Harley-Davidson Motorcycle VIN Lookup & Decoder Chart

How to Determine Which Year & Model Harley You Own

The first step to getting the right parts and modifications done to your motorcycle, is knowing what you have. If you have ever walked into your local auto parts store, you know this to be true. As soon as you ask for a particular part, the clerk behind the counter starts the rapid-fire questions that help determine what you actually have.

For modern vehicles, identifying this information is straightforward—typically found on the driver’s door. However, Harley-Davidson motorcycles require a different approach. These bikes are stamped with unique identifiers and VINs, and the location of these Harley VIN codes has evolved over the years. By using a Harley-Davidson VIN decoder or Harley VIN lookup tool, you can retrieve details like the year, model, and even specific attributes of your bike.

Kevin Spence's 1953 Panhead build

This article provides a comprehensive Harley-Davidson VIN lookup and VIN decoding tool to help you identify your bike accurately. For further details on model codes, refer to our guide on Deciphering Harley-Davidson Model Designation Codes. 

Thanks to Willie's Harley Parts and Abby's VIN Decoder for their previous work which was a major source of data while compiling this article!

Vintage Harley-Davidson VIN Numbers & Locations

The very early models 1903-1909 did not have a stamping for identification. The very first Harley Davidson models were simply identified by what they were. It’s not like today’s world where you are sifting through a variety of different models.

Danny McGill's 1910 Harley-Davidson as seen at Fuel Cleveland - Photo by: David Carlo

In 1910 the practice of stamping the motor was implemented. The bike model was identified by the 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6E and then the series number which was a range between 4200-7600.

This was the first year to have the belt idler and the HD bar and shield logo with the word “trademark”. This same method was used for all the bikes moving forward until the late 1960’s.

Harley-Davidson Anti-Theft Codes

In 1962 Harley-Davidson started stamping anti-theft numbers on the left side of the neck, in addition to other places such as triple trees, and transmissions. The anti-theft number starts with a letter and is followed by four numbers. These were tied to a VIN and were an effort to help identify stolen motorcycles or parts, however, they are not a VIN themselves and are not used for titling a motorcycle.

What Year Did Harley Start Putting A VIN On The Frame?

1970. The 1970 model year motorcycles were the first that had a matching VIN number on the frame that corresponded to the VIN found on the engine of the bike.

Chris Vaccaro's Harley-Davidson 1936 RL at Fuel Cleveland. Photo by: David Carlo

The Harley-Davidson VIN Code Decoder

1930 - 1969 Harley-Davidson VIN Decoder

From 1930 to 1969 the VIN’s on Harley-Davidson Motorcycles were sorted as follows (from left to right):

The first two numbers designated the year of the motorcycle. The following letters represented the models, and the last numbers are the production numbers.

Models built from 1930 to 1969:
G , GE - Servi Car Side valve 45 cubic inch three-wheeler, 1932 to 1972
E , EL - Overhead valve 61 cubic inch
F , FL - Overhead valve 74 cubic inch
K - Side valve 45 and 55 cubic inch
U , UL - Side valve 74 or 80 cubic inch
V , VL - Side valve 74 cubic inch made prior to 1936
W , WL - Side valve 45 cubic inch made 1934 to 1952

1970 - 1980 Harley Davidson VIN Decoder

In 1970, things get little more complicated. The addition of new models and the involvement of the government pushed Harley to come up with a different system that includes codes that represent a model.

These 9-character alpha numeric VIN codes are stamped on both the engine and the frame. The first two characters represent the model code. This is a number and alpha character.

This 1972 XLCH 1000 you can find the vin on the right side of the frame. 4A19006H2
4A = XLCH-1000
19006 = production number
H2 = 1972

The next 5 digits represent the production numbers, and the last two characters represent the model year. This is an alpha numeric code. This is the system that was used from 1970-1980.

NOTE: In 1979 there was a small collection of bikes that were produced with non-conforming engine numbers. The factory caught the issue but not before some of the bikes were out on the market. The production range from 1/9/79 to 2/7/79 has VINs in the range from 43000H9 through 48199H9. These were the only exceptions during this time period.

1981 - 2000 Harley Davidson 17 Digit VIN Decoder

In 1981 Harley moved to a 17-digit VIN code. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine. This code and sequence remained unchanged through the year 2000.

An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1BFK11BY127956

• The first digit represents where the bike was made. 1 = USA
• The following HD represents Harley-Davidson.
• The fourth digit represents the weight class. 1 = Heavy Weight, 4 = Light Weight, 8 = Sidecar.
• The next two characters represent the model. (see Model Code Chart below).
• The 7th digit represents the engine type (see Engine Codes Chart below).
• The 8th digit represents the introduction date. 1 = Regular,  2 =Mid-year, January, 3 = California Special, 4 = Daytona, March
• The 9th digit is a check digit. If you don’t know what a check digit is, it is simply a digit to make sure the entire string is valid.
• The 10th digit is the year of manufacturer.
• The 11th digit is the assembly plant the bike was made in. Y = York, PA, T = Tomahawk, J = Milwaukee, K = Kansas City.
• The 12th to 17th digits are the production numbers.

