I'm still attempting to transfer/register the bike, but CA needs the engine number.  Its originally a CO bike.  I looked on the engine and theres a number with i think 19 or 20 digits stamped on.  Longer than the 17 digit VIN.  CA rejected me stating that the engine number is too long.  Is that the wrong number?  How many digits is the Engine Number?  

Other CA residents how did you register?

Whoa, Nelly. How about some information such as the actual number you've got engraved into your engine? You also don't tell us what year and model K bike, I assume, you're talking about. Please place this information into your Signature under Profile so we have a place to start.


"A K Series engine number will look something like this: 104EA 1799 2032 - the first two digits refer to the engine capacity (1000cc); the third digit shows the number of cylinders; EA is some reference to a Federal Emission Code; sixth & seventh digits are the production week number (week 17); eighth & ninth digits are the year of manufacture (1999); the final four digits are the production number on that weeks production."


From http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/enginechassis.htm

So i guess im getting conflicting information.  There is a 20 digit number stamped vertically on the oil sump on the right side oft the engine, which is what i submitted.  I'm hearing that the first 9 digits are the emissions number and the remaining 11 digits is the engine number.  

Oh well. I've calmed down and waiting to see what the DMV says

Hi

The VIN is a number stamped on a 
metal plate riveted to the bike’s frame. Engine number is not the VIN.
Hope this helps.

RIght. I have the VIN, but CA requires a VIN and an Engine Number.

The last 4 digits are the engine number. 

As said by Two Wheels Better, 104EA is the engine type, 1799 is week 17 of 1999 and then the last 4 digits are the engine number.

VIN is a 7 digit number but Ks only have up to 6 digits so they start with a least one zero. My K100LT is 193214 but for VIN its 0193214 and my K100RT is 0022575 The first K is 0000001

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:The last 4 digits are the engine number. 

As said by Two Wheels Better, 104EA is the engine type, 1799 is week 17 of 1999 and then the last 4 digits are the engine number.

VIN is a 7 digit number but Ks only have up to 6 digits so they start with a least one zero. My K100LT is 193214 but for VIN its 0193214 and my K100RT is 0022575 The first K is 0000001

Since 1980 in North America, all car, truck and motorbike chassis VINs have 17 digits. BMWs here start with WB (denoting West Germany). The 10th digit is an alphabetic representation of the model year that repeats and omits as required, such as the number zero or 'O' not being used to reduce confusion. 'A' was given as 1980, for example.

Now im confused again here are pics of the vin and the stamped number on engine.  Help a dummy.


https://i.servimg.com/u/f82/20/24/92/63/signal10.jpg

^^^ and yes it matches the number on the frame

https://i.servimg.com/u/f82/20/24/92/63/img_2011.jpg

^^^  so according to you guys, this means nothing?

Using the Google Gods you will find that there has been an issue with BMW using 19 digits engine numbers, especially on K bikes, randomly for decades now. HERE is a link to one example.

I typed your VIN into the BMWNA Great Computer to see if I could glean anything and aside from some warranty/recall info the engine number is absent from their files. While this is not uncommon on older machines as it adds to the clutter in their database of info that's not really required anymore, it does pose an annoyance. BTW, your throttle cable was upgraded in November of 1994, and the centre stand broke and was replaced in December of the same year. Your bike met both Federal & California emission codes at the time it was built. When I get home tonight I will scan and post the document I printed from BMWNA's site.

Other than a whole heap of people requesting some explanation of why their engine number is 19 digits when it's a mere eight or nine digits for others, no valid reason can be found. It is not a replacement engine number such as given when a manufacturer changes the long block under warranty.

I, like many on the interwebtron, would suggest visiting a different DMV.

*Edit: I went into the garage this morning and looked at all four K bikes and a spare engine parked there. All use the more common 107EAXXXX variety of engine number, including two K1200 and two K1100. My 1987 RS in OZ uses that type of number as well. You have one of the freaks. That might make it go a bit faster.

I'll say the first digit F means your bike is an 85 model, like mine, the Vin confirms it.

BM means BMW.

So your number is 098745. If they want seven digits, put a 0 in front, how ever many they want just put more zeros in front.

I'd ask how many digits it should be before I go in there. I'd ask the previous owner if it's the original engine, if you can get it contact .

