Jawa 638 production year from VIN code

I received a question on how to recognize the production year of (these days historic) motorbike Jawa type 638 for the purpose of veteran certification. Well, there is a system in that long "born number" of a bike.

Format of VIN code: TLJ 638 XYYZ T WWWWWW
Decomposition is the following:

• T-Europe
• L-Czechia
• J-Jawa
• type 638
• X-deviation
• YY-deviation
• Z production year specified by a letter 
• T-assembled in Týnec
• WWWWWW-frame number

Important information is on 11th place (10th for programmers), encoding table for the year is:

• A is 1980, B 1981, C 82, D 83, E 84, F 85, G 86, H 87, J 88, K 89, L 90, M 91, N 92, P 93, R 94, S 95, T 96, U 97, W 98, X 99, Y 2000, 1 is 2001, 2 is 2002
  

Let's practice some examples! A bit anonymized first VIN is: TLJ 638 103K T 000000, I see year code K as 1989. What about TLJ 638 103L T 00000? That means year L as 1990. These are from the classic "Konopnice" model.

Then there are a bit newer bikes? Jawa 350, type 640 Style. Following VIN is real from a stolen motorbike, which was published in media by (former) owner: TLJ638-1-04M58204. I see there a model year 1 referencing to 2001.

This is precise, but still unofficial knowledge. If you need to have an official document for some purpose, there is a possibility to order a certificate from the Jawa factory which costs around 25 €.

There is a key how to read the VIN code of the new Jawa 300 CL made by Classic Legends? So the pattern is as following MZDKW1C16L1HXXXXX

• MZK - manufacturer, country
• KW - model
• 1 - power source
• C1 - engine type
• 6 - gears
• L - year (2020)
• 1 - assembly area
• H - month
• XXXXX - frame number