I have a circa 1976 Yamaha Exciter and am looking to ID it so I know definately what year it is. Anyone have any idea on how to go about this?

Thank You!

mattina,

On the frame, you'll notice a number such as this: 8A5-000011.
On the engine, you'll also notice a similar number such as this: SS433-000011.

I don't have a reference that goes back past 1981, therefore I can't look it up. What you can do is to call a Yamaha dealer and have them reference your number and compare it with each years sequence.

What color is your machine? What size; 340, 440? Are the gauges underneath the handlebar or up behind the windshield? Does the handlebar pad just cover the top portion of the handlebars or does it extend all the way to the cowling? These are important identification marks that can narrow it down significantly.

Jon

:hallo1:

well, it is white with red trim and red pinstriping.

Here are some pictures of it:

http://www.buffalonet.com/imag0072.jpg
http://www.buffalonet.com/imag0073.jpg
http://www.buffalonet.com/imag0074.jpg
http://www.buffalonet.com/imag0075.jpg
http://www.buffalonet.com/imag0076.jpg
http://www.buffalonet.com/imag0077.jpg

Let me know what you think.

Dylan

Man, your stumping me here. O.K., I do have it narrowed down. In '76 the gauges were down in the console near the gas tank. Also, the '76 and '77 Exciters had the Keihin PW42-38 slide carburetor. These are easy to distinguish because they have a round knurled knob on the top with a guide tube connecting it to the throttle cable. If your sled has that, then I almost 100 percent sure you have a 1977 EX440A.

In 1978 and '79, Yamaha switched the Exciter to the Keihin BD44-38 carburetor. This model is a butterfly type carb. that has totally eliminated the round knob since it doesn't need the round throttle spring inside the slide carbs. Basically, it's a horizontal tube connected from the airbox to the intake on the engine. If your sled has this carburetor, then it is for sure a 1978 and not a '79 since your handle bar pad doesn not go all the way to the cowling. Also, the '79's were black with red accents.

So, in a nut shell, check your carburetor. My guess is '78, but depending on the carb, it could be a '77 or '78.

Hope this didn't confuse you.

Jon