What Year Is My Honda Foreman 500?

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A high-performance all-terrain vehicle, the Honda Foreman 450 was first produced in 1998 and continued to be produced until 2004. It came in two variations: the manual-shift Honda Foreman 450 S and the electric-shift Honda Foreman 450 ES, and was regarded by Honda as its most popular and potent ATV. The Honda Foreman 450 ES was named the ATV of the Year by ATV Magazine the same year it was released, reflecting the growing popularity of automatic gearboxes in the industry.

This multi-purpose equipment accomplishes a variety of tasks more effectively, from pig farms to banana plantations to golf courses. It is dependable and utilized for crossing water, muddy fields, sandhills, woodland treks, and rough highways. Some aficionados believe it performs far better than a Polaris Sportsman and a Yamaha Grizzly.

A Honda 500 is from what year?

Honda produced the CB500 Four from 1971 to 1978. It is a conventional 498 cc (30.4 cu in), air-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, transverse inline-four motorcycle.

It was unveiled in February 1972 at the London Racing and Sporting Motorcycle Show[3] and marketed in the US until 1973 before being replaced by the CB550 for the 1974 model year. In Europe, it was available until 1978.

[2] The CB500 Four has a similar design as the CB750 but is smaller and lighter, with a top speed of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a claimed 50 horsepower (37 kW) output. [1] [3]

Similar to the older CB750, it sports a SOHC eight-valve engine, a single front hydraulic disc brake, a rear drum brake, and an electric starter. The CB750’s four-into-four exhaust pipes were mirrored by these ones. The smaller bike sports a wet sump engine as opposed to the older dry sump CB750. The CB750 used a duplex chain, whilst the CB500 had a “Hy-Vo” Morse chain for the primary drives.

Motorcycle Mechanics, a UK monthly magazine, reviewed the 1972 show models and praised the CB500 as “another “show stealer.” This 500 cc motorcycle performs like a 650 twin cylinder bike thanks to four cylinders, in-line across the chassis, four carburetors, and a single overhead camshaft motor connected to a five-speed transmission.” [3]

Early in the 1970s, several CB500 motorcycles competed in the Production TT races on the Isle of Man. Stan Woods finished in second position on a Suzuki T500 two-stroke twin, 8.2 seconds behind winner Bill Smith who was riding one in the 1973 500 cc TT Production race (four laps). [4]

How is the VIN number on a Honda ATV broken down?

Honda ATVs come equipped with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which can be used to track an ATV’s history all the way back to the factory and even to the precise moment it left the assembly line. The year of manufacturing, make, and engine type are also included in the VIN, along with a check digit in the center to avoid vehicle identity fraud.

Items you will need

Locate the ATV’s VIN number. This is typically installed on the frame close to the bottom. It has 17 digits in total.

Take a look at the first three numbers. These stand for the WMI, or World Manufacturer’s Identifier.

The nation of origin is indicated by the first digit. If the first digit is a 1, the ATV was made in the United States. If it begins with a J, your Honda was manufactured in Japan.

Honda’s second digit will be an H. The vehicle type or production division is represented by the third digit. This may be an M, for example, for the motorcycle division, or a 3 or 5, for example, for an all-terrain vehicle.

Use the group of the following five integers (four through eight). The Vehicle Description Section of these numbers contains information on the ATV, including its series, model, and engine type.

Track down the ninth digit. Consider this number alone. It can be linked back to the ATV by the manufacturer and has been assigned to guard against fraudulent vehicle identification.

Verify that the 10th digit corresponds to the manufacture year. Before 2000, it was a letter; starting in 2000, it is a number. The letter W, for instance, will be at the tenth place on a 1998 model.

Using the 11th digit, identify the factory where the ATV was produced. A stands for the Ohio factory in the United States, B for the Aalstd factory in Belgium, C for the Saitama factory in Japan, D for Guadalajara in Mexico, E for Montesa in Spain, F for Atessa in Italy, K for Kumamoto in Japan, M for Hamamatsu in Japan, R for Manaus in Brazil, S for Suzuka in Japan, T for the Japanese Tochigi plant, and 4 for the South Carolina factory in the United States

To view the ATV’s special production sequence, use the last six digits. This can be used to recall products if only some of the production was impacted by a problem and can show you when your ATV rolled off the assembly line.

