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VIN problem. 9th character rubbed off. can't register!

  • Thread starter Thread starter matt_gs450
  • Start date Start date
M

matt_gs450

Guest
Hi All,

My '81 450L has been registered since I bought it with a 16 character VIN. I think this is because the 9th character is unreadable (rubbed off by cables?) on the steering tube. The manufacture sticker is gone.

Everything was fine until Geico's computer system wouldn't re-register the insurance without a 17 character VIN. The agent at Geico simply added an extra character to the end of the VIN in her system to get around the problem.

Unfortunately, the CA DMV does a computer check to make sure the registration VIN and insurance VIN match. I just got a letter saying my registration's been revoked.

I'm hoping that the 9th character for all '81 450Ls is the same. I have an '81 450L parts bike, and the VIN does match up to the 10th character. Here are the VINs:

JS1GL51LXB2100040 (parts bike)
JS1GL51L_B2100155 (bike with missing character)

It certainly appears that the missing character should be an X. If I can get documentary proof of this, I'm sure I can fix the registration problem.

If anyone has an '81 450L, could you please let me know if you're VIN matches my parts bike up until the 9th character?

Has anyone else had this problem in California and what evidence did you need to get around it?

Thanks,
Matt
 
According to this site, the 9th digit is the "check digit" and also according to the site, the 10th character is the year code.

http://www.suzukicycles.org/_misc/identification.shtml

The site doesn't say that the check digit will be the same for the same model and year of motorcycle though. And I can't really bring a printout of a web page to the DMV. I'll keep looking around.

-Matt
 
Not sure if this is pertinent or not but the Check Digit on cars varies from numbers 0-9 and X.
 
Take the bike & your paper work to the CHP inspection station, (need to make an appt) If they think everything is OK they will issue a new vin # & sticker for the frame

The inspection is $50 last I heard
 
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Wrap a piece of clean paper around the neck where the # is. Take a pencil and with side of the lead run it up and down on the paper and see if you can get the number to appear.
It used to work on old Civil War graves that you couldn't read anymore.:shock:
 
You don't have a title with the vin number on it for the bike?
 
Just took a look at the title for my 81 GS450 and it shows a 1 instead of an X. (JS1Gl51L1B2............)
In your case though, I would be inclined to predict the missing character is X as you said.
Earl


matt_gs450 said:
Hi All,

My '81 450L has been registered since I bought it with a 16 character VIN. I think this is because the 9th character is unreadable (rubbed off by cables?) on the steering tube. The manufacture sticker is gone.

Everything was fine until Geico's computer system wouldn't re-register the insurance without a 17 character VIN. The agent at Geico simply added an extra character to the end of the VIN in her system to get around the problem.

Unfortunately, the CA DMV does a computer check to make sure the registration VIN and insurance VIN match. I just got a letter saying my registration's been revoked.

I'm hoping that the 9th character for all '81 450Ls is the same. I have an '81 450L parts bike, and the VIN does match up to the 10th character. Here are the VINs:

JS1GL51LXB2100040 (parts bike)
JS1GL51L_B2100155 (bike with missing character)

It certainly appears that the missing character should be an X. If I can get documentary proof of this, I'm sure I can fix the registration problem.

If anyone has an '81 450L, could you please let me know if you're VIN matches my parts bike up until the 9th character?

Has anyone else had this problem in California and what evidence did you need to get around it?

Thanks,
Matt
Click to expand...
 
last ditch method

last ditch method

1. Find a friendly, helpful Suzuki dealer.
2. Ask them to try running the VIN # you have, plugging in #'s 0-9 in the last position. It's a pain so a couple of pepporoni pizzas, 3 dozen homemade brownies or case of beer might help her.

They can see all VIN #s and match the one that mates up with your engine #/

3. Now that they helped you be sure to shop there even if you can get stuff cheaper online! Ain't nothing more useful than a dealer who sees you as a friend as well as a customer.

Good luck!
 
The position of the missing character may be a letter or number.

Earl


suzukizone said:
1. Find a friendly, helpful Suzuki dealer.
2. Ask them to try running the VIN # you have, plugging in #'s 0-9 in the last position. It's a pain so a couple of pepporoni pizzas, 3 dozen homemade brownies or case of beer might help her.

They can see all VIN #s and match the one that mates up with your engine #/

3. Now that they helped you be sure to shop there even if you can get stuff cheaper online! Ain't nothing more useful than a dealer who sees you as a friend as well as a customer.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
 
Hi All,

Yes I had the bike registered, but since it was bought two years ago, it was registered with the 16 character VIN. In other words, the DMV system didn't have a problem with a short VIN. There was no issue until Geico required 17 characters at which point the DMV saw the mismatch and here I am.

Chef, I'll try your trick but I've looked with a magnifying glass, and tried a few other things, and I just can't see the missing character.

The dealership route: I'll try but those guys never seem to want to talk to me. I'll buy a couple oil filters to sweeten them up.

I'll check out the CHP website and see about an inspection. Hope to have this cleared up shortly.

Thanks for your help,
Matt
 
Try looking on Wikipedia under "Vehicle Identification Number." They have a "check digit calculator" under that post. I can't vouch for the accuracy of Wikipedia, but that calculator looks interesting. It's probably right.
 
Matt have you tried punching in all possible combinations into a site like carfax,com or experian,com I know when I bought my bike on ebay I used experian and my bikes information was accessible.
 
QuaiChangKane said:
Shouldn't it match the engine VIN?
Click to expand...
No, they seldom match. In fact, the formats are entirely different.
The engine number's format is simply GS850-156486, but the frame shows the 17-digit number like the one you listed.

For example, the last parts of our '82 850 are:
156486 - engine
103910 - frame

our '82 650:
125972 - engine
102770 - frame


.
 
Steve said:
No, they seldom match. In fact, the formats are entirely different.
The engine number's format is simply GS850-156486, but the frame shows the 17-digit number like the one you listed.

For example, the last parts of our '82 850 are:
156486 - engine
103910 - frame

our '82 650:
125972 - engine
102770 - frame


.
Click to expand...

17 digit vin coding started in 1981. Previous to that it was different - for example: GS450 - XXXXX where XXXXX = Serial number.
 
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Chef, I tried to enter all possible VINs into Carfax (0 - 9, A - Z) with no results. Weird. I guess the bike never existed with a 17 character VIN. All I can say is... THANKS A LOT GEICO! It's not so easy a caveman can do it.

I'll make an appointment with the dreaded DMV next week and see what options they give me.

Something I've started to think about is stripping my parts bike and putting the working drivetrain and electronics from the bad VIN bike onto it.
 
IS this number worn off a sticker or are the characters that were stamped into the steel worn off?
 
If the bike was previously registered in the same state as it is currently you should be able to check the records for the bike as it was registered unde rhte previous owner.

One assumes someone in the trail of ownership had all the proper chars. in sequence plugged into some festering dmv database.

Do you know th eprevious owner or their name at least?
 
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