Deciphering Honda model & Part numbers ( ST1100 ) *

[KoTAOW]

Model codes of the ST1100/A from 1990 to 2000, US to International.

This information was originally posted on www.my-mc.com by Julien D. on October 2007

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NOTE:  Software was used to convert a scan to text, so there MAY be mistakes.

File can be download using this link:  http://www.divshare.com/download/4304264-3f3

or

this link:  http://www.my-mc.com/messages/39524/ST1100-A_Model_Codes-97962.pdf

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This information was taken from the web page at www.vsource.org

Honda Motorcycle Model Numbers and Product Code Numbers

According to the 1959-98 American Honda Motorcycle Identification Guide, the Product Code Number (PCN) indicates the "official product code for each specific model, originated by Honda Motor Co., Ltd." in Japan. Since 1966, the PCN system has also been used in the Honda Part Numbering system to indicate the vehicle for which specific parts were originally designed. When used in this context, the PCN appears in the middle section of the Honda part number (e.g., in Honda part number 50100-MT7-600, the PCN is MT7, which means this part number refers to a part originally designed for an NR750).

The PCN generally remains the same throughout the same "generation" of Honda model, but there are exceptions... Most significant for viewers of this Web site is the case of the 1990-93 VFR750FL-P RC36, which (inexplicably) has one PCN for the 1990-92 FL-N models (MT4) and a separate PCN for the 1993 FP models (MY7), even though there were no significant "generational" changes made to the FP model. When the "next generation" 1994 VFR750FR RC36 was released, the PCN changed again (to MZ7) and remained the same until the end of the generation.

It is important to understand that while the part numbers for a particular model will predominantly contain the PCN relating to that model, a significant number of its parts will contain PCNs from earlier models within the same product seriesâ€"and sometimes from completely different models. Some relatively common parts (such as oil filters) are re-designed infrequently and are then used in every subsequent new model for many years. But no Honda motorcycle model has two PCNs.

The PCN is also present in the part numbers of Honda publications relating to particular models, e.g., the Workshop Manual for the NC30 is part number 62MR801; the MR8 part is the PCN for the VFR400R (NC30). PCNs are vital to an understanding of Honda parts interchangeability (also discussed here). If you're searching through a long list of Honda part numbers, the only sure way to separate the parts originally designed for your model from the rest is to search using the PCN. Doing so will leave out the "shared" parts, but those are unlikely to be critical parts such as bodyworkâ€"and it's still better than the alternative!

The following table is a listing of many common Honda motorcycle model numbers, names (nicknames) and Product Code Numbers (aka Parts Classification Numbers or PCNs). (It is the most accurate and complete chart available on the 'Web, but is still horribly incompleteâ€"â€"it is more complete towards the bottom of the table, however. Any clarifications or contributions to help complete this table would be welcome.)

Model Name            (Nickname)                  Model Number        PCN

ST1100L-M             (Pan European)                SC26                   MT3
ST1100N-P/AN-P     (Pan European)               SC26                   MY3
ST1100PP-Y            (Police)    SC26                MZ9
ST1100R-2/AR-2     (Pan European)              SC26                    MAJ

ST1300/A2-?          (Pan European 1300)       SC51                   MCS

VIN's according to Honda

Information taken from the following web page:  http://www.vsource.org

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VINs According to Honda:

In the front of every Honda motorcycle Parts Catalog (microfiche) relating to bikes sold in the United States is a section entitled "Construction of Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N.)"



Background on VINs:

As far as U.S.-spec Hondas are concerned, the reason for the use of VINs on bikes (and other vehicles) sold in the United States has to do with federal law and the regulations promulgated thereunder, ostensibly "to simplify vehicle identification information retrieval and to increase the accuracy and efficiency of vehicle recall campaigns." Effective with 1981 model vehicles, these regulations required that all such vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States carry a unique number, determined pursuant to a specified formula, permanently and prominently attached to the vehicle's chassis or frame.