What is the year’s number on the VIN?

All road cars had to have standardized VINs by 1954, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started enforcing them.

The majority of people think that a VIN is just a collection of random letters and numbers. However, these symbols are highly structured codes with distinct meanings. The VIN, which consists of 17 characters, is used on vehicles manufactured from 1981 to the present (letters and numbers). The length and format of the previous VIN differed between automobiles.

The lower-left corner of the dashboard, in front of the steering wheel, is frequently where the VIN can be found. Looking through the glass on the car’s driver’s side will allow you to read the number.

The VIN may also be visible in the following places:

  • The area in front of the car’s frame, close to the reservoir housing the windshield washer fluid.
  • wheels towards the back. Attempt to stare directly above the tire, up.
  • The engine block’s front. By opening the hood and inspecting the front of the engine, you should be able to see this with ease.
  • in the doorjamb on the driver’s side. Look underneath the door, where the side-view mirror would be if the door were closed.
  • the spare tire’s base.
  • passenger-side doorpost. Look close to the location where the door latches and a little distance from the seatbelt return when you open the door.

The country where the car was made is indicated by the first character of the VIN. VINs with the first three digits 1, 4, and 5 are produced in this country. The third number or letter is used by the car maker to specify the type of car, truck, bus, etc. that is being manufactured. The model year is indicated by the 10th character of the VIN.

Look for the ATV VIN

A unique identifier used to identify each individual motor vehicle, including all-terrain vehicles, is known as the VIN (also called three-wheeler, quadricycle, quad, four-wheeler or four-track). The letters O (o), I I and Q (q), which can be confused with the numbers 0, 1, and 9, are not part of this 17-character VIN. All ATV manufacturers adhere to a uniform format.

  • The tenth digit represents the year.
  • The engine size, engine type, and engine model are represented by the fourth through eighth characters.
  • The country code appears as the first character.
  • A verification of the accuracy of the previous characters’ manufacturer authorization is provided by the ninth digit.
  • The manufacturer appears as the second digit.
  • One of the manufacturing codes is 11.
  • The third character serves as a vehicle identification code.
  • The serial number is represented by the 12th through 17th characters.

Where to find the ATV VIN number

ATV locations differ depending on the manufacturer. It is frequently (though not always) found under the shifter on the left side of the frame, which is a rather simple place to look. Perhaps this explains why ATV builders frequent the area. Other places might not be as simple to find:

  • the frame’s left side, next to the engine
  • through the plastic hood’s slit
  • In the frame beneath the tail portion, engraved
  • close to the left wheel (inside the left wheel well by the radiator or behind the left wheel well on the frame)

The most popular manufacturers’ typical VIN positions are shown below (in no particular order):

embedded on the front crossmember, which is located in front of the rack. (Unless you are utilizing special skid plates, it should be simple to find.)

Near the front of the car, typically on the left side under the shift lever.

It is located on the front left wheel well on more models. Additionally, the left or right rear frame may contain it.

Usually written on a label found inside the passenger-side front wheel well or under the glove box.

The VIN is also listed in the following documents:

  • insurance documentation
  • registrations for vehicles
  • Names of vehicles
  • dealer’s original bill of sale

When was fuel injection introduced on the Honda Foreman?

Throughout its run in production, the Honda Foreman 400’s configuration remained unaltered, although it saw a number of improvements, including the following:

  • Both total length (from 76.5 to 77.2 inches) and height (from 42.5 to 45 inches) increased.
  • The 1998 Honda Foreman 400’s engine displacement went from 395 to 432.6 cubic centimeters, a little increase.
  • On the 1995 model, the Goodyear Tracker ATT stock tires were replaced with Dunlops.
  • From 4.33 to 5.9 inches more suspension travel was added at the front and rear.
  • Additionally, the seat height rose by 3 inches, from 30.9 to 33.9.
  • Foreman models have access to EPS (Electronic Power Steering), TraxLok, and PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel Injection) from 1998 to 2004.
  • With a revised dry weight of 573.3 lbs, the Foreman has gained weight as a result of minor dimensional adjustments.
  • The speedometer on the dashboard was replaced by a complete LCD that displayed the trip meter, the odometer, and the speedometer.

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