Duplicate VIN numbers?

[ClassicVW_imp]

The only difference shouldn't be the 9th digit if the 9th is the check digit. If all 16 other positions are identical, the there's no reason for the check digit to be different, is there?

Sorry if I'm being Captain Obvious again.

[Cormanus]

Classic VW,

You're quite right. If all 16 numbers are identical and there are different digits in the 9th position, one of them must be a fake. Amongst other things, the VIN is used for tracing stolen vehicles and so the checksum is important in determining whether the VIN is genuine. Each VIN can produce only one checksum result.

The other thing I've discovered trying to figure this is that the VIN reveals important information to Honda and others when you're trying to buy spare parts. From [url=ftp://ftp.nhtsa.dot.gov/mfrmail/ORG8246.pdf]here I've discovered that Honda registered two sequences of VIN for use with the 2013 model in the USA:

SC651 for the CB1100
SC655 for the CB1100A

I've no idea what the difference is, but I'd have a little flutter on SC655 being the ABS model.

I've also discovered from [url=http://www.servicehonda.com/parts.html]here that there are two models in 2014:

SC651 for the CB1100 (which I'll bet is the Standard model)
SC658 for the CB1100 SA (which is the DLX)

If you want parts for your bike it helps to know that SC65 in a Honda VIN beginning JH2 is the CB1100. But may not be be enough yo may also have to know, for example, that the DLX is SC658.

You may also wonder how you get parts for the 2014 and 2013 models if they're somehow different. Well the 10th position will tell you the year of the bike. So 2013 Standard models with have a VIN that includes SC651*DK; 2014 standard models will be SC651*EK where *= the checksum and 'D' or 'E' is the year of manufacture.

The VIN of my 2011 CB100 contains the numbers SC65U*B. I guess the "U" tells Honda this is an Australian model.

What you can tell from all that is the model number of the CB1100 is SC65. The third number/letter in that sequence tell you something more about it—for example, whether it has ABS or is a European or Australian model or is a STD or DLX or EX. What I don't know is how on earth you find out what they all mean. US readers could try their VIN [url=http://www.vin-decoder.net/]here.

I did find a site yesterday (and I'm damned if I can find it again) which speculated on how Honda devised the SC65. It tell you that the bike is 4 cylinders and 1100cc capacity; and that it's a street bike.

For the time being, at least, I'll assume grossman's and daley's VINS are different and that daley's bike is a non-ABS model.

If anyone stumbles across the sites that decodes Honda's model number convention, I'd be grateful if you'd let me know.

[Randy B]

http://www.cyclepedia.com/motorcycle-vin-decoder/

[ClassicVW_imp]

I just remembered that at the police dept we had handbooks supplied by NICB- National Insurance. Crime Bureau- that explained each manufacturer's codes and explained what every position in the VIN meant. I haven't seen one of those books in about 3 or 4 years. I retired from the PD 12 years ago but I still dispatch on a per-diem basis. I guess whoever at the PD's administration hasn't ordered them in a while. They are available for the public to order on the NICB site for $10 each.

I went to NICB's website and you can put in a VIN for free to see if it ever was in the theft or the total loss databases. To get more info, they have approved for pay sites you can click on. A site came up telling me that they had identified 3 records for my VIN and I could pay to get the info. Since I am my bike's second owner, I figure the 3 records are it's origination by Honda Japan, (or entry to the U. S.) the first owner's info, and my info. Nothing I need to pay to see.

[Cormanus]

Right again, Classic VW, and there are plenty of sites that tell you how the VIN is decoded. The issue I'm grappling with is the numbers/letters in positions 4-8 which are allocated at the discretion of the manufacturer and describe the model and its attributes. Nowhere can I find really extensive details of ether how Honda works that out or what each digit means.

As an addendum to the earlier post, knowing the 5th digit of your model number (i.e. SC65x) is important because it will give you a unique code included in the part number that means it's the right part for your variant of the model of the bike.

Now, all this is very dry stuff and it's a truly beautiful almost spring day. I'm off to ride my CB.

[flynrider]

Right again, Classic VW, and there are plenty of sites that tell you how the VIN is decoded. The issue I'm grappling with is the numbers/letters in positions 4-8 which are allocated at the discretion of the manufacturer and describe the model and its attributes. Nowhere can I find really extensive details of ether how Honda works that out or what each digit means.

As an addendum to the earlier post, knowing the 5th digit of your model number (i.e. SC65x) is important because it will give you a unique code included in the part number that means it's the right part for your variant of the model of the bike.

Now, all this is very dry stuff and it's a truly beautiful almost spring day. I'm off to ride my CB.

In position 4-7 you'll always see SC65 for a CB1100. That's Honda's model designation for all of the CB1100s. The following (8th) digit will designate a variant. The 8th digit won't always mean the same thing from year to year and country to country. I see that you posted above that your found the US 2013 variants were SC651 and SC655. Since the only two models offered in 2013 were the ABS and non-ABS, it would seem that two U.S. 2013 bikes with the same serial (last six) numbers would have to have a different number in position 8 (and possibly nine, since it's a check digit). One would be an ABS bike and one would be non-ABS. If that's not the case, then I would suspect that either the number was read incorrectly, or there was a problem at the factory

[ClassicVW_imp]

Ref: positions 4-8......
My VIN positions 4-8 are SC651. Since SC65 is the model designation Honda uses for the CB1100, and most VIN sites say positions 4-8 are used to show the model and engine characteristics, maybe my 1 means non-ABS ? Or standard model? My bike is non-ABS with black cooling fins.


P.S.- Sorry if I repeated some of what you wrote, Flynrider. I guess you posted while I was typing!

[daley_imp]

The only difference is the 9th digit. All the rest are the same.

[ClassicVW_imp]

Were the two bikes originally exported to the same country?

[daley_imp]

Mine was purchased new by the po from the local honda dealership.