OK this makes way more sense.  Also found this under the seat, which would suggest this is also the original engine as it matches.  

https://i.servimg.com/u/f82/20/24/92/63/img_2012.jpg


Fingers crossed.  This is unnecessarily complicated.

Dunno about California but over here if you enter the Vin or rego number you can get the engine number they have on their books (yours might, or might not include the letters) Only takes a few minutes, good for a check too, when you're looking at a bike to buy.

Just checked mine, surprised it comes up as unregoed. So it doesn't account for historic rego.

Its because California is the worst state in the United States.  If it wasnt for its geography, no one would live here

Ohnij wrote:Its because California is the worst state in the United States.

California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi.
                                             Woodie Guthrie

Laitch wrote:

Ohnij wrote:Its because California is the worst state in the United States.

California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi.
                                             Woodie Guthrie

"The two girls grew up at the edge of the ocean and knew it was paradise, and better than Eden, which was only a garden."
Eve Babitz, Sex & Rage: Advice to Young Ladies Eager for a Good Time, a novel.

"I'll see you where I'm going"
Ned Kelly.  
(to the judge who sentenced him to hang, who died two weeks after Ned)

Ohnij wrote:Now im confused again here are pics of the vin and the stamped number on engine.  Help a dummy.


https://i.servimg.com/u/f82/20/24/92/63/signal10.jpg

^^^ and yes it matches the number on the frame

https://i.servimg.com/u/f82/20/24/92/63/img_2011.jpg

^^^  so according to you guys, this means nothing?

Hi

It appears you have the engine number. Can you locate the VIN on your bike?
Is it possible that is the issue with the govt dept?
There must be a vin somewhere on your bike, most likely the frame, unless someone removed it.
The numbers in the two photos do not match??
Hope this helps.

The Vin was never in question.  Trying to determine what exactly is considered the engine number.  Looks like we may have potentially figured it out.  Lets see what California says.

Two Wheels Better wrote:

92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:The last 4 digits are the engine number. 

As said by Two Wheels Better, 104EA is the engine type, 1799 is week 17 of 1999 and then the last 4 digits are the engine number.

VIN is a 7 digit number but Ks only have up to 6 digits so they start with a least one zero. My K100LT is 193214 but for VIN its 0193214 and my K100RT is 0022575 The first K is 0000001

Since 1980 in North America, all car, truck and motorbike chassis VINs have 17 digits. BMWs here start with WB (denoting West Germany). The 10th digit is an alphabetic representation of the model year that repeats and omits as required, such as the number zero or 'O' not being used to reduce confusion. 'A' was given as 1980, for example.

The same is used here too. But its the last 7 digits that are most commonly used.

Just typed BMW engine number on the net, clicked mwmotorcycletech.info engine frame and other numbers... (only read about a quarter of it, its long)

After looking at it, and your engine number (FBM 09845 K3 3284 19002) I think Olaf is right, the first set of numbers is the engine family (FBM 09845 K3) and the last set is the engine number.

So looking at your number, I think your engine was made on week 32 of '84, and the number is 19002.

You might find their number by trying to register on the net at California or Colorado, or go there with the full number for comparison. A previous owner might have the registered number, it might even be in the tail.

I haven't been over thinking this enough, so I want to add that its too coincidental that converting 19002 to seven digits gives you vin 0019002, which looking at TWB'S chart, gives you a production date of July 1984.

Thank god... the transfer went through and the bike is officially mine now. PHEW!!! Funny thing is, the number i wrote down for the engine number was essentially just the back half of the number stamped on the engine.  Oh well.  Don't care anymore.  Transfer is complete.

Bureaucracy... never blame the guy at the desk though. He has to work with what he's given.

Two Wheels Better wrote:Whoa, Nelly. How about some information..

As a former ex-pat Brit in ‘murica; I’m guessing “Whoa, Nelly!” doesn’t always translate as well as you’d like

tinyspuds wrote:

Two Wheels Better wrote:Whoa, Nelly. How about some information..

As a former ex-pat Brit in ‘murica; I’m guessing “Whoa, Nelly!” doesn’t always translate as well as you’d like

The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be...

Congratulations on successfully leaping through California's bureaucratic, burning fire ring to get it rego'd.