Can-Am VIN Decoder: Outlander, Maverick, Spyder and Ryker

A Can-Am VIN decoder reads the 17-character number on a BRP vehicle and returns the model family, engine, model year and the factory that built it. Spyder and Canyon three-wheelers start with 2BX and come from Valcourt, Quebec, while Rykers and most Can-Am ATVs and side-by-sides start with 3JB and come from Juarez, Mexico.

We decoded the examples in this guide against NHTSA's vPIC database (data checked October 2026). To decode your own machine, enter the VIN in our free VIN decoder.

Which prefixes does a Can-Am VIN start with?

Can-Am is a brand of BRP, so the first three characters identify a BRP company and plant group rather than the word Can-Am. 2BX covers Canadian-built on-road models, 3JB covers BRP Mexico, which builds the Ryker and the off-road range, and 3JC covers BRP Queretaro, which builds the electric Origin and Pulse motorcycles.

The 3JC prefix is new. vPIC shows it was added on December 18, 2024, so a dealer or insurer using an old decoder may not recognise it yet. vPIC still decodes it.

Older Can-Am ATVs may carry one of the 2BV or 2BW prefixes from Canadian production. Whichever prefix you see, the make field in vPIC should come back as Can-Am. For a side-by-side comparison with other quad brands, see the ATV VIN decoder guide.

How do you decode a Can-Am Spyder or Ryker VIN?

On a Spyder, positions 4 and 5 give the model, so NB is a Spyder RT, ND a Spyder F3 and NK a Canyon. Position 7 is the engine and position 8 the emissions certification. On a Ryker, engine code F in position 7 is the 600 ACE. Position 11 is the plant: V for Valcourt, J for Juarez.

Here is the 2025 Spyder RT, read block by block:

BRP's filing with NHTSA (dated December 6, 2024) lists two outputs for the 1330 ACE engine: code D is 115 hp and E is 105 hp. Position 8 shows whether the vehicle was certified for all 50 states (2) or 49 states (4), which matters if you are buying a Spyder to register in California.

The Ryker filing from BRP Mexico gives the 600 ACE as a 599 cc inline 2 with 50 hp and the 900 ACE as 899 cc with 82 hp. Both of our Ryker test VINs decoded clean as 599 cc models, the base Ryker and the Ryker Sport. One quirk: vPIC lists the 599 cc engine with 3 cylinders, which does not match BRP's own filing. Trust the filing for the engine layout.

The electric models are newer still. 3JCDCGA12SF100001 decoded clean as a 2025 Origin built in Queretaro. BRP's filing for these bikes lists a Rotax E-Power motor rated at 47 hp.

How do you decode an Outlander, Maverick or Defender VIN?

On BRP Mexico off-road VINs, position 4 names the vehicle family and position 5 the trim. V is the Maverick X3, 3 and L are Outlander, K and U are Defender or Traxter and M is Renegade. Position 6 is a fixed character, position 7 the engine and position 8 the emissions status.

We decoded three off-road examples. All three returned error code 0 (valid) with code 10, the warning vPIC adds for vehicles not certified for road use:

Other position 4 codes in the BRP Mexico table include 1 for Maverick Trail and Sport, 8 for Maverick R and A for Commander. In position 8, 2 means EPA certification for 50 states, 4 means 49 states and 1 marks an export model.

Notice the trim fields. vPIC returned "XT/XT-P/MOS/LE/HUNT" for the Outlander, because BRP groups several trims under one code. The VIN narrows a Can-Am to a trim group, not always a single package, so compare the accessories against the BRP spec sheet for that year.

How is the Can-Am check digit calculated?

Position 9 is a check digit set by the federal formula in 49 CFR Part 565. Each character gets a numeric value and a weight, the products are added and the total is divided by 11. The remainder is the check digit, written as X when it is 10. If it does not match, a character was misread.

Worked example for the 2024 Outlander, 3JB3KA122RJ100001. Letter values are J=1, B=2, K=2, A=1, R=9.

24 + 7 + 12 + 15 + 8 + 3 + 2 + 20 + 81 + 8 + 7 + 2 = 189

189 ÷ 11 = 17, remainder 2. Position 9 is 2, so the VIN passes.

Position 10 carries a weight of 9, so a wrong model-year letter nearly always changes the remainder. That is why a VIN typed by hand into a classified ad often fails to decode: one slip in the year or plant letter breaks the check.

Where is the VIN on a Can-Am?

BRP says the VIN location varies by model and tells owners to check the Vehicle Identification section of the Operator's Guide. Most Can-Am vehicles have a VIN sticker and a frame stamping. The registration, title and insurance card also show the VIN, which gives you a second copy to compare.

BRP's Can-Am parts shop lists these locations:

If the sticker is missing or worn, the stamping is the one that counts. A BRP dealer can verify a VIN, and BRP's recall page says it does this at no charge. The same page has a recall lookup that takes the 17-character VIN. It does not cover vehicles older than model year 2008.

Check your Can-Am before you buy

Read the VIN off the frame, decode it and confirm the family, year and plant match the listing. Then run it through BRP's recall lookup. If you are shopping across brands, compare with our Polaris VIN decoder and the KTM VIN decoder, or start from the motorcycle VIN decoder guide for road bikes.