Bike identification

[CBX1000chris]

Hello all,
Here in the UK a motorcycle becomes exempt from road fund licence and road worthiness testing (MOT) once it becomes an 'historical vehicle', this happens at 40 years of age. My CBX was imported into the UK in 1997 and was given an age related plate, T, which positions the bike in the period August 1978 to July 1979. I contacted the DVLA (our licencing people) and asked when I could apply for historic registration and was told my bike was manufactured in December 1979, this clearly doesn't tally with the age related plate. I was also told that I would need proof of when the bike was first registered if I want to change this. Clearly I would like to avoid the road fund licence and road worthiness testing costs if I can but how can I find out the true history of my bike. I will write to Honda UK but in the meantime can anyone advise me on how I can get the details for my bike.

Frame number CB12011463

Thank you in advance for any advice,
Chris.

[jnnngs]

Chris,

Where have the DVLA got the December 79 date from? What's the "date of first registration" on the V5? If they have given the bike a "T" reg, as you say that would imply the first registration date is Aug78-Jul79.

They normally just go on the first registration date of the vehicle - they have no other information to go on. So, I think the rules would mean you'd get free tax / no MOT from the April following it's 40th birthday - according to the "first registration date".

There is a way to get "free tax" earlier, if the first registration date is later than it's actual build date (not unusual for imports or where bikes didn't sell until a long time after they were built - as was the case for a lot of CBXs). You then need a dating certificate proving the bikes actual age.

In your bike's case, given the frame number it was probably manufactured somewhere around mid 1978, so on that basis it would be eligible for free tax from April 2019.

Hope that helps.

Paul.

[daves79x]

Paul - agree on your approximate date of manufacture. A pity it's not shown on the VIN plate as it is over here. Should be easy to prove, just getting the officials to agree.

Dave

[EMS]

A gentleman named David Towers in the U.K. has a 1979 CBX with a VIN-number very close to yours. Maybe someone else here from the UK knows him and can get you in touch with him so he can help you with some document narrowing down the build date. It is late August/early September.

[CBX1000chris]

Thank you to those who have responded.
I decided to go and have a close look at the VIN plate and it does state '1979 Model', I hadn't noticed this before. So, although there is a conflict between the age related plate (T) provided when the bike was first registered in the UK on the 19th March 1997, and the DVLA saying the bike was manufactured in December 1979, the bike is a 1979 model.
My understanding is you can only apply for historical vehicle status on, or after, the 1st April 'after' the vehicle reaches 40 years of age. Therefore, unless my bike was registered in the first three months of 1979 then it looks as though I have to wait until April 2020. It seems DVLA update 'historic vehicle' status in batches. have written to Honda USA and Canada to see if they can help, Honda UK pointed me in their direction.
Not a problem though, one more year of tax and MOT to fork out and then it's 'happy days'.
Cheers,
Chris.

[daves79x]

To be clear, all but the last handful of '79' models were made in '78. They were sold world-wide as '78s, except in the US and Canada, where the VIN plates all said '1979 Model'. Should be easy enough to prove the bike was built in '78.

Dave

[EMS]

Thank you to those who have responded.
I decided to go and have a close look at the VIN plate and it does state '1979 Model', I hadn't noticed this before. Cheers,
Chris.

What VIN plate do you have? If thee VIN plate says 1979 model, it is a U.S./Canadian VIN plate and also has the date of manufacture in the right upper corner. It should say either 8/78 or 9/78
The Euro/rest of the world VIN plates on the frame tube do not have the "1979 Model" script.

[CBX1000chris]

Thank you EMS, every day is a school day ) I wasn't aware that the manufacturing date was on the VIN plate. My bike was manufactured 09/78 so I will go back to DVLA because clearly, by their own definition, I can apply for historic vehicle status on the 1st April next year.
Regards,
Chris.

[dirtyhead]

Good evening,I,have a red 1979 CBX frame number 2011505 ,I need to find the old green tax book but I am pretty sure it was June 1979 registered in Belfast the reg is TOI 8546.I will take a look for it.My bike could have been manufactured the same week as yours.I need to check the engine number also as apparently the letter E denotes whether its a Z or an A.Does anyone know where the engine number is located?Thanks in advance.

[tevan]

The engine number on a79 is on the center of the engine on top below the airbox. Very hard to see. Look on the right side of the engine in the center.

[jnnngs]

I need to check the engine number also as apparently the letter E denotes whether its a Z or an A.Does anyone know where the engine number is located?Thanks in advance.

For a Z, frame numbers are CB1-xxxxxxx, and engines are CB1E-xxxxxxx. The A engines / frames are stamped SC03 rather than CB1.

Paul.

[EMS]

If 11505 would have an A-engine, the engine serial number would be clearly visible behind cylinder number 5 and would begin with SC03E.... The fact that the owner asks where the engine number is, tells us he cannot readily see it and it is hidden on top of the primary housing, like all of the CB1E 1979 engine numbers through serial 17146 were.

[craneguy]

Thank you to those who have responded.
I decided to go and have a close look at the VIN plate and it does state '1979 Model', I hadn't noticed this before. Cheers,
Chris.

What VIN plate do you have? If thee VIN plate says 1979 model, it is a U.S./Canadian VIN plate and also has the date of manufacture in the right upper corner. It should say either 8/78 or 9/78
The Euro/rest of the world VIN plates on the frame tube do not have the "1979 Model" script.

I have vin# CB1-2002277. The bikes vin plate shows it being built 4/78. was this a common build date?

[daves79x]

There is no 'common' build date. April of '78 started the production run of '79s. Yours is clearly one of them. I think 3000 or so were produced the first month, but Mike has much better info on that.

Dave