# Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Keys: Codes, Blanks, Wear

Source: https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/vintage-and-classic-motorcycle-keys/

Business: The Motorcycle Locksmith, mobile motorcycle locksmith. Phone and text: (619) 775-1858 (San Diego side).

> A key can usually be made for a vintage motorcycle even when no original survives, because these are plain mechanical locks with no chip. The work is in the details: the code is often stamped on the lock instead of on paperwork, the ignition, fork lock and seat may each take a different key, the original blank may no longer be made, and decades of wear mean a key cut to the factory code may still need fitting to the lock.

## Where the key code hides on an old bike

On a modern bike the code is on a tag in the sales folder. On a forty year old bike that folder is long gone, so the code has to come from the hardware.

Honda's own owner's manuals explain where it is. If you lose your key and have no key number, they say the dealer will probably have to remove the ignition switch assembly to find the key number. In other words, the number is on the switch. Owners of 1970s Honda fours report finding it stamped on the face of the original switch where the key goes in, while later reproduction switches carry no number at all. Seat and steering locks often carry their own stamped numbers.

Harley-Davidson stamped the code on the key itself. Harley's dealer lock and key guide lists a flat key used on 1930 to 1986 models, more flat key families through the 1980s, and round barrel keys starting with 1991 models, each with its own code range. If any original key survives, even a worn one, look for a short stamped code on the head.

## One bike, several keys

Owners of newer bikes expect one key for everything. Older bikes often do not work that way, and it is not a fault.

Suzuki's Intruder VS1400 manual says the motorcycle comes with two pairs of keys, one for the ignition switch and the other for the steering lock, and only the ignition keys are stamped with an identifying number. On Honda's Shadow of the mid 2000s the steering lock is a separate lock on the steering head, away from the ignition switch, though it takes the ignition key. On Harley-Davidsons the fork lock is a separate lock from the ignition switch, and Harley lists fork locks and ignition switches as separate keyed-to-match parts. Triumph's air-cooled Bonneville family of 2001 to 2017 carries the habit into modern times: the handbook describes an ignition key with no chip and a different key for the steering lock.

On a bike that has been through several owners, add replaced parts to that. One owner of a Honda four found that the key matching the numbers on his seat and steering locks would not turn the ignition, because the switch had been swapped at some point. Before paying for anything, try every key you have in every lock and write down what works where.

| Bikes | What to expect | Where the code is |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1970s and 1980s Japanese | Ignition, seat, helmet holder and steering lock, not always matching after decades of repairs | Stamped on the lock; sometimes on the original key |
| Suzuki Intruder VS1400 | Separate key pairs for ignition and steering lock | Stamped on the ignition keys |
| Harley-Davidson through 1990 | Flat keys; fork lock separate from ignition switch | Stamped on the key |
| Harley-Davidson 1991 and later big twins | Round barrel keys | Stamped on the key, under the plastic cover if fitted |
| British bikes with Lucas switches | Ignition lock and keys sold as a separate part from the switch body | On the key or lock where marked |
| Steel-bodied Vespas such as the P200E | Plain keys for ignition, steering lock and storage | On the lock or key where marked |

## British bikes and Lucas switches

Triumph, BSA and Norton twins of the 1960s and 1970s used Lucas electrical parts, and the ignition lock is a small cylinder that fits into a separate switch body. Parts suppliers still sell the lock with two keys as its own part number, and they sell the switch body with the note that the lock and keys are not included. Earlier machines with the Lucas PRS8 combined lighting and ignition switch used a simple spade-shaped key, which is also still sold.

For an owner, that means two routes. If the original lock is sound, a key can be made to it, which keeps the bike as it left the factory. If the lock is missing or seized, a new lock and key set drops into the existing switch body without rewiring the bike. The steering lock on these bikes is a separate lock again, so ask about it at the same time.

**Rather have us handle it?** Call or text with your year, make, model and location. Call or text (619) 775-1858.

## Discontinued blanks

A key starts as a blank with the right profile, and not every old profile is still manufactured. Even Harley's dealer guide notes that some early key numbers have been superseded by a replacement key number, and that keyed-to-match parts are only available for the models and years it lists.

