1. Find the VIN on your motorcycle. If you have a traditional motorcycle, it will be on the right side of the steering stem, just below the handlebars. If you have a scooter, check the stem. If it’s not there, it will be on a metal plate affixed to the frame.
2. Make sure none of the digits are missing from the VIN. All Yamaha motorcycles made after 1982 have 17-digit VINs. If yours appears to be shorter, some of the digits probably have worn off. Rub the gaps in the VIN with the side of a crayon.
3. Determine what your VIN means by the order of the characters. The first character will tell you where your motorcycle is made. "1" or "4" signifies it is American made; "2" means Canada; "3" means Mexico; and Japan, Korea, England, Germany, Italy and Brazil are "J," "K," "S," "W," "Z" and "9," respectively. The second character represents the manufacturer. All Yamaha bikes should have "C" or "Y" there.
4. Find the third digit, which identifies the division that manufactured it.
5. Find digits four through eight, which identify the features of the bike.
6. Find the ninth digit, which is a security key to ensure that the VIN is valid.
7. Find the 10th digit, which indicates the model year. These digits run "J" through "Y" for 1988 through 2000 and then switch to a numerical system. For the years the Seca II was manufactured, the date codes are as follows: N=1992, O=1993, P=1994, Q=1995, R=1996, S=1997 and T=1998.
8. Translate the final seven digits as follows: Digit 11 is the plant where the bike was assembled; digits 12 to 17 signify the order in which the bikes came off the assembly line.
Here's an example using a VIN I made up (JYA4DUE07NA004419). In this instance, the bike would be the 4,419th XJ built in Japan by Yamaha in 1992.
