I have just purchased a bike from a dealer (which I will refrain from disclosing who for now) and stupidly didn't look at the vin on the frame till I got it home, now I know this is totaly stupid and I'm kicking myself now as I should & do know better.

Anyway the problem is the vin is hardly visible and looks like its been filed off!!!

The frame is black but the patch where the vin number is now silver metal but not a tidy square and looks dodgy.

Has anyone else got a black frame? And is the vin num in black or a silver patch?

There was no v5 as I was told its never been road registered.

Thanks

Sparky

Certainly sounds fishy! I think I would be ringing the dealer tomorrow saying "wtf".

Also good luck too

Edited September 18, 201213 yr by tazz229

sounds bad to me too sorry good luck mate

I hope you got a bill of sale and able to get a hold of the dealer. I wouldn't ring - I would show up in person.

It may have just been re powder coated or painted? The numbers might still be there but under a heavy coat of paint. Might be all very inocent and could still be legit so I wouldn't panick yet, if it's been painted over you could file the paint off to reveal the code. See if the engine number matches the reg documents as well.

Just re-read your post and you say that where the numbers were has been filled off....

Hmm yes does seem fishy, check out the engine numbers.

Is it a Beta Evo it should be black, Saying that i don't know who would restamp a trials bike they must be the easiest bike to sell without a paper trail unless road registered, if numbers hadn't been touched you wouldn't have thought twice.

In my opinion if it had been re coated which is more than plausible it wouldn't take much filing to reveal the numbers. Those numbers generally are punched quite deep and it would take a fair amount of "excessive" filing to make them illegible! Normally when frame numbers bike or car become illegible its for a reason.

I sincerely hope it innocent!

Yeah it seems dodgy to me also, I'm going to contact him first thing tomorrow and see what he says.

It's an 08 gas gas so the frame should be black, but is only filed down where the vin num is, don't think it's been painted or coated but did wonder if this is the done thing on a black frame to make the num more visible, if this is the case I have nothing to worry about but seems to me that it filed too much and you can't make out the num clearly

Could do with someone checking their black frame (pref gas gas) and telling me if their vin is in black or if it's in a patch where the paint has been removed.

Thanks guys

Yeah it seems dodgy to me also, I'm going to contact him first thing tomorrow and see what he says.

It's an 08 gas gas so the frame should be black, but is only filed down where the vin num is, don't think it's been painted or coated but did wonder if this is the done thing on a black frame to make the num more visible, if this is the case I have nothing to worry about but seems to me that it filed too much and you can't make out the num clearly

Could do with someone checking their black frame (pref gas gas) and telling me if their vin is in black or if it's in a patch where the paint has been removed.

Thanks guys

I would be very surprised if it was standard Gasser practice to stamp the frame, powder coat it then roughly file away at the numbers......

But then.... I suppose ya never know!

Wetting the metal with saliva will help the numbers stand out a bit more clearly.

Wetting the metal with saliva will help the numbers stand out a bit more clearly.

Good thinking! Maybe rub with a piece of chalk too??

Edited September 18, 201213 yr by tazz229

It's an old engineering tip, works wonders for reading old chassis plates that have corroded and generally gunked up over time.

Another one that works well on stamped codes is to go over it with a black marker pen then lightly sand it with some 120 grit paper. It brings up the faintest of markings.

would be best not to file it adding more unwanted marks , check engine for a number if that looks dodgy take bike back without calling ,if there is a number that looks ok i would take back but call in on a garage , paint shop or other motorcycle shop and see what someone with experience thinks of it if they confirm doesnt look right take back