# Harley Low Rider S, Street Bob, Sport Glide Key Replacement

The Milwaukee-Eight Softails that took over the old Dyna names in 2018 have no ignition key.

Source: https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/softail-low-rider-street-bob-sport-glide/

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

> The Milwaukee-Eight Softails that took over the old Dyna names in 2018 have no ignition key. A Low Rider S, Street Bob 114, Fat Bob 114 or Sport Glide starts with the security fob nearby or with your PIN, and the one barrel key in the owner's kit is for the fork lock, the locking saddlebags on the Sport Glide and Low Rider ST, and a locking gas cap where one is fitted. Lose that key and the bike still runs, but you cannot lock the steering or open locked bags until a new one is cut.

**Harley Low Rider S, Street Bob, Sport Glide key quick facts**

- Harley's 2020 Softail owner's manual says the key supplied with the motorcycle is for the fork lock.
- The fork lock sits in the steering head on the right side: fork full left, key in, turn clockwise, key out.
- Sport Glide saddlebags lock with the key a quarter turn at each bag, and the 2023 manual applies the same saddlebag section to the Low Rider ST.
- Each of those locking saddlebags is rated for 15 lb in the owner's manual.
- The fob on these bikes takes a CR2032 coin cell.
- The 2020 manual covers the Low Rider, Low Rider S, Street Bob, Fat Bob, Sport Glide, Deluxe, Softail Standard and FXDR 114 with one set of key and fob instructions.

## Harley Low Rider S, Street Bob, Sport Glide key types by year

| Years | Models | Key type | Chip | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2018-present | Low Rider, Low Rider S, Street Bob, Street Bob 114, Fat Bob, Fat Bob 114, Softail Standard | keyless ignition with hands-free fob; barrel key for the steering head fork lock | yes | No luggage locks from the factory. The key also works a locking fuel filler cap where one is fitted. |
| 2018-present | Sport Glide | keyless ignition with hands-free fob; barrel key for fork lock and saddlebags | yes | Clamshell saddlebags with a key lock on each bag. The bags come off the bike with a pull-and-turn knob inside. |
| 2022-present | Low Rider ST | keyless ignition with hands-free fob; barrel key for fork lock and saddlebags | yes | Harley's 2023 Softail manual lists the Low Rider ST alongside the Sport Glide in the locking saddlebag section. |
| 2018-2020 | Softail Deluxe, FXDR 114 | keyless ignition with hands-free fob; barrel key for the fork lock | yes | Both appear in the 2020 Softail owner's manual with the same fob, PIN and fork lock instructions as the rest of the range. |

## Dyna names, Softail hardware

If you came to a Street Bob or Low Rider from an older Dyna, the key routine is the first thing that changes. The Dyna had a keyed ignition switch. The 2018-and-later bikes that carry those names are Softails with keyless ignition, so there is nowhere to put a key to switch the bike on. Harley's manual puts it plainly: a motorcycle with keyless ignition does not require a key for operation, and an assigned security fob must be present, or the PIN used, before it will start. You switch on with the OFF/RUN switch on the right handlebar.

That makes the fob and the PIN the things that start the bike, and the metal key purely a lock key. Walking away with the fob does not stop a running engine, but once you switch off, the bike will not restart without the fob or the PIN.

**Need a key for your Low Rider S?** Call or text with the year and where the bike is parked. Call or text (619) 775-1858.

## What the barrel key locks on each model

The list is short and depends on which bike you have.

- Every model: the fork lock in the right side of the steering head. Turn the fork full left, insert the key and turn it clockwise. Counterclockwise unlocks it.
- Sport Glide and Low Rider ST: a key lock on each hard saddlebag. On the Sport Glide the key turns a quarter turn, then a latch lever releases the outer shell.
- Bikes with the locking fuel filler cap: a small cover rotates aside to show the key lock in the cap. The manual has you hold the cap, turn the key counterclockwise to release it, then unscrew the cap.
- Low Rider S, Street Bob 114, Fat Bob 114 and Softail Standard: no factory luggage, so on most of these the fork lock is the only place the key goes.

## Where owners get caught out

Because the key is not part of starting the bike, it tends to live in a drawer, and its loss goes unnoticed until the day you want to lock the forks at a motel or open a saddlebag that was locked months ago. A Sport Glide or Low Rider ST with locked bags and no key is the awkward version of this. The bags are held to the bike by hardware inside them, so the practical fix is a new key cut to the lock, not removing the luggage.

The second trap is a fork lock that was engaged before the key went missing. The bike will start on the fob, but it cannot be steered, and Harley warns against operating it with the forks locked. Leave it where it is and have a key made on the spot.

Third, a used bike often arrives with one fob, one key and no PIN. Sort out all three while everything still works: the dealer handles a second fob, and a spare barrel key is a quick duplication job.

## Lost key or lost fob: who does what

For a missing barrel key, we come to the bike, check your photo ID against the registration or title, and cut a key to the existing locks, then test it in the fork lock, both saddlebags and the fuel cap if yours locks. Nothing electronic is touched, and the fob and PIN are not involved.