Stacey Hearn's 1997 Sportster, see the abbreviated version of the vin is stamped on the motor. Photo from Fuel Cleveland by David Carlo.

 
Built by Led Sled Customs this 1992 custom Sportster, you can see the abbreviated vin stamped in the side of the motor.

2001 - 2009 Harley Davidson 17 Digit VIN Decoder

In 2001 - 2009 Harley kept the 17-digit VIN code, with some small changes. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine.

An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1DJV131Y123456

• The first digit represents where the bike was made. 1 = USA, 5 = International
• The following HD represents Harley-Davidson.
• The fourth digit represents the weight class. 1 = Heavy Weight, 4 = Light Weight, 8 = Sidecar.
• The next two characters represent the model. (see Model Code Chart below).
• The 7th digit represents the engine type (see Engine Code Chart below).
• The 8th digit represents the introduction date. 1 = Regular Introduction, 2 = Mid Year (January), 3 = California Model (Regular introduction), 4 = Anniversary Model, 5 = Special Edition Solo (California - regular introduction), 6 = Special Edition (California - mid year introduction)
• The 9th digit is a check digit. Can be 0 – 9 or X
• The 10th digit is the year of manufacturer. 1 – 9 = 2001 – 2009, respectively.
• The 11th digit is the assembly plant the bike was made in. Y = York, PA, T = Tomahawk, J = Milwaukee, K = Kansas City.
• The 12th-17th digits are the production numbers.

Saturday Sportster is a 2003 Sportster - Vin 1HD4CAM153K455127
1HD = USA HD
4 = Light Weight
CA = XL883
M = 883 EVO
1 = Regular Intro
5 = Check digit
3 = 2003
K = Kansas City
455127 = Production Number 

2010 to 2018 Harley Davidson 17 Digit VIN Decoder

In 2010 and later Harley kept the 17-digit VIN code, but there are again some changes to note. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine just like previous models. This year range excludes M8 engine motorcycles, check out the 2018 & later VIN info below for M8.

An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1DJV131Y123456

• The first 3 digits represent where the bike was made. (see Origin Codes Chart below)
• The fourth digit represents the weight class. 1 = Heavy Weight, 4 = Light Weight, 8 = Sidecar.
• The next two characters represent the model (see Model Code Chart below).
• The 7th digit represents the engine type (see Engine Codes Chart below).
• The 8th digit represents the introduction date (see Introduction Date Chart below).
• The 9th digit is a check digit. Can be 0 – 9 or X
• The 10th digit is the year of manufacturer. A – E = 2010 – 2014, respectively.
• The 11th digit is the assembly plant (see chart)
• The 12th-17th digits are the production numbers.

2018 to current Harley Davidson M8 17 Digit VIN Decoder

Starting in 2018 there are some changes to the 17 digin VIN with the Harley-Davidson M8 powered models. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine just like previous models.

An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1YKC13KB123456

• The first 3 digits represent where the bike was made. (see Origin Codes Chart below)
• The 4th digit represents the weight class. 1 = Heavy Weight, 4 = Light Weight, 8 = Sidecar.
• The 5th & 6th characters represent the model (see Model Code Chart below).
• The 7th digit represents the engine type (see Engine Codes Chart below).
• The 8th digit represents the introduction date (see Introduction Date Chart below).
• The 9th digit is a check digit. Can be 0 – 9 or X
• The 10th digit is the year of manufacturer. I - O = 2017 – 2023, respectively. (I = 2017, J = 2018, K = 2019, L = 2020 etc)
• The 11th digit is the assembly plant (see chart)
• The 12th-17th digits are the production numbers.

Endijs Willow's 2018 Milwuakee 8 Softail Waffle head. This is where you can find the full vin on the frame. Can you decipher it?

1HD1YJJ11JC027815
1HD = US Manufactured
1 = Heavy Weight Class
YJ= FXBB
J= Milwaukee Eight 107 Engine 1753cc
1 = Domestic (DOM)
1 = VIN Check Number
J = 2018 Year of manufacture
C = Kansas City, MO
027815 = production number

Here's an example of a place to find the abbreviated version on the motor.

So, there you have it. As you can see with the implementation of the 17-digit codes, you will need a reference to define what those codes represent. We hope you can use this article as a reference so you can determine all the details for the bike in question. Enoy!

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