How to find your frame number (VIN) on a scooter, motorcycle or van

Every week we hear the same story: a part described as fitting a certain model and year arrives and is not quite right. Same bike name, different generation. The fix takes two minutes — find your frame number before you order. Here is where to look.

What is a frame number?

The frame number — also called the chassis number or VIN (vehicle identification number) — is a unique code the manufacturer stamps into the frame of every machine it builds. On modern scooters, motorcycles and vans it is a 17-character string of letters and numbers. It identifies not just the model but the exact version of it: which generation, which market, which production run. That is precisely the information a parts lookup needs.

Where to find it on a scooter

The number is stamped directly into the metal of the frame, and on a scooter most of the frame hides behind bodywork. The most common locations are:

• The steering head area — behind or beside the front apron, near where the forks meet the frame.
• The centre tunnel or floor area — on many scooters a small plastic cover or rubber flap between your feet lifts out to reveal the stamping.
• Under the seat — stamped into the frame or shown on a manufacturer's plate or sticker.

Exact locations vary between models, so if a quick look does not turn it up, your owner's handbook will show the spot — or skip the search entirely and use the paperwork method below.

Motorcycles and vans

On most motorcycles the frame number is stamped into the headstock — the short tube the forks pivot in. Turn the handlebars to full lock and look at the side of the headstock. On vans such as the Sprinter, Crafter and Ducato, the VIN typically appears on a plate in the door aperture or at the base of the windscreen, and it is repeated on the vehicle's documents.

The no-spanners method: your V5C

You do not have to go near the machine at all. The V5C registration certificate — the log book — lists the VIN/chassis/frame number in its vehicle details section. If you are buying a used machine, it is good practice to check that the number on the V5C matches the one stamped on the frame.

In most cases we need even less than that: your registration number alone is usually enough for us to identify the machine and check a part against it.

Frame number vs engine number

They are not the same thing. The engine number is a separate code stamped on the engine casing. Engines can be replaced, so the frame number is what identifies the vehicle itself — and it is the number parts lookups are built around. If anyone in the trade asks you for "the number", it is the frame number they mean.

Why it matters when ordering parts

Model names stick around; the machines behind them change. An SH125i is not simply an SH125i — many parts differ between the K01, K77 and K0R generations. The PCX 125 has been through six versions since 2010, and the NMAX 125 three since 2015. Your frame number pins down exactly which one you own, so the part that arrives is the part that fits.

Found it? Send it to us

Send your registration or frame number through our fitment help page, or call us on 07351 318774, and we will confirm the right part before you spend a penny. The service is free and we are available seven days a week. Then browse your machine's collection: Honda, Yamaha or Piaggio & Vespa.