Non-Matching numbers - a problem?
 

Will an engine with a different serial number than is in the registration papers pose any problems?

This topic may be of relevance for other riders riding in other locations. Any comments are therefore welcome..

To what degree may non-matching numbers pose a problem? How? Where?

My reason fopr asking: We will be riding two classic Vespas from Cape Town to Nairobi this summer. One of these scooters are kitted with a larger cylinder. As these scooters are prone enough for seisure as it is, and we also wan't to be able to share spare parts, I wan't to reverse the tuning so we will be riding identical scoots. As I have a brand new engine laying around, and as it is easier to swap engines on these bikes than cylinders, I am tempted to do just that. Only problem then is that the serial numbers of the engine won't match the registration papers. Any comments?

Should I purchase a new sylinder, top and barrel, or just swap engines (I don't want to swap sylinders from one engine to the other).

Numbers MUST match the papers or you could lose the bike in places like Egypt, where they do rubbings of the numbers and match them very carefully to the papers.
I was shown a whole courtyard - hundreds of vehicles - and was told that one of the reasons they had been confiscated was because of bad paperwork, like numbers not matching.

You should be able to get the papers changed at the licence office. Take the old engine and the bike with new engine, and your paperwork documenting that the new engine is legal, and should be no problem.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Ouch!


Thanks for the info

down here you can get in real trouble if you do what you plan to do. It`s pretty common that authorities check for matching engine and frame numbers.I sugest to follow Grant`s advice.

I recently discovered my fairly new 4x4 had the wrong chassis number (due to a mistake between the importer and DVLA) so I just returned the V5 with the change of chassis number details and they processed it. I don't see why your change of engine should be any different, especially if you write a covering letter.