| Author | Message | ||
     Rtlll |
Good evening Court, I hope this message finds you well. I need to ask for your help in looking at a VIN # on an early S2 I have for sale and providing feedback on how authentic it looks. I have a '95 S2 for sale on Bring a trailer, VIN # 1B9RT11H253133084. I posted pictures of the VIN stamped in the frame and the S/N in the motor for the auction. There have been some concerns expressed online about the accuracy of the VIN based on how it is stamped in the frame. It's not in a perfect line and the last couple digits are not perfectly clear. I recall there was much hand work on these early S2's and so I've not been bothered by how the VIN # looks but other have expressed concerns. I've uploaded pictures for your review and would like you thoughts on if this is an original VIN ? Last 6 digits match the S/N of the motor case. Input from other S2 manufacturing subject matter experts would be welcome as well. The detail on the VIN sticker on the frame got wiped off when I was cleaning the frame with Acetone. Won't do that again. Thanks for your help ! Rick    | ||
| Rtlll |
Here's a picture of the bike too.  | ||
| Reducati |
When i had my S2, i think there was some issues with the "s" and the number "5" in the vin, i do remember Court did talk about this issue. | ||
| 1313 |
Might this be relevant? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/B003-263550.pdf | ||
| 1313 |
OK. Now that I've actually had time to read the original post, I should be able to clear things up a bit. Early on, both the motor numbers and the frame numbers were stamped one digit at a time with a number punch and a hammer. For the VIN in the head tube, a piece of tape was typically laid down to give a line to follow, but as you mentioned - since it was hand done - there was significant variation, and even miss-stamps. During the early Buell Motorcycle Company tuber days, I improved both the motor stamping and the frame stamping processes. For the frame stamping, a cartridge that could hold the proper number of characters for the frame numbers was created. Once the cartridge was loaded with the proper characters, an ink stamping of the assembled numbers was placed on the build sheet cover page allowing the numbers to be verified (reducing the chances of a miss-stamp). Once verified the cartridge was placed in a fixture that registered off the head tube, with a hydraulic ram that pressed the frame numbers into the heat tube. Much more consistent stamping resulted. For the motor numbers, since there wasn't any real good way to utilize a hydraulic ram like for the frame numbers, a similar cartridge was made to hold the proper amount of number stamps. A similar verification as was done with the frame numbers was done of the motor numbers (reducing miss-stamps again) and then that cartridge was loaded into a different fixture that registered off consistent features of the tuber Sportster-based engine. Once the fixture was in place on the engine, a pneumatic hammer was run back and forth over the back of the number stamps. While not as consistent as the hydraulic ram applied numbers of the frame stamping, the engine numbers applied by the pneumatic hammer were much quicker, more accurate and less variable than the hand stamped numbers. | ||
| Rtlll |
Thanks 1313 ! I appreciate you sharing the VIN stamping history from the early days of Buell. Hopefully will help out others when questions come up about how accurately the VIN #'s were stamped. Going to add a link to this thread on the FB page where the question came up. Thanks again ! Rick | ||
| Court |
Brankin: Thank you . . . I seldom get in here anymore. As I recall, you were pretty involved in that effort to straighten out the VIN stamping mess. . . . |
