Key Drama, act 2

[Eisenfaust]

Well, in my search for a new key, I have come up with two viable options.

1) A very friendly woman locksmith owns a shop and specializes in motorcycles. She wants 50-55 bucks to make me a new key... if I bring the bike to her.

2) Another nice locksmith guy only wants 30... but I need to bring him the ignition module, off the bike. I would then take the module back to the bike, reinstall it, and I'm all set. Less expensive, more laborious.


Now, what do you guys think? The only way to bring the bike to the motorcycle lady is to tow it. I mean, I could push it... but its 3.5 miles, up one hill, then down another. I could get it there via a tow company, or I could put it in the back of my friend's truck. I'd go the truck route, but I dont know how to get a bike up a ramp without any engine power... and after that, I dont know how to tie it down, and I dont think laying on its side would be healthy for the bike, even though I dont think anything would break.

For the second guy... whats involved in removing the ignition barrel? Headlight and handlebars need to come off, obviously... but isnt the ignition somewhere in the steering head? Would I need to pull my upper triple clamp, or just the cover? My main concern here is finding a place to work on the bike. I dont want to do it in the garage (major hassle from the people working there), but at the same time, there really arent any convinent open areas in downtown san francisco to wrench on my bike.

Theres a third option: could I hotwire the bike and ride it to the woman's shop? I'm sure I can get at the igniton harness (headlight off), I just dont know how to actually hotwire the machine. I'm sure its possible, I just dont know whats involved.

[treybrad]

Ok.. this is really only a semi-helpful post. I don't know jack about hot wiring it or about removing the ignition assembly. BUT.. I do know it's a piece of cake to get it in the back of a truck and tie it down if you have a strong buddy (or two) around.

The easiest is if there's a hill nearby that you can back the truck up to and lower the height you will need to lift the bike. You and your buddy grab each side of the forks and lift. Have a not-so-strong balancer (girlfriend?) keeping tabs on everything and making sure it stays upright. Now get the balancer to hop in the bed and steer the bike straight in while you and buddy lift on each side of the rear end of the bike and push it forward. Now you're in the bed of the truck...

Tieing it down is pretty simple. Since it's such a short trip.. maybe don't even worry about it and have buddy keep it from falling off the kickstand? But, if you must, get some strap down come-along tie downs and hook one end to each fork and the other to the front corners of the bed. Tighten it down real well and you're good to go.

All that said.. I'd look into taking the ignition assembly off. It can't be too difficult. How about if you take the tank to him?  :dunno:  He could work the lock on the gas cap. I know the tank is easy to get off.

Anyway, I feel your pain. I thought I lost my key for a long time once.. then I took out the bench in my truck and there it was.. I went and had 3 copies made and now have a huge key chain on it... So there's my half-helpful post and a bump.

trey

[Eisenfaust]

Well, thanks to an old post of kerry's... I think I know how to hotwire the bike.

I'll need a friend to help me with it, but I belive I can get at the ignition switch harness and just connect the appropriate wires... either by unplugging the harness and getting some connector pins with wires, and mating the correct pins, or by cutting the harness (eek!), or maybe by getting some of those handy sharp aligator clips that can bite though the sheath.

I have an idea though, I think I might be able to take apart an old PC power supply cable for the pins and wires, and use those.  Even better, if I could get a plug that would mate with the ignition harness... I could custom-wire something that would complete the circuit. Of course, that would require a spare ignition barrell.

[The Buddha]

The ignition is in with a head less bolt ... 2 of them ... drill with left handed drill or cut slot with a dremel and un screw ... BTW take the bike ... hotwired as you say to the guy ... who will be able to cut the key ... Its the same procedure ... on the bike or off How do I know for sure ... see the wafers and sliders ... actual locking is done by those ... is behind 2 other headless screws ... making it no different if the thing is on the bike or not ... If you send me the locking mechanism ... I will drill those out and take the wafers out and replace them to work with any key you choose from my pile ... but that's not conventional locksmithing ... He will simply put the thing in a vice and cut a key ... if you rolled the bike in he'd do the same thing ... No diff IMHO ...
Cool.
Srinath.