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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | Today I took a ride with a friend who has spent more time in the saddle than anyone I personally know. We stopped for lunch and as I was taking off my gloves and helmet I heard an "oh shit." I asked, what is wrong. "I've locked my key in my saddle bag." He has AAA and called them and 90 minutes later a locksmith showed up and picked his lock (BMW 1200) and he got his key.
About a month ago I had a frightening moment where I thought I lost my key on a ride. Thankfully I didn't. Yet, the next day I went and hid a key under my front cowling on my Vision...
This is just a simple post for my Victory family to consider hiding a key somewhere for when you might have an "oh shit" moment. -Jeff
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Visionary
Posts: 1229
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | I keep one in the cheese wedge. Having a key for my bike will not let you take off with it anyway, the alarm will not allow the bike to start, but not having a key would keep even me from riding away. I can override the alarm with a code, but a lost key would leave me stranded. |
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Tourer
Posts: 492
Indianapolis, IN | ............. I went and hid a key under my front cowling on my Vision... This is just a simple post for my Victory family to consider hiding a key somewhere for when you might have an "oh shit" moment. -Jeff +1 |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i locked my key in the trunk once (still not sure how i did it!!!) i had to get a ride from a stranger to my house to pick up my spare.. completely pissed me off and was a big waste of time.. btw we get spare keys when we bought the bike , is a blank spare key hard to find? can you buy one from a lowes or home depot? or is it s special type key? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | You can buy a "blank" from the dealer for about $20 bucks. And then you have to find a real locksmith to make the key, as the new key making machine's at Lowe's, Home Depot and other places won't work. At least that's what I had to do. One guy at Home Depot said he would try but it might screw up the key. Since it's a freaking $20 blank I sad no thanks. Went to my neighborhood locksmith and he cut it for a whopping $5
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | I can't remember the last time a lost a key to anything until this past January. I lost my Vision key at Thunder by the Bay in Sarasota. Turns out I put it down on the seat of a bike parked next to me to take a photo for a women next to my bike. I always carry a spare with my house keys and used that to get home. Turns out the bike I left it on belonge to somebody in our group and he found it when he left. Totaled the bike on way home, so I didn't really need it any more.
The next month I replaced the Vision with another 2008. Seller could only find one of the keys. The dealer wanted $29 for a blank. I went to a locksmith and had a plain key made for $5. It's a Kawisaki KW-14 blank. I went to Leesburg and lost the origional due to a broken spring on my carabina. Geeez, 2 keys in 2 months.
The KW14 key is flat and will fit in your wallet or can be easily taped inside the front cowl. Thanks for the idea hoosiervic.
Edited by cw1115 2011-08-16 8:42 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Great info to have cw. Wish I had known before I paid $20 at the dealer (It's just another Victory Rip Off) Think I'll go to the locksmith and get a KW cut for my Vision and use hide a key!! Or maybe I'll do this with it!!
http://www.starparts.org/
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | I was looking at these.
http://www.hardcorekeys.com/default.aspx
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Its a shame we don't have a ignition switch like the old chevy's. You only need the key to lock it. Duck tape under the seat panel. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Damn, those are nice too. Oh, decisions, decisions, decisions!! LOL |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| I have a spare key but I ain't telling where...... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | Nozzledog - 2011-08-16 2:01 AM
I keep one in the cheese wedge. Having a key for my bike will not let you take off with it anyway, the alarm will not allow the bike to start, but not having a key would keep even me from riding away. I can override the alarm with a code, but a lost key would leave me stranded.
Cheese wedge... now there is a place!
Thanks all for sharing their stories. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Mine would be tied with a wire to a claymore. Just remember to untie it before removal.
I always loved the alarm that the Lotus had in the James Bond movie.....Boom! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1229
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | cw1115 - 2011-08-16 9:11 AM
I was looking at these.
http://www.hardcorekeys.com/default.aspx
CycleOps sell these keys as well and others and give us a 10% discount.
I've got the black tophat one.
I don't recommend that particular one though. It is too tall for most lockmiths to cut the teeth and too bulky for the pocket.
http://cycleopsusa.com/store/koolkeys.html
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Cruiser
Posts: 117
Kansas City, MO | I am going to have to do this - I carry a key on a leather shoe lace around my neck when I travel - but what if I am not traveling?? Good idea |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | No.
My spare key is at home in my bedroom.
If your bike is stolen using your "hide a key" you will be treated rudely by your insurance. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | bigfoot - 2011-08-17 7:54 PM
No.
My spare key is at home in my bedroom.
If your bike is stolen using your "hide a key" you will be treated rudely by your insurance.