For unknown reasons (unknown to VSource.org, anyway), Honda model designations have for many years used the same year designation single-digit code system (i.e., the "L" in "VFR750FL" denotes a 1990 model VFR750) on all models sold throughout the world. Canadian models have used the VIN system for nearly as long as the U.S. models; Australia and Spain switched over in 1989; Austria, Germany and Italy in 1996; and Switzerland in 1997. (As of 2003, France continues to use its own, unique model designation system.)

An Example:

Where used, the Honda motorcycle VIN consists of four sections of characters grouped as follows:

(a) The first section consists of three characters occupying positions one through three (1-3) in the VIN. This section uniquely identifies the manufacturer, make and type of the vehicle, as in the example VIN below (Honda Motorcycle, manufactured in Japan, according to the Honda table):

JH2RC3605MM101581

(b) The second section consists of five characters occupying positions four through eight (4-8) in the VIN. This section uniquely identifies the following attributes of the motorcycle: type of motorcycle, line, engine type, and net brake horsepower. (Note, however, that while the regulations require that this section's meaning be reported to the federal government, that meaning need not correspond exactly to the characters used in this section of the VIN. For example, under this scheme, Honda was required to report the net brake horsepower of the 1991 model 49-state VFR750F to the appropriate U.S. federal agency, but the horsepower figure itself was not required to have been contained in the designation "RC360"):

JH2RC3605MM101581

(c) The third section consists of one character occupying position nine (9) in the VIN. This section is the check digit whose purpose is to provide a means for verifying the accuracy of any VIN transcription. After all of the other characters in the VIN have been determined by the manufacturer, the check digit is calculated by carrying out a simple mathematical computation. If any character in the VIN is incorrect, the check digit will calculate incorrectly:

JH2RC3605MM101581

(d) The fourth section consists of eight characters occupying positions ten through seventeen (10-17) of the VIN (for motorcycles, the last four (4) characters of this section must be numeric), as follows:

  1. The first character of the fourth section represents the vehicle model year. The year is designated as indicated in the following table (1991):

     JH2RC3605MM101581
     1980    A    1987    H    1994    R    2001    1    2008    8
     1981    B    1988    J    1995    S    2002    2    2009    9
     1982    C    1989    K    1996    T    2003    3    2010    A
     1983    D    1990    L    1997    V    2004    4    2011    B
     1984    E    1991    M    1998    W    2005    5    2012    C
     1985    F    1992    N    1999    X    2006    6    2013    D
     1986    G    1993    P    2000    Y    2007    7

     (The table does not go past 2013, indicating either that the manufacture of motor vehicles will have been phased out by the federal government by then, or maybe nothing at all... <g>)

  2. The second character of the fourth section represents the plant of manufacture (Hamamatsu, Japan, according to the Honda table):

     JH2RC3605MM101581

  3. The third through the eighth characters of the fourth section represent the number sequentially assigned by the manufacturer during the production process:

     JH2RC3605MM101581

Honda Part Numbering System

Information taken from the following web page:  http://www.vsource.org

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General parts:

     XXXXX - XXX - XXX(XX)
     Function Number

     XXXXX - XXX - XXX(XX)
     Component Number

     XXXXX - XXX - XXX(XX)
     Parts Classification Number
     (These numbers relate to the Product Code of the first Honda motorcycle model to use a particular part; if the same part is subsequently used on another model, the Parts Classification Number generally remains unchanged. Some of these numbers are listed here. For more information, see the Parts Interchange Info page.)

     XXXXX - XXX - XXX(XX)
     Modification Designation

     XXXXX - XXX - XXX(XX)
     Subcontractor Designation

     XXXXX - XXX - XXX(XX)
     Color Code (if any)
     (Part number color codes do not necessarily correspond to the Honda motorcycle paint codes listed here; they are keyed to the Honda paint codes listed in the relevant Description section of the Parts Catalog.)

Bolts, nuts and other standard parts:

     XXXXX - XXXXX - (XX)
     Function Number

     XXXXX - XXXXX - (XX)
     Type Number

     XXXXX - XXXXX - (XX)
     Dimensions
     (Dimensions of many common parts are reflected in this section of the part numberâ€"see Dimensions below.)

