Thoughts on serial numbers
Posted: February 10th, 2011, 12:21 am
I thought I would look at the serial numbers and give my opinions on them. You guys may have figured it all out already, but this is what I see.
Looking at 94 CudaComps: my AX3100027 and manbeers
AX3120208.
I could believe that mine was number 27 but find it hard to believe it was 100,027. I could believe manbeers was number 208 but find it hard to believe it was 120,208.
If you figure there were 4 dealers per state in the US. That’s 200 dealers. Lets say there were 1000 dealers worldwide in 94. That would mean at minimum, each dealer would have stocked 120 CudaComps.. I cannot believe that. I could believe 200 dealers in the US could have had 3 or 4 stocked in 94. I think my estimate for dealers is high. Texas had 4 dealers at minimum in 94, but Texas is a large state. (Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston) A lot of states may have had one or no dealers. So, I think my numbers are conservative.
Let’s stay with 1994: My two A2M’s are 12” AM4030049 and 14” AM4030182. Using the above numbers, I would be more likely to believe they were 49 and 182. It makes more sense to me that more 14” bikes were produced than 12” bikes. So ask yourself. If you were a dealer, ordering bikes, wouldn’t you order more 16’s and larger as opposed to 14’s and smaller. That’s what I would do. And that is what I saw at dealers in 94. Very few small bikes.
Now, going back to the CudaComps: AX310 and AX312. The only difference in these bikes are their size, so first I thought the 3rd digit of 0 and 2 might be designators for size, but that doesn’t work for my two A2M’s at AM403 for both sizes and two of Mark’s 18” XXteam’s KM503 and KM501. I see the KM5010023 has the lower last two digits than the KM5030070. I am inclined to believe the 3rd digit indicate production runs. As in #23 was in the 1st production run and #70 was in the 3rd production run. (This jives with the CudaComps as well.) I mean, think about it. The XXTeam was the race bike, right? How many XXTeam's do you think each dealer in 95 “was allowed”. I know for a fact in 1987, Suzuki did not even allow each US dealer, one GSXR 750R Race version (with the dry clutch). It was a marketing ploy to keep the prices up. I would bet dealers were lucky to get more than one XXTeam.
OK, if you think I am full of crap, it won't hurt my feelings.. Throw it at me..
Looking at 94 CudaComps: my AX3100027 and manbeers
AX3120208.I could believe that mine was number 27 but find it hard to believe it was 100,027. I could believe manbeers was number 208 but find it hard to believe it was 120,208.
If you figure there were 4 dealers per state in the US. That’s 200 dealers. Lets say there were 1000 dealers worldwide in 94. That would mean at minimum, each dealer would have stocked 120 CudaComps.. I cannot believe that. I could believe 200 dealers in the US could have had 3 or 4 stocked in 94. I think my estimate for dealers is high. Texas had 4 dealers at minimum in 94, but Texas is a large state. (Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston) A lot of states may have had one or no dealers. So, I think my numbers are conservative.
Let’s stay with 1994: My two A2M’s are 12” AM4030049 and 14” AM4030182. Using the above numbers, I would be more likely to believe they were 49 and 182. It makes more sense to me that more 14” bikes were produced than 12” bikes. So ask yourself. If you were a dealer, ordering bikes, wouldn’t you order more 16’s and larger as opposed to 14’s and smaller. That’s what I would do. And that is what I saw at dealers in 94. Very few small bikes.
Now, going back to the CudaComps: AX310 and AX312. The only difference in these bikes are their size, so first I thought the 3rd digit of 0 and 2 might be designators for size, but that doesn’t work for my two A2M’s at AM403 for both sizes and two of Mark’s 18” XXteam’s KM503 and KM501. I see the KM5010023 has the lower last two digits than the KM5030070. I am inclined to believe the 3rd digit indicate production runs. As in #23 was in the 1st production run and #70 was in the 3rd production run. (This jives with the CudaComps as well.) I mean, think about it. The XXTeam was the race bike, right? How many XXTeam's do you think each dealer in 95 “was allowed”. I know for a fact in 1987, Suzuki did not even allow each US dealer, one GSXR 750R Race version (with the dry clutch). It was a marketing ploy to keep the prices up. I would bet dealers were lucky to get more than one XXTeam.
OK, if you think I am full of crap, it won't hurt my feelings.. Throw it at me..