That (the bedroom) is where mine was until I realized it did me no good there if I was 100s of miles from home. I don't think any bad-guy / would-be-thief would ever find my hide-a-key. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | If I did, I wouldn't mention it in public forums : )
I have been know to, for long rides away from home, keep a spare key that has had the plastic removed, so it lies flat enough to live in my wallet.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 785
Mt. Vernon, WASH. | CW 1115,
I got one of those tribal skull keys fron Will & CycleOps. the thing is about the size of a slightly flattened golf ball and it's HEAVY so when you put in your pocket, IT STAYS! Be sure and measure the depth of your key bezel on the front side and send that info when/if you order one as the base of the 'skull' can interfere with the key going all the way into the tumbler and it will help when the blade is epoxied into the skull (my key measures about 1 7/8 in. from tip to skull base), Will had to modify mine so I could use it. My spare is in an unusual place since it has no 'handle' it's just the flat blade part and it's safely tucked in my wallet, and with no 'logo' on it it's just a two sided key to any vehicle 'lemme start with this Chevy, no, how about that Ford?' |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 785
Mt. Vernon, WASH. | CW 1115,
I got one of those tribal skull keys fron Will & CycleOps. the thing is about the size of a slightly flattened golf ball and it's HEAVY so when you put in your pocket, IT STAYS! Be sure and measure the depth of your key bezel on the front side and send that info when/if you order one as the base of the 'skull' can interfere with the key going all the way into the tumbler and it will help when the blade is epoxied into the skull (my key measures about 1 7/8 in. from tip to skull base), Will had to modify mine so I could use it. My spare is in an unusual place since it has no 'handle' it's just the flat blade part and it's safely tucked in my wallet, and with no 'logo' on it it's just a two sided key to any vehicle 'lemme start with this Chevy, no, how about that Ford?' |
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | Thanks Synstr, that's good to know. I was actually looking at the flaming skull and looked at the wrong bookmark when I posted. As cool as they look I think I'll put that $30 toward the 99 LED lights first. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
Midlothian, Va. | I think I'll put that $30 toward the 99 LED lights first.That would be a wise investment.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | To be honest, until this thread I never gave a spare key a thought. My original is still in the envelope of dealer papers in my file cabinet. Having read through these posts I am still not sure if I will deal with the subject. That being said, if I were to carry a spare key I would want it with me, not the bike. And seeing that I usually lock my wallet in the side bag, putting the key in my wallet wouldn't help much.. Were I going to deal with a spare key I think my desired approach would be to use a brass rivet and rivet it to the inside of my riding boot. If my bike is out of my garage, my boot is with my, otherwise, the bike's in the garage and the boot is in the closet. 
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Tourer
Posts: 323
N. Miami, Florida | Nozzledog - 2011-08-16 11:39 PM
cw1115 - 2011-08-16 9:11 AM
I was looking at these.
http://www.hardcorekeys.com/default.aspx
CycleOps sell these keys as well and others and give us a 10% discount.
I've got the black tophat one.
I don't recommend that particular one though. It is too tall for most lockmiths to cut the teeth and too bulky for the pocket.
http://cycleopsusa.com/store/koolkeys.html
Thanks for the post Darrel, I appreciate that.
The site mentioned above obviously copied us as we've not been the first to make such things, but we were the first to offer over 35 different styles, all of his being knock offs of ours.
The difference in ours are as follows:
1) ALL get color matched epoxy instead of the ugly yellow look of it raw. No one else does this.
2) We not only offer them at the best prices, but also give you all 10% off to make the deal even better.
3) Most simply cut a point on the end and stick it in a big sloppy hole with the ugly yellow epoxy all over it. We cut a special shape on the key end and insert them deeply and solidly into the key to last forever and for the hole we form a 'slit' just bigger than the key end, making the key appear to be part of the figure and not an addition to it, especially with the colored epoxy.
4) We alter the location of the key in the figure depending on it's installed orientation, for example... a side ignition key goes in the back of the figure whereas a triple tree or console rig get the key in the bottom.
As for Visions, we now also leave the key slightly extended on all styles where the bezel may interfere with full insertion.
I guarantee no one will give you the quality on these that we do, and as the saying goes, "Often copied, but NEVER duplicated!
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 32
| Hidden within the foam in the driver back rest. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 785
Mt. Vernon, WASH. | cw1115 - 2011-08-16 9:11 AM
I was looking at these.
http://www.hardcorekeys.com/default.aspx
[/QUO
I got one of those from CYLCEOPS, it's HUGE and very heavy, it looks great stuck in the ignition switch and when you put it in your pocket, theres no doubt it's in your pocket.
I had a spare 'blade' cut by a locksmith and it lives in my wallet, so someone nabs my wallet but wouldn't have any idea what the key fit since it isn't I.D'd. and the spare isn't on the bike to be 'discovered' by someone with 10 minutes to kill.  |
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | Not that I would ever admit to hiding a key to anything in any public forum... but if I weres touring the country and absolutely had to be able to get home I would consider buying a spare key, removing the plastic part and taping the thin metal part inside the fender and sealing it with that cheap undercoating stuff, you know, the black rubber stuff. If I had to I could dig it out, it would always be there...
Edited by buddahead 2012-10-02 2:26 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 482
Beer Collins, Colorado (there is no fort) | I have custom keys for both my vics, I only attach them to the necklace when I'm touring but it makes 'em hard to loose and easy to get at with gloves on.
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Cruiser
Posts: 134
, MO | I keep one in my wallet. Too easy to find if you leave one on the bike. Just my $.02 |
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Cruiser
Posts: 50
| I swallow my spare before a ride, just incase...
Will check on that flat one for my wallet, kw14
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | ByteN2it - 2012-10-02 6:32 PM
I have custom keys for both my vics, I only attach them to the necklace when I'm touring but it makes 'em hard to loose and easy to get at with gloves on.
So how about a link? Or are ya keeping this one a sectret just for you?? 
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 46
Western Wyoming | johnnyvision - 2011-08-16 11:15 AM
Its a shame we don't have a ignition switch like the old chevy's. You only need the key to lock it. Duck tape under the seat panel.
Or a Harley Davidson tank dash switch, old or new. The only thing I miss on 'em.
+1 on the Kawasaki blank. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1229
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | MaddMAx2u - 2012-10-03 3:47 PM
ByteN2it - 2012-10-02 6:32 PM
I have custom keys for both my vics, I only attach them to the necklace when I'm touring but it makes 'em hard to loose and easy to get at with gloves on.
So how about a link? Or are ya keeping this one a sectret just for you??
http://www.hardcorekeys.com/c-37-knife-keys.aspx |
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