Engine VIN unreadable

[sugarshane]

So the plate for one of my engines serial number is all fucked up. not sure what is wrong with it but it looks like is got oxidized. i tried running a little wire disc over it with my Dremel but it didn't do shit as far as making it legible. have any of you ever encountered this before? is there any way to make it Legible again? the main reason that I ask is because I like riding the dunes and I don't want to run across a ranger with that feels like being an ass. I personally have never had my engine number checked but I don't really feel like taking the risk of a serial number that's all FUBAR. Has anyone had any experience with gettin their number checked.

[100hp honda]

engine number dont meen anything. everything is done on the frame vin. aint like its a '69 chellenger with matching numbers

[Roostius_Maximus]

most boots have a steel toe, use it

[sugarshane]

engine number dont meen anything. everything is done on the frame vin. aint like its a '69 chellenger with matching numbers

I could really care less about the numbers matching.... but that doesn't mean the the park rangers, game and fish officials and MVD (DMV in every other state) feel the same way. In order for me to register the bike here in AZ i have to get a level one inspection where they verify the #'s on the frame and engine to see if they are stolen. Gonna be hard to do if you cant read it.... Also, I had a buddy that had a ranger in cali fuck with him because the blew the motor on his 450 (big surprise) and put in a whole new engine. The ranger was being an ass and said that he could impound the bike because the engine number wasn't matching and it could have been stamped at home.

[sugarshane]

I'm not even sure what you meant by this....

most boots have a steel toe, use it

and why is it that no one that rides in AZ or CA responded? Only 2 dudes from Canada. Has anyone ever dealt with Game and Fish or Park Rangers checking both the frame and engine #'s? I have had the VIN checked, but that's it.

[dannygraves]

they don't care enough to check numbers, don't worry about it.

[ZETTNORCAL]

they don't care enough to check numbers, don't worry about it.

I concur

[100hp honda]

never been checked at glamis... ever. never been checked anywhere else for that matter. i buy the stickers because im a upstanding citizen . i dont think the engine number will link to a exact frame, probly only to a particular year frame. if they complain about the numbers missing tell them to F-off and leave. buy a non resident cali sticker at any local phoenix bike shop. pm me your frame vin and send me $15, ill send back a wyoming sticker good for riding anywhere in the fukin country . hell just send $15, ill make up a vin number, they dont ask for any documents here.

[Algava]

Never had anyone check the engine # but....when I did my conversion with a cr250 the officer that did the paperwork ran the vins on the computer and told me the serial # of the old engine (of the cr 250)and knew that the 500 engine belonged to which other bike. Luckily I had pinks for both bikes and there was no issue.
None of the pinks carry engine #'s but they can go 1 step above to the certificate of origin from when the bike was imported into the country, that says it all.
Many people do conversions and don't bother changing engine # on the paperwork and probably will never get in trouble for it but it all depends on how sob the ranger wants to be.
Oh, one more story, if I recall correctly, Paul stoffer got slapped with a $2000 ticket because he had a green sticker on a red sticker bike, talk about a bitch.Paul can chime in and confirm the validity of this rumors.

[dubious01]

It seems people have found a way to circumvent the EPA and are using EPA approved green sticker 4 stroke chasis, for the 500 transplant so they can ride their 500 off road. They grind the vin off the motor so it can't be traced to a red sticker bike.

[quicfix500]

In California all 2002 and earlier bikes are green sticker bikes. all stock CR 500 bikes are green sticker.

[pstoffers]

Oh, one more story, if I recall correctly, Paul stoffer got slapped with a $2000 ticket because he had a green sticker on a red sticker bike, talk about a bitch.Paul can chime in and confirm the validity of this rumors.

Yes it is true After missing a day of work to go to court to fight the ticket it ended up being $600 O-yeah and on the way home from court my NEW Ford truck with less then 2000 miles broke and was in the shop for two weeks....... Good Times

[pstoffers]

Just take that plate off the motor an call it good.... They fall off all the time

[maddog1927]

Has anyone had any experience with gettin their number checked.

I had my engine # checked against my VIN when I took my 1985 RZ350 in to get the title transferred. It had a clean Florida title. The time AZ MVD required inspections on all out of state title transfers which they no longer do. Now you can transfer clean out of state title WITHOUT inspections.

VIN / engine #’s DO correspond. They are not the same # or string of numbers, but a vin can be looked up to see what the original engine number is.

On a motorcycle the vin and engine # need to be corresponding IF checked or they will want to give you an AZ VIN and a “reconstruct” title.

The guy who checked my RZ really screwed me, because he input a note in the AZ computer system that red flags my RZ as having a non corresponding vin/engine, so now that they do not do inspections on out of state titles, I cannot get a good title for it. I would have to get a “reconstruct”.

I do not want a “reconstruct” title and cheesey AZ VIN on my classic bike I paid too much for. I am upside down on it, and since they aint making 2 stroke road bikes anymore (or allowing import in the us anyway) I think if I wait long enough I may be right side up again. But my bet is a “reconstruct” title won’t help value any.

One fix I am considering is ordering a new case from the OEM. I think they will stamp the original # in.

Anyway, If you already have a title, even if it is out of state, you can transfer it no problem, they will never even look at the bike. If you have to take it in for an inspection, you may have a problem, I am sure no engine # is worse than the wrong engine #.

I would pay the extra to go 3rd party agency on it they can help navigate you through a bit better. There is one a bit far from you in east mesa that seems to be pretty good at understanding the off road community needs.

As for field enforcement, I really doubt they would check, but with budget cuts I have noticed tons more tickets being given out. Last time I went to glamis, instead of shutting the hill down at night, they set up shop giving out tickets left and right. My guess is that Cali is the only place they would check the #, and that is probably only if they think there may be red/green sticker issue.

Just remember:

Follow all the rules at the hill / near areas where lots of people are to avoid getting stopped.

If stopped do not answer any questions that are not asked.

If an issue is made about the engine #, act like you do not even know what an engine # is. Just say AZ MVD gave you a good title etc. etc.

[maddog1927]

[dogger315]

Since the engine serial tag is unreadable, you can contact Honda
(through your dealer), and supply them with the frame VIN and
proof of ownership and they can issue a "tamper proof" sticker
for you to put on the case. I have one for my engine.

dogger

[maddog1927]

dogger sounds like a sweet fix. I wonder if I can do similar on my RZ. It has engine # it just does not corespond with the vin