Husqvarna VIN Decoder
Decode any Husqvarna motorcycle VIN free in seconds. Enter the 17-character vehicle identification number from your bike into the decoder above and get the model, model year, engine, plant of origin, and recall status instantly, with no sign-up and no credit card.
This page is the Husqvarna Motorcycles VIN hub. Below you’ll find Husqvarna-specific WMI codes, a position-by-position guide to reading a Husqvarna VIN, where to find the VIN on your bike, how it differs from the Husqvarna Group chainsaw and outdoor power equipment company, and how to check it against open recalls.
About Husqvarna Motorcycles
Husqvarna traces its roots to 1689, founded in Sweden as a weapons manufacturer. It moved into bicycles and then motorcycles, building its first motorcycle in 1903 in the town of Huskvarna. Over the following decades Husqvarna built a strong off-road and motocross racing reputation, and its dirt bikes became closely associated with actor and racer Steve McQueen in the 1960s and 1970s.
One point of confusion is worth clearing up. Today’s Husqvarna Motorcycles is a completely different company from Husqvarna Group, the Swedish maker of chainsaws, lawnmowers, and outdoor power equipment. Both trace back to the same 1689 firm, but the motorcycle division was sold off in 1987, and the two businesses have operated as separate legal entities under separate ownership ever since. If your VIN belongs to a dirt bike, adventure bike, or street bike, it’s from the motorcycle company, not the outdoor equipment maker.
Husqvarna Motorcycles changed hands several times after 1987: Electrolux, then Cagiva/MV Agusta (1987-2007), then BMW Motorrad (2007-2013). In 2013 the Austrian KTM group acquired the brand and moved production from Italy to KTM’s home plant in Mattighofen, Austria, where it remains today, sharing significant engineering, chassis, and parts with KTM.
KTM AG entered self-administration in 2024 to restructure heavy debt. Bajaj Auto, a long-time KTM investor, injected roughly 800 million euros in mid-2025 to settle creditors and restart production, then completed its acquisition of a controlling 74.9 percent stake in the parent company (renamed Bajaj Mobility AG, formerly Pierer Mobility AG) in November 2025. Husqvarna and GasGas remain wholly owned subsidiaries of that parent alongside KTM. The crisis hit Husqvarna’s sales hard, so if you’re buying a recent Husqvarna, it’s worth confirming current warranty and parts support with a dealer.
Husqvarna WMI codes (positions 1-3)
The first three characters of your VIN, the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), tell you who built the vehicle and where. The WMI is assigned by SAE International on behalf of ISO and registered with NHTSA’s vPIC database. Here is the WMI registered to Husqvarna Motorcycles:
| WMI | Country of build | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|
| ZKH | Italy (legal registration) | Husqvarna Motorcycles S.r.l., motorcycle |
The ZKH code is registered to “Husqvarna Motorcycles S.r.l.,” the company’s Italian legal entity (formerly Boxer S.r.l. of Varese, Italy), which remains the registered manufacturer of record for VIN purposes even though physical assembly moved to Mattighofen, Austria in 2013. That’s a legal-registration quirk, not an error: the WMI identifies the legally responsible manufacturer, which isn’t always the physical assembly location. KTM’s own motorcycles, built at that same Austrian plant, carry a different WMI (VBK) because KTM AG is a separate legal manufacturer from Husqvarna Motorcycles S.r.l., even though the two share a factory and a parent company. If your VIN begins with ZKH, it’s a genuine Husqvarna; an unlisted WMI may indicate a rebadge, a replacement frame, or a cloned VIN. Decode the full VIN above to confirm.
How to read a Husqvarna VIN: position by position
Motorcycles have used the same ISO 3779 17-character VIN standard as cars since NHTSA mandated it in 1981. The 17 characters split into three blocks:
| Block | Positions | What it encodes |
|---|---|---|
| World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) | 1 – 3 | Country and manufacturer |
| Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) | 4 – 8 | Model line, engine, body/chassis type |
| Check digit | 9 | Math-validated control character |
| Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) | 10 – 17 | Model year, plant, serial |
Here is what each position means specifically on a Husqvarna:
Positions 1-3: World Manufacturer Identifier
See the WMI table above. Nearly every current Husqvarna VIN begins with ZKH, registered to Husqvarna Motorcycles S.r.l. for global production, physically built in Mattighofen, Austria.
Positions 4-8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
These positions encode the model line (for example, the FE, FC, TE, TC, Svartpilen, Vitpilen, or Norden families), engine displacement, and chassis type. Husqvarna hasn’t published a full public VDS key, and the coding has shifted across model years as the lineup was redesigned alongside KTM’s shared architecture. The safest way to confirm your exact model, displacement, and trim is to decode the full VIN with the tool above rather than reading positions 4-8 in isolation.
Position 9: Check digit
The check digit is the most important single character in any VIN. It’s calculated from the other 16 characters using a fixed weighting table and modulo-11 math. If even one character of a Husqvarna VIN is mistyped, the check digit won’t match, and any compliant decoder, DMV, or insurer will flag the VIN as invalid.
