[billybob69]

I've been trying to (agricultural vehicle) road register my Honda TR300FW in the UK.
For those that don't know the system, you first have to get an "dating certificate" or a "certificate of newness" (usually from Honda) saying what year it was made. You send this to the Government body for licensing (DVLA) and they then issue a registration document (a V5C).

I have contacted Honda asking a "dating certificate" and have given my frame and engine number and they tell me that they can't date it because if wasn't originally imported by Honda UK or what is known as a grey import.

I'm not sure if they are trying to fob me off. It seems strange that someone other that Honda UK would import quads to the UK?
The speedo on the quad is in km/h. I'm pretty sure that the speedo is in km/h even for countries whose main measurement of length is the mile?

Someone on here has figured out that the quad is a 2000 model from the Frame and Engine Number. Is there anything else that can be told from these numbers? Place of manufacturer? Intended market (US, Europe, Australia etc)?

478TE15U3YA00**** - Frame
TE15E-9153*** - Engine

Thanks in advance for any replies.

bb69

 

[SamUK]

Yep, your right, their fobbing you off. Most Honda dealers do in the UK unfortunately, however there are a select few that will take the time to date the ATV for you. Your best option is to find a list of dealers and keep calling them until you start to get somewhere. There is a dealership in Northampton I believe that are willing to help, not sure on the name though.

 

[SamUK]

Alternatively you can buy a 300 already registered, my father has one for sale, I believe it’s a 92 Agri registered. All working in fair condition and ready to go. PM me if it’s of any interest, he may P/X.

 

[Macarena Man]

Is there 'Date of Manufacture' (DOM) on the vehicle identification sticker ?

 

[fishfiles]

I have never had to deal with your problem , but familiar with Grey Market equipment , they don't call them Grey Market anymore , the new term they use over here is World Market

 

[mac102004]

The vin can be decoded a bit

first 3 numbers 478 means it was manufactured in USA, by Honda, and is an ATV. Then TE15 means it is a TRX300FW, 9th digit is just a check digit, it's calculated somehow to prove the VIN is real. 10th digit is year, in your case it's Y which means it's a 2000 model. 11th digit is the assembly plant in your case it's A which means Ohio, USA. The rest is just the production number, which you didn't provide anyway.

The engine S/N doesn't tell much, TE15 again, TRX300FW engine, 91 says it is likely a 1999 engine, or 2000, guessing at that part a bit, information is a bit dicey on the engine numbers past 1996.

 

[Goober]

Does your quad have a made in USA sticker on the right rear fender?

Yes the ID label may have a month and year.

 

[SamUK]

Is there 'Date of Manufacture' (DOM) on the vehicle identification sticker ?

It would be great if it were that simple, unfortunately the DVLA require a letter/certificate from the manufacturer to comfirm the date.

 

[billybob69]

Yep, your right, their fobbing you off. Most Honda dealers do in the UK unfortunately, however there are a select few that will take the time to date the ATV for you. Your best option is to find a list of dealers and keep calling them until you start to get somewhere. There is a dealership in Northampton I believe that are willing to help, not sure on the name though.

I’ve found Honda UK very helpful in the past, but it does feel like they are fobbing me off this time. I know of at least one Honda model; a CRF230F that was built in Brazil and never officially imported into the country by Honda UK, but plenty of them have been road registered. Do you know if the dealerships can actually produce the “dating certificate”? I was under the impression that the DVLA would only accept a letter from the manufacturer?

The vin can be decoded a bit
first 3 numbers 478 means it was manufactured in USA, by Honda, and is an ATV. Then TE15 means it is a TRX300FW, 9th digit is just a check digit, it's calculated somehow to prove the VIN is real. 10th digit is year, in your case it's Y which means it's a 2000 model. 11th digit is the assembly plant in your case it's A which means Ohio, USA. The rest is just the production number, which you didn't provide anyway.

The engine S/N doesn't tell much, TE15 again, TRX300FW engine, 91 says it is likely a 1999 engine, or 2000, guessing at that part a bit, information is a bit dicey on the engine numbers past 1996.

Thanks for that. That is incredibly helpful.
I also have a “parts bike”. Also a later years’ TRX300FW. The frame number on this one is 478TE15U
XXA901---
From the frame number on this, I have deciphered that it is -

478 — Manufactured in the USA, by Honda
TE15U — TRX300FW
X — Check digit
X — 1999 model
A — Made in Ohio plant
901--- - Production Number

Can I just check that my understanding is correct?

bb69

 

[SamUK]

From what I gather all DVLA require is a letter from the main importer of the machine, in this case Honda.
If you google search all of the Honda dealers in Northampton I know that one of them will assist you, I don’t remember the dealer name unfortunately.

 

[mac102004]

Yep, your right, their fobbing you off. Most Honda dealers do in the UK unfortunately, however there are a select few that will take the time to date the ATV for you. Your best option is to find a list of dealers and keep calling them until you start to get somewhere. There is a dealership in Northampton I believe that are willing to help, not sure on the name though.

