Please help! 1984 R65 VIN number question

[DeeSupertramp]

To make a long (very long) story short, I bought a 1984 R65 from a guy in Queensland and had the bike shipped to Melbourne. I got a Certificate of roadworthiness and on the certificate the VIN/Chassis number is 7 digits long (only numbers).

When I called vicroads to get it registered, they told me they could not give me an appointment because of the VIN number and I needed to call the police.

I called the guy who sold me the bike and he told me that the VIN number of 7 digits is a non-sense and should be 17 digits.

Bottom line is that I have this bike sitting in the backyard for 10 months now and I can't do nothing without it until I know what is the real VIN number for this bike.

Anyone has knowledge of the VIN number for the1984 model?

Thanks for your help, I appreciate.

[Motu]

It hasn't got a 17 digit VIN number, I think that is a US thing. It should end in R65, so you need to put that in too, giving you 10 digits. VIN numbers came here in the mid '90's, anything before that a frame or chassis number is ok.  In a government money making scam, if your rego lapses and it need a re rego, then it gets  a 17 digit VIN tag riveted on.  I just use the frame number, ending in R65, and that's good enough here.

[tunnelrider]

Dees that sucks she's been sitting there for 10 months without you being able to enjoy the ride, sorry to hear that.

I would ask if they've got a motorbike re-register guy/gal somewhere and talk to them, or go to the AA (not alcoholics anon.) and ask the same thing, you should keep at it though.  You may end up with a VIN number plate, hopefully they make m/c plates. Can you transfer the QLD plates if the previous owner still has them?

I'm in NZ and they just use the frame number.  The first time I had to warrant it the guy said it's supposed to have a 17 digit number too, but he just used the frame no.  But that was for a warrant of fitness though (every 6 months here), thankfully she's still got the original no. plate.  

Once you're out on the road you'll be glad you pushed on with it!
Good luck.

[DeeSupertramp]

Yes, it is my first bike ever and I'm not familiar at all with this VIN/Chassis number thing. What is even more frustrating is that Vicroads did not want to tell me what is wrong with the VIN number, just to call the police. And the police did not what to do with this and they told me to ask Vicroads. Quite an unuseful loop!

The bike was not registered in QLD at the time of purchase, it was years ago. I'm also originally from Montreal, so I'm not familiar with the oz rego system as well.

[tunnelrider]

Great choice for a first bike!

What I was saying, go to registration outlet and ask for a motorbike registration specialist.

[DeeSupertramp]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to find one who can help me.

[Tony Smith]

Dee,

Do you have a plate that looks a little like the one in the photo I've attached?

BMWs of our antiquity do not have VIN numbers - they have a frame number and an engine number. All you need to register your bike anywhere in Australia is the approval number (and that is only so that the person doing the roadworthy/safety certificate knows that the machine complies with the ADRs relevant at the time of original sale - after that Frame and engine number are all you need.

When the registration office droid asks you for the VIN your answer is "it doesn't have one, nor is it required to have one as its date of manufacture is prior to the introduction of VIN numbers for motorcycles".

If the droid gives you further trouble the next thing you say is "supervisor please"


BTW, you will see that my R65 is also a 1984 model. and the plate in the photo, the frame number on the steering head and the engine number are all it took to register - although like you I was asked for a VIN, but my answer was "it is too bloody old to have one".

[Bob_Roller]

If you run up against a wall with your registration issue, I don't know if you have a BMW customer service number in AU, but here in the US they helped me out with registration problems when I tried to get my '81 R65 registered in Arizona in 1994 .

North American version bikes had a foil sticker on the frame under the right cylinder, with the full 17 character VIN on it, after 10 years or so, they usually became unreadable .

[DeeSupertramp]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your message. Yes! I have the exact same plate and the 7 digits that appear below the "R" on the right side, is the number that is showing as my VIN/Chassis number on my Certificate of roadworthiness and which has caused me trouble so far with Vicroads.

Would that be incorrect?

[DeeSupertramp]

Also, looks like my saga is not just over yet. When I was doing my research, I saw the range of Engine numbers per year of production of R65.
As per the file attached, could it be that my bike is a 1979 and not a 1984 as I was told and as it appears on roadworthiness certificate?

[nhmaf]

According to the internet, that 7-digit number does correlate to  a 3/79 production date.

Is there a matching number near the oil fill hole on the engine?

[DeeSupertramp]

Hi nhmaf,

I've attached the number near the oil filler, but it looks like it is a different number. It looks like 6311288

Should they be the same?

[Tony Smith]

If I have my history correct, the mere fact that the engine number is stamped adjacent to the oil filler meas a pre-1981 engine.


Therefore it is looking more and more likely that you have a 1979 R65.

The roadworthy inspector really did a great job didn't he to miss the clearly stated manufacture date on the data plate.


Anyway, my earlier comments hold true, just get the inspector to amend their report - at  no cost to you - to reflect the correct year/model.

[Bob_Roller]

At least for North American bikes, the 7 character is stamped into the engine case at the oil filler hole .

I've got the 9th bike off of the assembly line for the '81 model year and that is where it is, and also the other 2 R65's I have .

[Mike V]

My 81 R65 also has the VIN stamped on the right side frame neck gusset. You might try looking there.

I don't want to relive my nightmare about getting my R65 re-registered here in CA.  The biggest lesson I learned is once your title is cleared, never let the registration expire.  File a non-op form if the bike will be out of service.

I was told the 7 digit VIN was not valid any longer when the CA DMV updated their computer system sometime in the early 2000's.  The matching 7 digit VIN numbers that were clearly stamped on the gusset and engine case are now the chassis number according the brainiacs at the DMV.  Part of my complication was the factory sticker on the lower right frame rail was destroyed by the powder coater.  They reassigned a new 17 digit VIN maintaining the original as the last 7.  I don't have words that can explain the fiasco I went through with the CA DMV.  Our tax dollars at work.

I'm getting cranky just thinking about this again ...