Non Matching Numbers

[Milan]

So how does everyone here rate the pricing of a bike that has had its engine replaced with another from the same year.

I always see some people are sticklers for the number matching Frame & Engine

[m in sc]

depends on the bike.

[Milan]

The one I saw was a RZ350, listed as such

[bitzz]

Depends on what you want to do with the bike. If you want to RIDE the thing, it makes no difference. If you want to polish the turd and sit and look at it...well, maybe. To me it doesn't matter unless you're doing a concourse restore.
When you're BUYING seeing matching numbers MIGHT mean it hasn't been screwed with...much. The last Daytona I bought, the ONLY original part on the thing was the numbers matching motor. I was shocked.

But yeah, some people get hung up on meaningless stuff

[rodneya]

Ive read that some European market bikes came from the factory with non matching numbers.

[85RZwade]

I think it would only matter if you plan to sell it. They're just numbers, and I don't care.

[mixedbikes]

Someone who knows should answer this, but dont Kaw triples have non matching engine/frame numbers from new?? I know collector car guys get hung up with numbers, me not so much.

[m in sc]

kawi has a range,x frame is y range of engine numbers, etc. I personally could care less

[Beavis]

 My 75 RD125 has non matching #s, and here in California, that triggers a salvage title. A big ding in value.  I hate it here,,,

[Evans Ward]

Unless you are keeping it 100% stock original OR have all of the take off parts to put it back stock, it really doesn't matter IMHO.

[SoCal250]

Matching numbers is always preferred. (And by matching I mean correlating with the correct numbers as from the factory. As said above some vehicles do not have identical numbers for VIN and engine but there is usually some relationship.) If it's something collectible or rare then it's always better to have matching numbers (this is true for bikes and cars), otherwise the value will be negatively impacted.
If it something you're going to keep and you don't care about resale then it's not a big deal.

[bitzz]

I can't find any relationship of engine numbers and frame numbers on old Hondas. There are lists of frame numbers, that correspond to model years, and there are lists of engine numbers that were produced that year, but I have found some bikes have low engine numbers and high frame numbers, OR low frame number and high engine number.
Old Euro bikes only had an engine number, and then Berliner Bros. started putting the engine number on the downtube under the seat for the US market. I have a Monza with the engine number stamped on the front down tube???? NOBODY did that. It's the only one I have ever seen like that. Seen lots with only the engine number....
A lot of places won't let you register a bike with just the engine number, no problem for your Norton or Triumph. Norvil will sell you a blank VIN plate to rivet to the frame and you can put anything you want on it. about $8... so when someone is trying to sell you a "numbers matching" Commando, it means the engine and trans have the same number, who knows where the frame came from.

[1976RD400C]

This came with my registration renewal

[pdxjim]

These are the matching numbers you should be worried about:

[pdxjim]

... and another fun fact:  JDM bikes (RD, RZ, TZR, etc) don't have engine numbers.  Just the model prefix.  This is from the LC I sold last month.