Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Hi All, I just bought a 73/74 Z1-900 and I have a few questions that I can't find the answers to. Like, 1.) how can I match the VIN numbers on the Frame and the engine to determine if the Engine was the original Engine on the bike? and also 2.) are their any websites to help me to learn about the VIN numbers of this bike.

I am 47 years old and I just had an"Aortic Valve Exchange " last May: My hearts main valve, and I decided to go back to riding the same
last bike I used to own. ( AND I'M LOVING IT.) These machines are the
best. I hope you all Well and Health. Thanks for such a great site.

Big Ed

Not sure about the VIN, but welcome

well when i bought a morris 1100s (1969 model) years ago (and also my old cb250K1 (71 model), two things came to light when i went to the act's dept of transport/rta.

1) If your within NSW you can check with the revs website (Registrat of Encumbered Vehicles) you might be able to find some info there, but only if its been registered in NSW, also it wont let you know if its the original engine though.... Anyway realistically your chances are slim that you'll be able to match it, unless you can get hold of someone high up within kawasaki that can help you troll through some obscurely old records.

2) if its not been registered in years then you'll have to jump through ALL kinds of hoops while at the desk to prove they are all valid numbers your presenting them with.

I'm looking forward to the latter (again) as my tinker bike isn't listed on the NSW Revs site,

welcome big Ed... umm i cant help either, but im sure sum of the clowns cans??

or maybe u can speak to the RTA??

Ed Schoeb wrote:......Hi All, I just bought a 73/74 Z1-900 and I have a few questions that I can't find the answers to. Like, 1.) how can I match the VIN numbers on the Frame and the engine to determine if the Engine was the original Engine on the bike? and also 2.) are their any websites to help me to learn about the VIN numbers of this bike....

The frame/engine numbers are not matched on early Zeds (well, on all Zeds actually) ie the frame number is *never* the same as the engine number...........basically the factory pulled frames / engines off the assembly line randomly, for tolerance checks, manufacturing audits, frame checks etc. This put all the numbers out of sequence....eg one of my 1980 Z1000's has Frame number 000065, and engine number 000039, and another one has frame number 00489, engine number 00242...

It is *very* difficult to determine if the engine you have is the original engine, apart from the fact that certain frame/engine number combos belonged to particular model runs.........

Here are some engine/frame numbers :

Z1 - 1973. Engine number range was Z1E-000001 to Z1E-020000
Z1 - 1973. Frame number range was Z1F-000001 to Z1F-020000
Z1A - 1974. Frame number range was Z1F-020001 to Z1F-047499
Z1B - 1975. Frame number range was Z1F-047500 to Z1F-085700
z900A4 - 1976. Frame numbers commenced at Z1F-085701

I don't have the engine numbers readily accessible for the '74-'76 models, but if you check out this website, you should find all the information you need.

Nice purchase by the way !!

i knew sum1 would be helpful...