Things You'll Need
Small brush
Flashlight
Pen and paper
Polaris began manufacturing all-terrain vehicles, referred to as ATVs, in 1985. The Sportsman model was introduced in 1995 and now the name encompasses much of the line of Polaris four-wheel ATV's with many different models and options. The Polaris Sportsman uses the 17-character standard VIN format. The VIN is often required to obtain proper replacement parts from suppliers. Locate and decode the VIN to reveal specific information about your Polaris vehicle.
Step 1
Locate the Vehicle Identification Number stamped on the left side frame rail. Look inside the left-front wheel well on the right side next to the fender. Use a brush to clean the surface and a flashlight to help read the VIN. Find the VIN tag welded to a tube in the front fender wheel well area on early Sportsman ATV's. Make a note of it for reference. The VIN can also be found on the vehicle's title.
Step 2
Interpret the first two characters to find where the Sportsman was manufactured. The numbers 1 and 4 designate North America and X is for USA.
Step 3
Interpret the third though eighth characters by entering the number in a VIN decoder found on the Internet. This will tell you the vehicle type, body style and engine type of your specific ATV. The ninth character is a check digit for mathematically verifying a VIN for legitimacy.
Step 4
Interpret the 10th character to find the year the vehicle was manufactured. The letter S is used for 1995, T for 1996, V for 1997, W for 1998, X for 1999, Y for 2000. The number 1 is used for 2001, 2 for 2002, 3 for 2003, 4 for 2004, 5 for 2005, 6 for 2006, 7 for 2007, 8 for 2008 and 9 for 2009.
Step 5
Interpret the 11th character through an Internet decoder site to find the plant code. You can also find it by contacting Polaris Industries.
Step 6
Interpret the remaining six digits. This is the build sequence and serial number of the Polaris Sportsman.