Position 10: Model year
The 10th character maps to a model year on a 30-year cycle. Skim the chart below to translate yours:
| Char | Year | Char | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | 2024 | F | 2015 |
| S | 2025 | E | 2014 |
| T | 2026 | D | 2013 |
| V | 2027 | C | 2012 |
| W | 2028 | B | 2011 |
| X | 2029 | A | 2010 |
| Y | 2030 | 9 | 2009 |
| 1 | 2031 | 8 | 2008 |
| 2 | 2032 | 7 | 2007 |
| 3 | 2033 | 6 | 2006 |
The letters I, O, and Q are never used in any VIN, including Husqvarna, because they look too similar to the digits 1 and 0.
Position 11: Assembly plant
The single character at position 11 identifies the specific factory. Since 2013, essentially all current Husqvarna motorcycles are assembled at the Mattighofen, Austria facility Husqvarna shares with KTM; earlier bikes came from Husqvarna’s former plant in Italy. Husqvarna hasn’t published a public plant-code key, so decode the full VIN above to confirm your bike’s build location rather than relying on position 11 alone.
Positions 12-17: Serial number
The final six characters are the production sequence number for your specific motorcycle. Combined with the previous 11 characters, this makes every Husqvarna VIN globally unique.
Where to find the VIN on a Husqvarna
Like any motorcycle, a Husqvarna has no windshield or door jamb to check. The VIN is stamped directly into the frame:
- Stamped into the right-hand side of the steering head (frame neck, behind the front forks), typically in dot-matrix format
- Duplicated on a tamper-resistant white VIN sticker next to the frame stamp
- Vehicle title, registration, and your Husqvarna dealer’s service record
A separate engine number is stamped on the engine case itself and is not the same as the frame VIN. Because engines on off-road and motocross bikes are sometimes swapped, rebuilt, or replaced after a crash, it’s normal for an older Husqvarna’s engine number and frame VIN to no longer match. That alone isn’t a red flag, but it’s worth checking before you buy a used bike.
If your Husqvarna was built before 1981, it predates the 17-character VIN standard. Given the brand’s history stretching back to 1903, older Husqvarna motorcycles used shorter frame and engine serial number formats that changed across decades and ownership eras. For pre-1981 motorcycles, use our classic car VIN decoder guide, which covers pre-standardization VIN and serial number formats.
Check Husqvarna recalls and safety information
Open and historic recalls on Husqvarna motorcycles are tracked by NHTSA in the United States. Husqvarna’s own site publishes a running list of safety recall notices by year, but it isn’t a self-service VIN lookup tool, so NHTSA’s VIN-based search is the most direct way to check a specific bike:
- Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the model and model year
- Enter the VIN into NHTSA’s official recall search (US), which checks it against all open campaigns
- Review Husqvarna’s safety recall page for details, or contact your nearest authorized dealer
As an example, KTM North America filed a recall in mid-2026 covering thousands of Husqvarna FE and GasGas ES dual-sport motorcycles for a rear brake caliper that could crack, affecting model years 2022 through 2024. Recalls are repaired free of charge regardless of the motorcycle’s age or ownership history.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode my Husqvarna VIN?
Type the 17-character VIN from your steering head, frame sticker, or title into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in seconds and include make, model, model year, engine, plant of origin, and open NHTSA recalls. No registration is required.
Is Husqvarna Motorcycles the same company as Husqvarna chainsaws?
No. Both trace back to a Swedish firm founded in 1689, but the motorcycle business was sold off in 1987 and has been separately owned ever since. Husqvarna Motorcycles is now owned by the Austrian KTM group’s parent, which is majority-owned by India’s Bajaj Auto. Husqvarna Group, the chainsaw and lawnmower maker, is unrelated and independently owned; it only shares the historical name and trademark.
Where is the VIN on a Husqvarna motorcycle?
The VIN is stamped into the right-hand side of the steering head, at the front of the frame behind the forks, and duplicated on a tamper-resistant sticker next to the stamp. A motorcycle has no windshield or door jamb, so those car-style locations don’t apply.
Is my Husqvarna’s engine number the same as its VIN?
No. The VIN is stamped on the frame; the engine carries its own, separate number stamped into the case. Off-road engines are commonly swapped, rebuilt, or replaced after damage, so it’s normal for an older Husqvarna’s engine number and frame VIN to no longer match. That’s a routine quirk, not automatically a red flag, but confirm it before buying used.
Is the Husqvarna VIN decoder free?
Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Husqvarna VIN free of charge with no sign-up or credit card. Full vehicle history reports, including ownership records, accident history, and title history, are available as an optional paid upgrade.
Can a Husqvarna VIN be faked?
The 17 characters can be retyped, but the check digit at position 9 makes silent tampering nearly impossible: any single-character change breaks the math. Frame stampings can still be altered or a stolen frame re-tagged, which is why theft rings target VIN plates on off-road bikes. If you suspect a cloned VIN, our guide how to check if a car is stolen by VIN walks through the next steps.
Decode any Husqvarna VIN free
Type your 17-character Husqvarna VIN into the decoder at the top of this page and get a full breakdown instantly. To learn more about VIN structure in general, see our guides: