No frame number on 1979 Honda cb750

[hiimjohnespino]

Hey guys i hope you can help me out here. I'm trying to register my bike but to do so I need to have a vin verification. I went today to get it checked and the officer said he can't locate the frame number. From what I've seen its on the steering next stamped in but there's nothing there. The sticker that was there is half off.
I've posted some pictures of the neck. Any help would be great. Thanks.

[sgtslag]

In Minnesota, they inspect both the neck plate, and the VIN plate on the engine block, to verify that they match...  When I asked, they said they wanted to make sure the engine hadn't been swapped.  Who knows why.


Anyway, look for a rectangular plate, on the top of the transmission, below the carbs.  I don't remember which side it is on, but it's there -- unless they ground that off, too.  It looks as if your bike might have been stolen, then the thief tried to hide it by removing the VIN on the neck plate.  Good luck with that.

If you can get it licensed, the '79 DOHC is a fantastic bike -- have had mine for six years, rode it two-up, around Lake Superior (9 days, 4 in the rain, 1,935 miles), during its 30th year since manufacturing, not a single problem, ran flawlessly.  Cheers!

[hiimjohnespino]

The engine codes there. It reads RC01E-2100009. There's no other plate on the neck. The officer said it's usually stamped on the frame somewhere.

[TOOLS1]

sgtslag wrote

In Minnesota, they inspect both the neck plate, and the VIN plate on the engine block, to verify that they match...  When I asked, they said they wanted to make sure the engine hadn't been swapped.  Who knows why.


Anyway, look for a rectangular plate, on the top of the transmission, below the carbs.  I don't remember which side it is on, but it's there -- unless they ground that off, too.  It looks as if your bike might have been stolen, then the thief tried to hide it by removing the VIN on the neck plate.  Good luck with that.

If you can get it licensed, the '79 DOHC is a fantastic bike -- have had mine for six years, rode it two-up, around Lake Superior (9 days, 4 in the rain, 1,935 miles), during its 30th year since manufacturing, not a single problem, ran flawlessly.  Cheers!

This is very interesting, since the engine numbers never matched the frame numbers from the factory. Guess it must be pretty hard to register a bike in MN.
TOOLS

[sgtslag]

Tools is correct:  I just checked the numbers, and they do NOT match up.  She went outside, copied the numbers, came back inside the office, and registered it.  I still don't know why they would care, unless they track it with regards to odometer accuracy?  I guess I would want to know if the mileage were a true representation as to the life-expectancy on the bike, and motor?  My truck's odometer reads 47k , but I know the engine was overhauled, around 20k miles ago, so it likely has 147k miles on the body...


Minnesota must have a database with previously registered engine and frame numbers?  I never checked them before now -- I just shrugged my shoulders, six years ago, and let her do her thing.  She never said anything more, except to ask me for the money.  Obviously there wasn't an issue with my bike, as it sailed through the State's title office.  I just took her comments at face value, assuming both numbers were the same.

Thanks for correcting me, Tools.  I learned something here, having had a 6-year assumption clarified with the facts.  Cheers!