no vin #, what year?

[bonerific250]

A buddy of mine just bought a shee and it does not have vin# on frame, not a hot or modified frame. the guy said the frame had been sandblasted and the vin# came off, hard to believe that, everything has been repainted but the plastic looks like it was purple and the frame was yellow,pretty sure these were stock colors at one time, another reason I don't believe the sandblasting story. So I'm just wondering if anyone could tell me the year of this bike, I know the motor vin# but whos to say that this is the original motor. thanks.

[Duneman101]

it's HOT, i have sand blasted a dozen banshee frames and never had a vin blast off.... it would take a grinder or file to wear it off. if you know where the vin is supposed to be, get some paint thinner and apply it till all of the paint is off, then clean it off good and hit it will some heat from a torch, that should blacken the paint still in the vin number stamp, unless it has actually be ground off or filed.

[Drewski]

does this help? http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/banshee/color.aspx

[bansheesandrider]

Banshee frames were NEVER yellow from the factory. The 94 and 95 bikes that were purple and yellow had silver frames just like all Banshees since 1989 except the LEs and SEs that had black frames. And I believe the 87 frame was either white or red and the 88 frame was blue.By the way, that Yamaha website shows a 96 model as an 87, because 87 looked just like that except 87 had a red seat and the previously mentioned frame color.