Johann Trunkenpolz founded KTM AG in 1934, but it was officially inaugurated in 1992. The Austrian company is primarily known for producing off-road motorcycles like enduro, motocross and supermoto. Later, it expanded its production activity by manufacturing street motorcycles and sports cars. After years of hard work and dedication, today KTM AG is capable of qualifying itself among the supreme motorcycle manufacturers — a title it has earned by creating impressive sports vehicles like the Duke GT.
Today, the company is prospering remarkably. The company gives jobs to around 3000 people who are working with great passion and dedication to deliver customers with durable yet fashionable motorcycles that surpass expectation levels. In 2016, KTM was able to manufacture 200,000 motorcycles which allowed it to earn a turnover amount of approximately €1.14 billion. Three joint ventures and thirty sales subsidiaries send over their products to over 2,500 merchants worldwide.
The KTM VIN decoder is a device used to decode the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number of your KTM vehicle, which identifies all the information related to it.
A KTM VIN Decoder can help you find out what year, make, model and engine type your motorcycle is. It's a searchable database that contains extensive entries about the year, make and model of KTM motorcycles. Use it to identify and track individual KTM vehicles for safety recalls and theft prevention purposes. Epic Vin's online tools make it easy to run a DMV VIN check; meanwhile helping you verify seller information. We also offer history reports that can help you avoid buying problem vehicles.
Why look up a motorcycle's VIN? This factory-issued number is an important inspection tool, allowing you to verify the history of a vehicle before you buy it. The code can tell you the year of manufacture, where the motorcycle was built, its trim level, and its original equipment. Inconsistencies can reveal engine swaps and other changes that indicate the vehicle isn't original. You can also use it to check the vehicle's history through state DMV records or third party record agencies. Unlike a license plate, which stays with the vehicle and allows you access to records going back to its date of manufacture, VINs stay with vehicles and allow you to search through records going back to their date of manufacture.
Where to Search for the VIN?
If you want to use the VIN decoder on our website, first locate the VIN. The VIN is a sticker on the headstock sleeve of a KTM motorcycle. It's typically found on models like Duke, EXC and RC. Turn the front wheel to the left if you need to see it. In some models, you may find it on the side frame rail, under the fuel tank or seat/engine mounting.
Vehicle identification numbers are usually printed on paperwork for new or used cars. They identify the car's engine, transmission and other features. License plate numbers also contain the VIN so you can check whether it's valid or expired. Our license plate lookup tool will find the VIN currently assigned to the plate, giving you the same information you'd get by entering the VIN directly into our search engine.
Comprehensive VIN Decoder Guide
The VIN is a unique identifier for each vehicle. Each manufacturer has a slightly different way of encoding this number. Here's how KTM encodes each character in their VINs.
1st-2nd Characters – Manufacturing Country
The first two characters of a KTM VIN tell you where the motorcycle was manufactured. The VIN of a KTM motor vehicle starts with VB, which means it was made in Austria. When you see VA to VE, it means "Austria and Manufacturer". The country name and the company name are both in italics because they are separate entities. Many/most parts of KTM bikes are now manufactured in Chakan India at one of Bajai Auto's four plants since 2014 as Bajaj Auto has a 49% share in KTM
3rd Character – Vehicle type
The third character of the VIN code indicates what type of vehicle was produced by the manufacturer division associated with the vehicle. For example, an "A" means it's an ATV, a "C" means it's a motorcycle and an "E" means it's a snowmobile. In our case, it's a motocross.
4th to 8th Characters
These five characters are also known as the vehicle description code. They include information such as the type of engine, model name, body style and other details.
9th Character – Check Digit
The ninth character is the security character that confirms the vehicle identification number (VIN) is valid. It is generated from a mathematical formula with a weight factor table by the Department of Transportation.
10th Character – the year of the Yamaha vehicle model
The character stands for the year of the Yamaha vehicle model. It applies to the years 1980 and later and is coded as repeating cycles of alphabet letters (with I, O, Q, U, and Z omitted).
11th Character – Assembly Plant
The 11th character of the vehicle's VIN refers to a plant where the KTM was assembled.
12th to 17th Characters
The last six characters of a production serial number, unique to each vehicle, indicate the date of manufacture.
KTM VIN Samples
The 17-digit VIN number is a great tool to help you check the history of your KTM vehicle. It conveys all the important information about your bike, including accident history, engine type and year manufactured. You should always use a VIN decoder before signing papers on a new or second-hand KTM vehicle. Here are some example numbers:
Locations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, there are three places you can find the code on most vehicles:
- Look through the windshield at the dashboard. On the driver’s side, you should see a small metal plate with the number stamped into it. - Open the driver’s door. Look at the front and side of the door pillar for an I.D. sticker. It usually has the manufacturer’s logo on it. The code should be on this sticker. - Open the hood. You may see a sticker on the firewall or near the passenger’s side strut tower. Some cars have the number engraved in one of these areas.
Since this number is used to identify the vehicle on official documents, you can also find it on the title, the window sticker, and on insurance policies.
We also decode numbers for RVs, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. If you need to decode an RV number, make sure it’s the one issued by the chassis manufacturer, not the RV outfitter.
No. Canadian and Mexican cars usually use the same format. Other countries use their own formats.
It’s up to the manufacturer to determine what they want to include for some parts of the number. For example, some companies don’t include information about transmissions or trim levels.
Usually, no. A few manufacturers stamp the code into the engine. If the VINs on the engine and car match, then it’s the original engine. On most vehicles, there isn’t anything that ties an engine to a specific vehicle. At most, looking up the vehicle on our website will tell you if a different type of engine was installed. For example, if someone swaps a V8 into a Ford Mustang, our site will tell you it originally came with a V6.
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