     XXXXX - XXXXX - (X)(X)
     ISO Standard Designation (if any)

     XXXXX - XXXXX - (X)(X)
     Chemical Surface Treatment (if any)

Common abbreviations:
ASSY.        Assembly
COMP.       Complete
R.          Right
L.          Left
STD.       Standard
MM       Millimeter
G        Gram
T (22T)  Tooth (22 Teeth)
A        Ampere
V        Volt
W       Watt
WL      With labelling
WOL     Without labelling
KPH      Kilometers per hour
L.E.D.      Light emitting diode
MPH     Miles per hour
L (100L)      Link (100Links)
A.C.      Alternating current
D.C.      Direct current
IN.       Intake
EX.      Exhaust
FR.      Front
RR.      Rear
HEX.    Hexagonal
A.M.    Attaching mark
T.M.    Transcript mark
C.D.I.    Capacitive discharge ignition

Dimensions:
Parts               Example        Interpretation
Bolt (screw)          6 x 12            6mm diameter, 12mm length
Pin                      8 x 14          8mm diameter, 14mm length
O-ring                  9.5 x 1.6      9.5mm diameter, 1.6mm thickness
Oil seal              14 x 24 x 5      14mm inside diameter, 24mm outside diameter, 5mm thickness
Tube                   5 x 130           5mm inside diameter, 130mm length

Honda Parts Interchange Information

Information taken from the following web page:  http://www.vsource.org

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Honda uses a unique (three character) Product Code for each model motorcycle it manufactures. Since 1966, the Product Code has formed a part of Honda's New Part Number Systemâ€"e.g., the "MT4" in "12311-MT4-000." Used in this way, the Product Code (called a Parts Classification Number, or PCN, in this context) indicates the motorcycle for which the part was originally designed. (See the Honda Part Numbers page for more information.)

However, Product codes sometimes change before the end of what might appear to be a normal model run. For example, the 1993 VFR750FP (the Pearl Crystal White model in the United States) has a Product Code of MY7, rather than MT4, which is the Product Code shared by the 1990-92 VFR750FL-N models. (It is not at all clear why Honda made such a change in this case, as the FN and FP models are virtually identical, but the exception "proves" the rule, as they say...)

Accordingly, as can be seen from the Honda Parts Microfiche, many Honda motorcycle models use parts originally designed for another model. Knowing this information allows the use of secondhand or OEM replacement parts originally intended for another model, and also allows the location and use of aftermarket performance parts designed for other, perhaps more popular (or more often modified) Honda models.

A particularly useful resource in this regard is the on-line Honda parts cross-checker at Bike-Parts in France. Although their database generally does not include U.S. models, it does often include Canadian models, which are usually quite similar. For example, searching for Honda pn. 53170-KV0-006 (VFR750FL front brake lever assy.) in the Bike-Parts.fr on-line database reveals that this same part number was used on VFR750s throughout the world since the 1987 modelâ€"as well as on VFR400s, CBR600s, CBR1000s and RC30s. (However, from the PCN "KV0", you could also have determined that this part was originally used on the MC15 VTR250J-L, which was sold in the United States from 1988-90. This model did not appear in the Bike-Parts.fr cross-checker because, not being a European or Canadian model, it was not in their database.)

Another example of how parts interchange techniques work in practice would be related to Honda's use of the same Gearshift Drum Stopper assembly in the VFR750F, VFR750R, RVF400R and VFR400R.¹ Factory Pro Tuning, the manufacturer of the Shift Kit and Pro Shift Kit replacement drum stopper and spring kits, does not list shift kits for the VFR400R or RVF400R in its application charts (possibly due to the fact that these models were never officially imported to the U.S., the country where Factory Pro is based), but Factory Pro's shift kits can nevertheless be used on the VFR400R and RVF400R, because all of these bikes incorporate shifter parts with the same PCN ("MR7").