What do I need to know about keys?

Regarding keys, and copies thereof

By Eric R, professional locksmith and 250 pit crew chief

Are you using the one and only remaining factory original key to ride (or drive)?

I cannot count how many times I have had someone come into the shop and request to have a "better working key" made from the worn-out one they are using. This is followed by the look of bewilderment when it is explained that a *copy* of their key is just that. This happens with intelligent, successful, educated people. Then comes the real entertainment for the locksmith - watching them wiggle and jiggle the "new" key when they have decided to just have a copy made for $3, instead of getting a key made back to factory specs for $20.

I kid thee not. This happens all the time.

"Okay, then," they say, "I will make a copy of the key to my new car and put it away in case I wear out or lose the originals".

Well, consider a Photocopy. The first copy looks pretty near perfect, right? What about the tenth copy of a copy of a copy (and so on)? Starting to get dark and blurry and illegible? The same thing happens to keys. NO COPY IS PERFECT. No matter how good your locksmith is at adjusting his machines, locks work within tolerances of a thousandth of an inch. Every generation of copies adds and multiplies the imperfections of the previous generation. A couple thousandths of an inch off, and the key might start working "funny". A hundredth of an inch off, and the key might cease to work entirely.

Solution: If you have bought a new vehicle, you will usually get two copies of the key. Feel free to use one of those keys and put the other away somewhere relatively safe and easy to remember. Sock drawers are good for this. Or, if you prefer, try that "junk drawer" in the kitchen, the one where the dead batteries and twist ties breed.

Any time you need a copy, take the time to retrieve the "virgin" key and have the duplicate made from it. Then put it back. Add this to routine lubrication of the lock, and you will most likely never have trouble with the locks and keys on that vehicle.

If you choose to carry a spare key with you at all times, make sure it's not the ONLY spare key. People who lose both keys tend to feel rather silly when confessing this to their locksmith. This does happen, really.

A short story:

Circa 1991
I get a call to repair the ignition switch on a Ford Ranger. The key won't turn. After having a look at it, I ask the fellow for the whole story. He had been having gradually increasing difficulty with the key in the ignition (likely the key wearing out) and it felt "loose" to him. He went to the hardware store to get something to help with this and chose...
Loctite

I really didn't know how to break the news to him.
$250 in parts and labor. I still feel sorry for him.

Getting copies made

So, you are convinced that you should get a copy made of your good key, then hide the good key. Where should you get this done? You have two choices, really. Go to the dealer, or go to a professional locksmith. The dealer has one advantage: You can get that little plastic piece on the end that says "Kawasaki", if you're willing to pay for it. Kawasaki doesn't make their own keys, of course. They come from a supplier, just like shocks or tires. There is nothing better about Kawi keys than the Ilco aftermarket one your local locksmith has, most likely at a much lower cost. Someone on the board reported paying $13 to their dealer for a blank, when a locksmith's price should've been in the $3-4 range, including cutting the key.

You shouldn't have to order the blanks just to have an extra key; most decent lock shops should carry a selection of motorcycle key blanks, including the Ilco X103. Be sure to ride the bike to the shop and immediately test the key. Not only is it possible for a miscut to occur, but some of the blanks may have to be modified slightly, especially to work in the ignition. The ignition has more cuts in it than the other locks on the bike, so make sure you test whether the new key will turn there.

A good locksmith should be able to tell which blank needs to be used, but some of them may not do much motorcycle business, depending on where they are, so here's a list of blanks which should work. The most generally available one in North America is the Ilco X103. Others include: Ilco/Taylor KA14 (Taylor is no longer in business, but some of their blanks may still be around), or Silca KW7, KW12, or KW13.

Note: A hardware store is not a locksmith. Locksmiths cut keys all day long. It's their job. Go to a good locksmith the first time and reduce the margin of error.

If you like an OEM-style key, or just can't seem to find anyone with the right blank, then you can go to motorcyclekeys.com. They have three different styles for the EX250. They will also cut your keys to your key code.

Concerning the keys listed on their site:

• 3M is the Ilco X103/Kawasaki KA14.
• 3AP is a direct cross reference to the Ilco X103.
• 3BP isn't cross-referenced in the Silca keys book, but it looks just fine. The store says it's the same as the 3AP.
• Kawasaki 1 looks acceptable. It's listed as being for the KM-8 lock, which is on the EX250.
• Note that the 1 and the 3BP do have a visibly longer neck area (between the shoulders and the head, fancy that). This would not prevent the key from working, but it will extend farther out of the ignition switch.

My Security Pro is another option. Googling 'Ilco X103' will give you other choices.

The Ilco X266 will work in the EX250, but it's really not the correct key, and we don't recommend it. It will stick a little further out of the lock than the X103 / KA14 blanks will. Also, when you cut an EX250 key onto an X266 blank, there is a center ridge on the key that needs to be filed off. Otherwise, you won't even be able to insert the key all the way into the keyway. This results in a thinner key, one which may just decide to snap off in your gas cap one day.

The proper blank is common enough. Finding a locksmith who just doesn't happen to have the proper blank who is also capable of modifying a "near enough" blank to do the job is OK, but it can wear out your locks faster or ruin the ignition if really done wrong. As always, you'll be much better off using the right tool for the job.

What if I lose all my keys?

Well, hopefully you read this and did some preparation. There is a key code that comes with the keys on all new vehicles. If you do not have the code tag that should have come with the keys, take the time now to unlock the helmet lock, unscrew the one phillips head screw that holds it on, look on the back of it, and write down the number you find (usually ZXXXX) in a couple of good places, one of which is the inside cover of your owner's manual. It's much easier to take the helmet lock off when you have a key than it is to destroy it should you somehow wind up with no keys.

If all you have is the key code, you will have to go to the dealer or a locksmith. I suggest getting 2 keys cut at the same time. They can cut them both from the code instead of cutting one off of the other. Two originals, no copies! You shouldn't expect to pay much more than $20 for a code key, and some places are much less expensive.

If you don't have your key code, a locksmith can still make you a key, but it will be significantly more expensive.

How do I lubricate my locks?

There are two main camps on this topic: graphite and non-graphite, and it's just about as religious among lock people as oil is on the board. The graphite pushers say that liquid lubes "gum up" or "attract dirt". To some extent this is obvious and correct, but I contend that graphite is nothing more than really slippery dirt in the first place. I've never found graphite to be effective in a wafer lock (the vast majority of modern vehicle locks) and only effective in a pin tumbler lock when it is BRAND new and in perfect condition. Otherwise, people have a tendency to apply *way* too much graphite again and again until it builds up and literally prevents the key from going all the way into the lock.

Short version - I recommend WD-40. It's really lightweight and contains lots of solvent to wash away any crud that has collected. For really wet or even saltwater environments, some people might like Tri-Flow (check a bicycle shop); it's a bit heavier and stickier and has Teflon in it. Favored alternate: Break Free (gun oil!).

More important than what is used (ANY light machine oil is acceptable) is the frequency of lubricating the locks. It's kind of like thirst and hydration -- by the time you have a symptom of lubrication needed, it's actually late. Get in the habit of lubing your locks as part of your oil change, or every other change. It's usually not necessary that often, but making it a regular pattern sure can't hurt.

Proper use of the key in the gas cap

Don't touch the key when closing the gas cap. Push down on the edges and the key will turn on its own. Once the cap is latched, pull the key out. If yours doesn't work this way, lubricate it. Putting a lot of pressure on the key while closing the gas cap is a good way to bend or break your key off in the lock. Preventive maintenance is always best.

One more thing

If you don't want your top triple clamp to look like this,

just use one key while you're riding. Put your other keys someplace else.