Losing your motorcycle keys is never ideal for any rider. Whether you are riding a cruiser or a crotch rocket, a Harley Davidson or a Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or any other make of motorcycle, having the keys surely makes it more fun!
Motorcycle, ATV, and scooter keys are all quite similar from a locksmith’s point of view. Generally, all the locks on a motorcycle use the same key, unless one has been replaced, most of the time, the gas cap. When motorcycle keys are lost, one of the great challenges for a locksmith is finding the correct key. There seem to be almost as many key spaces as there are motorcycle models! It can be frustrating for a locksmith, as many of our reference materials contradict each other, or information on a particular make, model, and year is simply missing. I have even seen cases where the same make, model and year have completely different locking systems and keys. Motorcycle manufacturers are not as disciplined as car manufacturers and often use locks from the last few years until they run out. Also, since motorcycle locks are readily available, they are replaced more often than car locks.
This often causes a lot of problems for the locksmith, who must assume that all locks work with the same key. However, motorcycles tend to have a lot of locks and the locksmith can often choose which lock they think will be easier to work on. The skilled locksmith can get helmet locks, fork locks, ignition locks, seat locks, gas cap locks, cargo locks, and more. I usually look for the gas cap lock or the ignition lock. The gas cap, because it’s easy to reach, the ignition lock because it’s usually what people REALLY want a key for. Often times when I make a key for the gas cap, it works on all the locks and I’m good to go. Sometimes it won’t work on anything else, suggesting the gas cap was replaced. In that case, I’m going for the ignition!
Many techniques can be used to generate a new key for a motorcycle. Printing is a technique where you use a blank key, move it into the lock, the glasses or wafers make little marks on the key, file those marks, and repeat until the key turns the lock. This technique is one of the highest skills in locksmithing and I use it on motorcycles quite often. You can also read the wafers, using a small otoscope (the kind the doctor looks into your ears with) look down the keyhole and from there you can estimate the shape or cuts of the key. Printing is often used to further fine-tune the correct clef. Sometimes there is a code stamped on the lock housing, in this case I can use that code to get the information I need to cut a new key. At no point is a “cast” made of the lock, I get asked that question quite often! Most motorcycle locks are pretty simple, but very effective, while they are challenging for most locksmiths, they are by no means our biggest challenge!