This is where a locksmith who works on motorcycles earns the visit. An older Japanese blank may be available from a specialist supplier, or a close profile may be suitable. When no correct blank exists, the practical answer is to fit a new lock that comes with keys and keep the original in a box for the next owner. You should be told which of those applies before any cutting starts.

## Worn wafers and tired keys

Inside a motorcycle lock are small sprung wafers that the key lifts into line. After decades they wear, and so does the key. The signs are familiar: the key comes out in any position, the switch turns with a screwdriver, the key only works when jiggled, or a fresh copy works worse than the worn original.

That last one has a simple cause. A copy of a worn key copies the wear. A key cut to the code restores the factory cuts, but on a very worn lock even a perfect key can feel sloppy, and the key may need to be fitted to the lock as it is today. When the lock is too far gone, repairing or replacing it is the reliable fix, and the other locks can often be matched to the new key so you still carry one.

## What to bring to a vintage key job

- Every key you have, including broken and non-working ones
- Any number you can see on the ignition face, seat lock, helmet lock or fork lock
- Year, make, model and frame number
- Photo ID and the registration or title; for a project bike with paperwork in progress, read our proof of ownership guide first
- Whether you want original locks kept, or simply a bike that works on one key

## Quick questions

### Can a key be made for a vintage motorcycle with no key and no code?

Usually, yes. These are mechanical locks, so the cuts can be worked out from the lock itself or from a number stamped on it. The limit is whether a suitable blank still exists for that lock.

### Why does my old bike need two different keys?

Some were built that way. Suzuki's Intruder VS1400 manual, for example, lists separate key pairs for the ignition and the steering lock. On other bikes a lock was replaced over the years and no longer matches.

### Do classic motorcycles have immobilizers?

No. Chip keys arrived on motorcycles much later, so a vintage key job is cutting and fitting only, with no programming. Some modern classics are plain-key too, such as the air-cooled Triumph Bonneville of 2001 to 2017.

### Should I replace the original ignition on a restored bike?

Not if it can be saved. A worn original can often be repaired and keyed, which keeps the bike correct. Replacement makes sense when the lock is seized, damaged or missing.

## Services that can help

- [Motorcycle Key Replacement](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-key-replacement/): New keys cut by code or from the lock, for all major makes.
- [Motorcycle Ignition Repair and Replacement](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-ignition-repair/): Sticking, worn or damaged ignitions repaired or replaced.
- [Gas Cap, Seat, Steering and Saddlebag Locks](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-lock-repair/): Gas cap, seat, steering, helmet and saddlebag locks.
- [Lost Motorcycle Key, No Spare](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/lost-motorcycle-key/): No key at all? We make a working key at the bike.

## Key details by make

[Honda keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/honda/), [Harley-Davidson keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/), [Triumph keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/triumph/), [Suzuki keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/suzuki/), [Yamaha keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/yamaha/), [Kawasaki keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/kawasaki/), [Vespa and Piaggio keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/vespa-piaggio/), [All makes](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/)

## Keep reading

- [How to Find Your Motorcycle Key Code](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/how-to-find-motorcycle-key-code/): A motorcycle key code is a short number or letter-number code that tells a locksmith or dealer how to cut a key for your locks.
- [One Key for All Your Motorcycle Locks: Keying Alike](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/one-key-for-all-motorcycle-locks/): A motorcycle that needs different keys for the ignition, fuel cap and seat has almost always had a lock replaced.
- [Motorcycle Key Won't Turn in the Ignition? Causes and Fixes](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/motorcycle-key-wont-turn-ignition/): When a motorcycle key will not turn, the usual causes are a steering lock under tension, a worn or bent key, worn wafers inside the ignition, dirt or corrosion in the cylinder, or simply the wrong key.
- [Bought a Used Motorcycle With No Key? Here's What to Do](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/bought-used-motorcycle-no-key/): A used or auction motorcycle without keys can usually get new ones, but plan on the full all-keys-lost process and bring the signed title or other transfer paperwork plus photo ID, since a locksmith or dealer has to tie you to the VIN.
- [Mini Motorcycle and Moped Keys: Grom, Monkey, Ruckus](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/mini-motorcycle-and-moped-keys/): A lost key on a mini motorcycle is usually one of the simpler key jobs.

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