to four) are the model

last numbers are the production number

1962 - 1969

engine number is the VIN and is located on left case. no frame number

First two numbers are the year

Letters (up to four) are the model

last numbers are the production number

If production number has four digits, the first number will be even if the year is even, odd if the year is odd

If production number has five digits, the first two numbers will be even if the year is even, odd if the year is odd

1970 - 1980:

Numbers on both frame and engine. From the factory, the numbers on the frame and engine matched exactly*. (There is an exception to this. See "The 1979 Exception" below). The legal vin number is on the frame. This is a little confusing & is where many people get into trouble. Contrary to what many people think, on any Harley-Davidson® made from 1970 up, the title does not go with the engine. You could feasibly have mismatched numbers on the engine, (you can swap engines in your bike just like your car), & as long as the engine numbers have not been altered (read note below) or reported stolen it would be perfectly legal (although it may devalue the bike), But, the number on the title must match the frame. Example: you have a 1975 Shovelhead engine with a matching title in a custom frame with no numbers. If an educated cop checks the numbers, you are walking home. It will be confiscated on the spot. Well, your ole' buddy Rick has been running a bike like that for years & he has never had any problems.... Well guess what? bike thieves, drug dealers, & prostitutes who have never been busted........it doesn't mean what they were doing was legal.Oh yeah, another thing relating to this, some states ( Fl., CA., MI., etc. ) referred to as "frame states". As if to mean there are "engine states". or maybe "anything goes states" (admittedly, Alabama does come to mind).... No such thing. If you live in the U.S., your 1970 or later title better match your frame. When you're standing in the middle of the street, watching your bike swing from side to side on the back of a wrecker on it's way to the go back to the top of page go back to the Homepage Police impound yard

First two digits are model code

Third through seventh numbers are the production numbers (always five numbers over 10000)

last two digits are the year code

*The 1979 Exception

Oddly enough, on some 1979 bikes the engine number did not match the frame number. For only about a month, starting on production date 1/9/79 frame VIN 43000H9 and ending with production date 2/7/79 frame VIN 48199H9, the engine was numbered with a "crankcase number" instead of the VIN. This number did not match the VIN in any way. The example "crankcase number" given to me was ten digits long, & was all numbers with no letters. It did not look like any H.D. number I had ever seen. After "input was received" that the new numbering system would raise suspicion from dealers, insurance agencies, owners, cops, etc., Harley went back to the old system. Obviously, the title numbers must still match the frame.
Many thanks to Bagman for telling me about this, & sending me copies of the dealer service bulletin to verify it.

1981 and later:

17 digit vin# number on frame. abbreviated vin# on engine. Title must match the Frame number. Example: title & frame number is 1HD1BDK11BY123456. Engine # would be BDKB123456. All the things I said about 1970 - 1980 frame and engine legality apply here also.

Note On Altered Vin Numbers

It is now, & always has been, illegal to alter vehicle identification numbers in any way. An exception to this is that in the past it was fairly common for franchised dealers to renumber replacement engines. Every legitimate renumber job I have ever seen had the legible original numbers struck through with a line, and the new number stamped above or below. I have never seen, nor heard of, a dealer renumbered frame, though that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any. (I can't think of a legitimate reason to do a frame. A 1970-up factory replacement is numbered, and a 1970-up

Last two digits as described below are the year code

1981 And Later

10th digit as described below is the year code

Model Designation for Sportster®

1970 - 1980 Sportster®

First two digits are the model code

1981 - 1985 Sportster®

5th & 6th digits are the model code

1986 - 1987 Sportster®

5th, 6th and 7th digits are the model code

1988 - 2008 Sportster®

5th, 6th, and 7th digit is the model code

Four Speed Big Twin Model Designation

1970 - 1980 4 speed big twin

First two digits are the model code

1981 - 1985 Four Speed BigTwin

5th and 6th digits are the model code

Five Speed Big Twin Model Designation

1980 Five Speed Big Twin

First two digits are the model code

1981 5 Speed Big Twin

5th and 6th digits are the model code

1982 - 2008 Five Speed Big Twin (FL/FX &Dyna Glide Models)

5th and 6th digits are the model code

Engine Types

V-Rod Models

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