I’ve found Honda UK very helpful in the past, but it does feel like they are fobbing me off this time. I know of at least one Honda model; a CRF230F that was built in Brazil and never officially imported into the country by Honda UK, but plenty of them have been road registered. Do you know if the dealerships can actually produce the “dating certificate”? I was under the impression that the DVLA would only accept a letter from the manufacturer?

The vin can be decoded a bit
first 3 numbers 478 means it was manufactured in USA, by Honda, and is an ATV. Then TE15 means it is a TRX300FW, 9th digit is just a check digit, it's calculated somehow to prove the VIN is real. 10th digit is year, in your case it's Y which means it's a 2000 model. 11th digit is the assembly plant in your case it's A which means Ohio, USA. The rest is just the production number, which you didn't provide anyway.

The engine S/N doesn't tell much, TE15 again, TRX300FW engine, 91 says it is likely a 1999 engine, or 2000, guessing at that part a bit, information is a bit dicey on the engine numbers past 1996.

Thanks for that. That is incredibly helpful.
I also have a “parts bike”. Also a later years’ TRX300FW. The frame number on this one is 478TE15U
XXA901---
From the frame number on this, I have deciphered that it is -

478 – Manufactured in the USA, by Honda
TE15U – TRX300FW
X – Check digit
X – 1999 model
A – Made in Ohio plant
901--- - Production Number

Can I just check that my understanding is correct?

bb69

looks right to me.

 

[billybob69]

I’ve since done a bit more research and found the “TE15U” (in particular the ‘U’) means that its ‘sales region’ was Australia.

I’m wondering if Honda UK stopped importing the TRX300 into the UK when Honda updated them and changed them from Honda TRX300 BIG RED to Honda TRX300 FOURTRAX? Either way, I don’t know why Honda are being so difficult over it.

 

[SamUK]

Mine came from the States and is a 98. The change over from big red to Fourtrax was between 95-96 here in the UK, I could never find an exact date only between said years. However you do find the odd 97 with big red decals, could just be a tank or decal swap though I guess.

I’ll add here, I was wrong with Northampton Honda dealership being helpful, it’s Nottigham. Apologies.

 

[billybob69]

Just to give an update on this;

After I was given the ‘it’s a grey import, we can’t give a certificate” reply. I went back to them and gave them all the research that I had done – effectively telling them which year it was built – and again asking them to provide a certificate.
Their customer service still wouldn’t provide or tell me why they couldn’t give me a certificate now that they knew all of the information to provide one.

P*ssed off with this lack of co-operation, I decide to write to the head honcho at Honda Europe – Dave Hodgetts asking him to either provide a certificate or explain the reason why. He passes the letter onto one of his underlings who explains that the reason why they can’t provide one is because their “records do not go back to 1999”.

I don’t believe for a minute that Honda somewhere haven’t got the records for the older machines (how do these vintage Honda societies provide dating certificates?), but it looks like my quad won’t be getting an age related number plate........

bb69

 

[jvoelcker]

Hi,

How did you get on with the registration?

I am about to try to register an old 1995 TRX300FW and Honda UK have said they can't/wont provide proofs of age/spec, etc.

Cheers,

Julian

 

[SamUK]

Hi,

How did you get on with the registration?

I am about to try to register an old 1995 TRX300FW and Honda UK have said they can't/wont provide proofs of age/spec, etc.

Cheers,

Julian

You need one that is already registered as agri or that is no older than 10 years to get a certificate of conformity. It’s pretty cut and dried here in the U.K. you won’t get anywhere trying to register and old ATV.

 

[billybob69]

@jvoelcker
I gave up trying after post #14, when the Head of Honda Europe isn't going to help, I knew that I wasn't going to get what I want.

They were initially saying that they couldn't issue a certificate because, my model (year 2000) was one that wasn't officially imported into the UK by Honda UK.
Only at the later states did they say that they didn't have record. A 1995 model - the "Big Red" model - might be different. They were officially imported by Honda UK.

You need one that is already registered as agri or that is no older than 10 years to get a certificate of conformity. It’s pretty cut and dried here in the U.K. you won’t get anywhere trying to register and old ATV.

Where have this information regarding the "no older than 10 years" from? Is this just Honda?

bb69

 

[SamUK]

Yes, Honda won’t supply a certificate of conformity if the ATV is 10 years or older, I have no idea why.

 

[SamUK]

An alternative would be to apply for a ‘Q’ registration on Agri and then change the taxation class at a later date. Have you tried that?
‘Q’ registrations are vehicles that are built or can’t be dated, it may be possible, I’m not sure. The easiest way is to do as I did, buy an Agri registered ATV and change the taxation class to PLG, very straight forward procedure done at the post office. Of course, you need an MOT and insurance before changing to PLG