Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Can anyone recommend a website that will allow me to decode my engine number? or do you know the general breakdown of the numbers and what they mean?
I'm specifically after the year of the engine and which model it belongs too. Hope this makes sense. cheers

i dont know if this helps but check this out

http://tewarehouse.net/archives/557

No luck with that one. thanks anyway.

what exactly are you trying to *decode* mate ? Its just a production number. Kawasaki used to use a certain range of numbers within certain model years, but your compliance plate should have that info on it......

If you just have a bare motor.....guessing that is the case here ? then take the number down to your local kawasaki dealer, they should be able to pinpoint the model and year pretty easily.......

If it was an old Z9 kwakka, I could tell you the year and model no worries

Gosling1 wrote:what exactly are you trying to *decode* mate ? Its just a production number. Kawasaki used to use a certain range of numbers within certain model years, but your compliance plate should have that info on it......

If you just have a bare motor.....guessing that is the case here ? then take the number down to your local kawasaki dealer, they should be able to pinpoint the model and year pretty easily.......

If it was an old Z9 kwakka, I could tell you the year and model no worries

I've recently stripped down my ZX9R B4 and noticed what looks to be the number 'B1' hand written in blue paint or something on the back face of the engine block.
I know the bike is a legitimate B4 as the VIN number reflects this on the kawasaki VIN calculator. I wanted to find out if this 'B1' number meant it was for a B1 model or if it was just a generic code that did not reflect model. I'm pretty sure there was an increase in horsepower from the earlier B model's to the later one's.
Keen to make sure the engine I've got is the one meant for the B4. I'll call kawasaki with the engine number as you suggested.
thanks for your help.

hmm OK - sounds a bit odd, but you should get some answers from Kawasaki.

Good luck

maybe you should go to or ring a kawa dealer and give them your VIN number and they will be able to tell you the engine number

Maybe B1 denotes the engine used through the whole B range?

I spoke with a couple of kwaka dealers ( one had no idea and no interest ). the helpful guy whose been around kawasaki for a while assured me that the engine numbers were just a sequencial thing and meant nothing, and as Jonno said was a number pertaining to all B models. Still not convinced.

My ZX6 has the same thing on the backside of the motor I noticed it when they had the engine out for warranty reason's....Is like a paint pen on the inlet side of the motor yeah????.....I didn't take much notice of the number's but next time I have the bike apart will let you know...I thought at the time it was just a QC thing....

Disco wrote:My ZX6 has the same thing on the backside of the motor I noticed it when they had the engine out for warranty reason's....Is like a paint pen on the inlet side of the motor yeah????.....I didn't take much notice of the number's but next time I have the bike apart will let you know...I thought at the time it was just a QC thing....

Nah disco, the engine number is stamped on the back of the engine. You look in the back near the rear shock, should see it stamped on the block.

Yeah I know where the engine number is but was referring to the texta/paint pen writing on the back of the engine.....

craig mac wrote: I've recently stripped down my ZX9R B4 and noticed what looks to be the number 'B1' hand written in blue paint or something on the back face of the engine block.

This is what I was referring too....Here is a pic of an 07-08 ZX6R engine with the mark's I was talking about....

Disco wrote:

craig mac wrote: I've recently stripped down my ZX9R B4 and noticed what looks to be the number 'B1' hand written in blue paint or something on the back face of the engine block.

This is what I was referring too....Here is a pic of an 07-08 ZX6R engine with the mark's I was talking about....

yeah that is just QC crap...

Disco wrote:I thought at the time it was just a QC thing....

Wattie wrote:yeah that is just QC crap...

happy to go with that. makes sense.
thanks for your help.