For a missing fob, your five-digit PIN starts the bike. Replacement fobs are bought from and assigned by a Harley-Davidson dealer, and only two can be assigned at once. If the fob and the PIN are both gone, that part is dealer work, and we will say so when you call.

## Where to find the key code

Harley's 2020 Softail manual says the four-digit key number is stamped on the back of the key, opposite the H-D logo, and tells you to write it in the space at the front of the manual so a dealer can order a replacement. Keys from 2012 on carry an HD suffix after the digits. If the number was never recorded and the key is gone, a dealer can look it up by VIN, or a new key can be made from the fork lock.

## What to have ready

**Have this ready when you call or text**

- Year, make and model of the bike
- Where the bike is parked
- Whether you have any working key, a broken key or a key code
- Photo ID and registration or title (we verify ownership before making a key)

## Harley Low Rider S, Street Bob, Sport Glide key FAQ

### Does a Low Rider S have an ignition key?

No. It starts with the fob in range or your PIN, using the OFF/RUN switch on the handlebar. The key that came with it is for the fork lock in the steering head.

### I lost the key to my Sport Glide saddlebags. Do the bags have to come off?

No. We cut a key to fit the bag locks at the bike. The same key should also work the fork lock, and we check both before we leave.

### Is the Street Bob key the same as the fob?

They are separate items. The fob disarms the security system so the bike will start. The barrel key is a plain mechanical key for the fork lock and has no electronics in it.

### My forks are locked and I have no key. Can I ride it to a shop?

No. The engine may start on the fob, but the steering is locked to the left. A mobile visit to cut a key at the bike avoids loading a bike that cannot be steered onto a truck.

### What battery does the fob for these Softails use?

The 2020 and 2023 Softail manuals list a CR2032, and Harley recommends changing it every year. A weak cell is the first thing to rule out when a bike stops recognizing its fob.

## The immobilizer system on this bike

- [Harley-Davidson Security System: Fob, PIN and Lost Keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/immobilizer-systems/harley-davidson-security-system/): The Harley-Davidson Smart Security System is a factory alarm and immobilizer that disarms when it detects a hands-free fob near the bike and disables the starter and ignition when it does not.

## More Harley-Davidson models

[CVO Touring Models](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/cvo-street-glide-road-glide-limited/), [Dyna](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/dyna/), [Electra Glide and Tri Glide](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/electra-glide-ultra-tri-glide/), [Freewheeler](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/freewheeler/), [Pan America 1250](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/pan-america-1250/), [Road King](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/road-king/), [Softail and Fat Boy](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/softail-fat-boy/), [Sportster 883 and 1200](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/sportster-883-1200/), [Sportster S and Nightster](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/sportster-s-nightster/), [Street 500, 750, Street Rod](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/street-500-750-street-rod/), [Street Glide and Road Glide](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/street-glide-road-glide/), [V-Rod, Night Rod and Muscle](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/v-rod-night-rod-muscle/), [All Harley-Davidson keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/makes/harley-davidson/)

## Services for this bike

- [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.
- [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.
- [Transponder and Immobilizer Key Programming](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-key-programming/): Chip keys and fobs programmed to your immobilizer.
- [Motorcycle Key Duplication and Spare Keys](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-key-duplication/): A spare now costs far less than a lost only-key later.
- [Motorcycle Ignition Repair and Replacement](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-ignition-repair/): Sticking, worn or damaged ignitions repaired or replaced.
- [Broken Motorcycle Key Extraction](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/broken-key-extraction/): Snapped key removed and a new one cut from the pieces.
- [Gas Cap, Seat, Steering and Saddlebag Locks](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/services/motorcycle-lock-repair/): Gas cap, seat, steering, helmet and saddlebag locks.

## Related guides

- [Harley Saddlebag and Tour-Pak Lock Keys: What Matches What](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/harley-saddlebag-and-tour-pak-lock-keys/): On Harley-Davidson Touring models, the factory hard saddlebags and the Tour-Pak are opened with the same barrel key as the ignition, according to Harley's owner's manuals.
- [Motorcycle Steering Lock Explained: How It Works and Jams](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/motorcycle-steering-lock-explained/): A steering lock, called a fork lock by Harley-Davidson, is a bolt that holds the front end turned to one side so the bike cannot be wheeled away in a straight line.
- [Motorcycle Key Fob Battery Replacement by Make](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/motorcycle-key-fob-battery-replacement/): Most motorcycle key fobs run on a single 3 volt coin cell.
- [Water Damaged or Broken Motorcycle Key Fob: Repair or Replace](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/guides/water-damaged-or-broken-motorcycle-key-fob/): A damaged fob is often less dead than it looks.

## Where we come to you

[San Diego County](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/), [San Diego](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/san-diego/), [Chula Vista](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/chula-vista/), [Oceanside](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/oceanside/), [Escondido](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/escondido/), [Carlsbad](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/carlsbad/), [El Cajon](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/san-diego-county/el-cajon/), [All service areas](https://themotorcyclelocksmith.com/san-diego/service-areas/)