Harley Davidson VIN Decoder

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is an American motorcycle manufacturer producing heavyweight cruiser-type bikes with large engines. The company was founded in 1903 and survived the Great Depression, 2 world wars, and multiple economic crises.

Today, Harley Davidson bikes are praised for their premium build quality and attractive design. Standing out from the competition, this is one of the most iconic motorcycle brands in the world.

What’s a Harley Davidson VIN number?

A VIN number is a 17-character combination that every motorcycle has. A Harley Davidson VIN number is like the bike’s personal ID necessary for identification. You’ll need a VIN number when insuring, registering a bike, or checking its history.

Harley Davidson started using the current format 17-character VIN number in 1981. In earlier models, the engine number acted as a VIN and didn’t include as many characters. For example, 1930-1962 models had 8-character VIN numbers that only included the production year, model designation, and a production number. In later models, the first digit of a production number was odd during odd production years and even during even production years.

What does a Harley Davidson VIN number contain?

A Harley VIN number consists of 3 main sections that help reveal some information at a glance:

• World Manufacturer ID (WMI) (characters 1-3) shows a vehicle’s manufacturing country, brand name, and vehicle type;
• Vehicle Description Section (VDS) (characters 4-9) reveals the engine type and specifications of a motorcycle;
• Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) (characters 10-17) shows the model year, assembly plant, and includes a unique serial number.

For instance, if the WMI consists of "1HD", the bike is manufactured in the United States, while "MEG" stands for Brazil. Technically, you can decode a VIN manually, but our Harley Davidson VIN decoder can do it for you in a matter of seconds.

Where to find a Harley Davidson VIN number?

Vehicle manufacturers put VIN numbers on irreplaceable or rarely replaceable parts to avoid fraud and accidental removal. In most cases, Harley VIN numbers are stamped on the right side of the frame near the steering head. Sometimes, you can find a printed VIN number label on the front downtube.

Registration and insurance documents also list the motorcycle’s VIN number. Remember that numbers in different places must match.

Which Harley Davidson models work with our VIN decoder?

Our Harley Davidson VIN decoder only works with motorcycles that were manufactured from 1981, meaning the VIN number has to contain 17 characters. You can check many older and all of the current Harley Davidson motorcycles on carVertical, including:

• Adventure touring bikes – Pan America, Pan America 1250, Pan America Special;
• Cruisers – Fat Bob, Fat Boy, Forty-Eight, Heritage Classic, Iron, Low Rider, Softail, Sport Glide, Street Bob;
• Grand American Touring bikes – Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Road King, Ultra Limited;
• Sport bikes – Nightster, Sportster;
• Trike bikes – Tri Glide, Freewheeler, Tri Glide Ultra.

Whenever buying a used or checking your own Harley Davidson motorcycle, you can decode its VIN number to ensure it matches the make, model, and other essential information.

Harley Davidson history check: what can you learn with a Harley Davidson VIN number?

Used motorcycle buyers face a high risk of fraud when they purchase a bike without knowing its background. Damaged and stolen motorcycles are on the market in various countries without buyers or even sellers knowing these devaluing facts. While our free Harley Davidson VIN decoder can help you confirm some basic information, a full Harley Davidson history report can reveal:

• Mileage rollbacks
• A salvage title
• Details about past damages
• Thefts
• Original equipment

Our mission is to protect used vehicle buyers from fraud and give them the upper hand in negotiations. We collaborate with manufacturers, dealerships, insurance companies, workshops, vehicle inspection centers, and other institutions and associations to provide up-to-date and reliable Harley-Davidson motorcycle history reports.

Check motorcycle VIN by make:

• Kawasaki VIN decoder
• Suzuki VIN decoder
• Ducati VIN decoder
• Yamaha VIN decoder