Quesiton about serial # on frame and engine

[pimpazzberetta]

I have a question about the serial number on frame and engine. I bought a used 2000 400ex 2 months ago. Over the course of the winter I have been rebuilding it. Started to touch up the frame with some paint and noticed the plate that holds the frame vin is all mashed up. Mashed up really bad due to the previous owner/s having no bumper on the front. Looks like someone hit a rock or something. Basicallay the whole vin is no longer readable.

I would like to registure the ex for trail riding but have no idea how to do so, without having the whole frame serial #. I have the serial number on the engine, but it does not match the digits I can still read on the frame. What do the engine serial numbers represent anyways? Why dont they match the frame?

[northwest Texas]

The frame will have the main identification # and the engine will have a separate # to identify it. Anytime a vin is asked for, the frame would be the one to go by.

As for your's being all mashed up, I think you might get enough information off the link below to make do. In the articles section of this site they have a "how to decode VIN"

http://www.atvriders.com/articles/vincharthonda.html

[pimpazzberetta]

What do the digits on the engine serial mean, and is there a way to decode them? I'm wondering if this engine even came with this frame now.

[northwest Texas]

The engine # will not be the same as the frame VIN, they're separate. Just like on a vehicle, the main VIN will not be the same as the engine.


I don't know how to decode the engine. I'm fixing to go back to the country and I'll look at mine and get back to you tonight but I was thinking it's only #'s, no letters.

Even if it not's the origional, I wouldn't be worried about it. That's pretty much irrelevent, no reason to be concerned.

[pimpazzberetta]

I guess the only thing that concers me is that I didnt get a stolen engine or something like that. Just my luck to go out riding and get stopped, have my engine serial number ran and start up a mess for something I didn't even know about.

[northwest Texas]

I would be worried more of the whole quad being stolen than just the engine. Chances are the engine VIN has not been noted like the frame VIN.

How many of the last digits can you read?

[pimpazzberetta]

I've got 7 of them that are readable.