Powder Coated Frames!

[grpark20]

I went to the DMV and they refferred me to the State Patrol. The guy I spoke to on the phone was a DICK!!! He didn't really want to hear my situation, honestly I think he had his mind made up that I stole the shee and was trying to make it legit. Anyway, they do not offer vin plates and he said I need to scratch off the powder coat. He even said it's illegal for me to cover it up. I say he's full of shit. If worse comes to worse and I get checked by a ranger somewhere and they threaten to impound my shee, I'll scratch off the powder coat to prove everything matches. I'm thinking of getting a wire brush wheel for a dremel and trying to etch off the powder coat directly where the VIN is and then maybe spray painting over the VIN so it's still readable. What do you think?

[vulvafan537240]

I went to the DMV and they refferred me to the State Patrol. The guy I spoke to on the phone was a DICK!!! He didn't really want to hear my situation, honestly I think he had his mind made up that I stole the shee and was trying to make it legit. Anyway, they do not offer vin plates and he said I need to scratch off the powder coat. He even said it's illegal for me to cover it up. I say he's full of shit. If worse comes to worse and I get checked by a ranger somewhere and they threaten to impound my shee, I'll scratch off the powder coat to prove everything matches. I'm thinking of getting a wire brush wheel for a dremel and trying to etch off the powder coat directly where the VIN is and then maybe spray painting over the VIN so it's still readable. What do you think?

 

 

sounds like a plan to me. what if you scratch out a nice, neat rectangle exposing the vin and maybe tape it off and hit it with some automotive clear coat? it should be highly visible then.

[grpark20]

sounds like a plan to me. what if you scratch out a nice, neat rectangle exposing the vin and maybe tape it off and hit it with some automotive clear coat? it should be highly visible then.

That sounds like a good plan. I don't really want the VIN to pop out at you, but I do want you to be able to easily identfy it if looking for it. The hardest part is going to be finding exactly where it is. I know it's on the bar under the left foot peg and faces out, but I need to be exact so I don't end up taking a wire brush to the whole bar! Can someone measure the distanc etheir VIN is away from their foot peg or take a pic of the location of the VIN in regards to the foot peg?

[AKheathen]

sounds like a plan to me. what if you scratch out a nice, neat rectangle exposing the vin and maybe tape it off and hit it with some automotive clear coat? it should be highly visible then.

if you want peice of mind, and clean appearance, use a fine flat file, tape the ends for strait lines, and make smoothe slow strokes. when you're satisfied with the way it looks, either use some of the best clear enamel nail finish, or some vht headder clear, and bake it with a heat gun, or carefully with a propane torch, after it dries completely, and it will be just about as durable as the p/c. just use the masking from filing to spray. if you're doing x/c and have military access, i'm sure you'll find some good ridin on base. the base here in town is a great place to ride/ 4x, and you don't have to worry about the other people there or supprise hasards, but they may need to check the vin when you go in.

[Onesickcrewcab]

In CA it is illegal to cover the vin number with powdercoat. They considering it altering the VIN. Same thing with a self stamp. If you can stamp it and find a cop who doesn't really pay attention you can get away with it. My local officers are dick heads. What my local powder guy does is he covers the VIN with a piece of tape before PC. That way if you ever run into a dick cop you can start to scrap with a knife hit the tape and it peels off in a nice block, then when you you get home you can mask it off and spray clear spray paint over it so it doesn't rust.

 

My local VIN officer went out and was inspecting my VIN with a magnifying glass. My frame had it second coat of PC and the VIN was almost sand blasted off. He had some dye that showed the density change in the metal and verified enough numbers to give me a VIN sticker they placed on the subframe. Re stamping you own numbers is a risk, but you got to do what you got to do.

 

If no VIN can be found, they take the bike and thats it. Sucks, but what can we do.

[AKheathen]

That sounds like a good plan. I don't really want the VIN to pop out at you, but I do want you to be able to easily identfy it if looking for it. The hardest part is going to be finding exactly where it is. I know it's on the bar under the left foot peg and faces out, but I need to be exact so I don't end up taking a wire brush to the whole bar! Can someone measure the distanc etheir VIN is away from their foot peg or take a pic of the location of the VIN in regards to the foot peg?

if you look at the bar coming down in front of the enginewhere it meets the bottom of the frame under the stator, theere is an overlap piece. at the rear most tip of that overlap piece, the j- (first digit of the vin) is directly below it (the front of the j lines up.) the vin is exactly 3 inches long, and faces directly out- not above or below the middle of the pipe. at least that is on my 97. i don't think it changed at all.

[grpark20]

if you look at the bar coming down in front of the enginewhere it meets the bottom of the frame under the stator, theere is an overlap piece. at the rear most tip of that overlap piece, the j- (first digit of the vin) is directly below it (the front of the j lines up.) the vin is exactly 3 inches long, and faces directly out- not above or below the middle of the pipe. at least that is on my 97. i don't think it changed at all.

Thanks for the info.