Key Maintenance

[Joe Rocket]

No, not what you might think but prompted by Rusty Nuts seized ignition lock...... KEY maintenance.

I've never liked the long V-Strom key, the extra long shaft serves no real purpose other than to stick out further from the ignition, tank cap and seat lock therefore vulnerable to excess treatment and force. (Is there any explanation why it's so long?) It's also more cumbersome because of it's length in a pocket too. Anyway, enough grumbling for now.

Must have a clean key. You may have noticed that the grooves in keys do hold muck, often a lot, I assume some parts along the key scrape with the inside of the barrel and parts that don't just hold the crud, otherwise it wouldn't be there. Today I lightly wire brushed the key to remove the crud, the assumption being that the less crud, the less dirty inside the lock will be.

Must be lightly lubricated. Yes, wet ones won't be very helpful as they hold excess material and gum up the works so a graphite lube or powder would be preferable but don't over do it. There's no guage for this just that the more you put on the key or in the lock will add to the crud in the lock you can't see.

Must be straight. Funny that, it brings me back to my introduction about the length of the key. For me this is the most overlooked. The key and pathway down the lock should be straight.....why shouldn't it be! The key usually isn't after a few months from new and no-one (usually) checks it and repairs the damage. My key(s), are now 5 years old, one is the spare that isn't used but the used one has had all the fumbling, turning against it's will, sometimes misaligning and forcing just because I'm not looking at what I'm doing. Today I put a straight edge of a metal ruler along it's length both sides and couldn't believe how bent and twisted it was fron where the cut on the key began down to the tip. I put it in a vice and gently turned and straightened it a little at a time until I felt it was back to a reasonable form, checking with that straight edge all the time. I'm going to put an equal amount of blame on me and the design of the key for it's past abuse.

I think we abuse such a simple tool as a key and end up replacing the lock with it's new key and say "that was about time, the lock was knackered and the new key works a wonder too".

Just another meaning for 'lock down' and 'key worker' then. 

[bosnjo]

From time to time a slight coat of graphite lube has always worked for me.

[kwackboy]

Best advice apart from a little lube every now and then with your ignition key is this .

Your ignition key should never be attached to a bunch of keys, this adds weight that's bouncing around hanging on your ignition key , this causes abnormal wear to the key and the mechanism inside the barrel.

[Joe Rocket]

Forgot to add, totally agree with kwackboy, but there are two other reasons;

You lose one, you lose them all! That applies to theft too of course. I now never have unecessary keys on the same fob. It's also advised to keep your keys apart and not hanging by the front door or in a key box positioned for when you (and a theif) can easily find them. Come on, hands up!   

Who carries a big bunch around with them? They are heavy, will destroy pockets and clothes far quicker than other keys in the same bunch and... far worse... are annoying to listen to attached to your belt when you walk! FFS   

 

[bosnjo]

The advice about not hanging any extra weight on the key is so important. All the credits to kwackboy. I have the key with bunch of other keys but that "bunch" has a hook that attaches the bike's key to the same bunch. Whenever I use bike's key, I release it from the hook so it comes off clean without anything attached to it.

[Rusty Nuts]

Same here. Bike key on a small clip, nothing jangling all over the top yoke. Just the key in the lock

[The Doctor 46]

All this is valid and good information unless, you are from London. Just hot wire and go. 

[tallpaul]

  

[Joe Rocket]

I did think you lot would tease me for spending so much time with one key, especially with the current situation staying at home. Hence my little jibe at the end of my OP. 

[kwackboy]

Or...  if you leave your key in the ignition and someone steals it ... 

[Barbel Mick]

@Joe, I totally agree with the twisted key part. I had problems not dissimilar to Rusty with my first key. I tried the spare key and it worked a dream. On checking the 'faulty' key, the same way as you, with a straight edge I could see how out of shape it was.
I think you are correct in the reason it happens is the length of the key. Removing from the ignition is not too bad, the fuel cap, no problem but, for me anyway, removing it from the seat lock is the problem. I seem to want to pull the key to one side before it is fully out of the slot.     

[mr_diver]

Who needs keys...

On my old TTR It only came with one key, so I replaced the ignition barrel with and aftermarket one from a TTR specialist parts place.

During the 2018 Taffy Dakar I was having issues with electrical power.
If I braked and indicated the engine would die.
Then it got to the point the engine would die if I braked and the indicator relay wouldn't work at all.

The barrel had crumbled and I couldn't turn the key or get it out. (Stuck in ON position)

This was getting dangerous, so I pulled over, got the tools out and bypassed the ignition switch using my headlight cut out switch for the ignition.

How great was that, flick a switch, hit the button 

I did put the original ignition back when I got home.

[The Doctor 46]

mr diver, you are a clever boy. Many years ago, driving a lorry the day before my 30th birthday, it got dark so I turned the light switch and nothing happened. I phoned the boss who told me to sit it out and drive back at dawn. When it got light and after a few hours rest, I noticed that the switch for the roof beacons looked the same. It took me 10 mins to swap the wires and, the lights worked perfectly.

My birthday was spend driving home and then bed. I wish the obvious had slapped me in the face earlier.