Honda CBR250R and CB300F Key Replacement

Quick answerThe CBR250R and the naked CB300F are plain-key Hondas. Honda's 2011 CBR250R manual and 2015 CB300F manual have no immobilizer section, and both tell owners to take the spare key or the key number to a locksmith for a duplicate. One key works the ignition, the fuel cap and the rear seat, and a lost one is replaced on the spot.

Honda CBR250R and CB300F key quick facts

Honda's manuals for the 2011 CBR250R and CBR250R ABS and the 2015 CB300F have no HISS or immobilizer section.
Both manuals say to take the spare key or the key number to a locksmith to make a duplicate.
The rear seat is the one on a key lock; the helmet holder, tool kit and document bag are all under it.
The CBR250R also has room for a U-shaped lock under the rear seat.
The fuel fill cap is under a lock cover on both bikes.

Honda CBR250R and CB300F key types by year

Years	Models	Key type	Chip	Notes
2011	CBR250R, CBR250R ABS	mechanical cut key	no	Ignition with steering lock, fuel fill cap under a lock cover, rear seat lock. Key number provided with the original keys.
2015	CB300F, CB300F ABS	mechanical cut key	no	Same three locks. On the CB300F the key cannot be removed from the fuel cap until the cap is locked.

Honda's single-cylinder starter bikes

The CBR250R arrived for 2011 as a fuel-injected single aimed at new riders. For 2015 Honda enlarged the engine to 286 cc, creating the CBR300R, and added an unfaired version called the CB300F. The CBR300R and the later CB300R are covered on a separate page here; this one deals with the original 250 and the CB300F, which are now mostly found used. If yours is a later CB300F, tell us the year when you call.

Both are light and very often somebody's first motorcycle. The key design is as simple as it gets: a cut key, a key number, and no electronics checking the key.

Need a key for your CBR250R?

Call or text with the year and where the bike is parked.

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Three locks, and a lot packed under the rear seat

Honda's manuals show the ignition key in three places.

Ignition switch, which also locks the steering
Fuel fill cap: flip open the lock cover, insert the key and turn clockwise
Rear seat lock: key clockwise, then lift the rear seat up and back
Under the rear seat on both: helmet holder, the helmet set wire inside the tool kit, the tool kit itself and the document bag
CBR250R only: a space for a U-shaped lock in that compartment

First-bike key problems

New riders drop bikes, and a tip-over can land on whatever is hanging from the ignition. A bent key that gets straightened with pliers is on its way to snapping. If yours has a kink in it, have a fresh one cut before it breaks off in the switch.

These bikes also change hands often, and each owner may have lost a key or had a copy made from a copy. If yours arrived with a single thin key that needs a wiggle in the ignition or will not open the seat, a key cut to the original depths, from the number or from the lock, usually brings all three locks back to working smoothly.

The rear seat locks by itself when pressed down, and Honda's manual warns about shutting the key in the compartment. With the registration in the document bag under there too, that small seat ends up holding everything you need.

Lost the only key

Honda's own manuals treat this as a locksmith job when you have the spare or the number. When you have neither, we still do it on site: we confirm ownership from photo ID and your registration or title, read the bike's lock, cut the key and test it in the ignition, the fuel cap and the rear seat. If your registration is under the locked seat, tell us on the phone and bring any other proof you have; the paper copy can be checked as soon as the seat is open.

Where to find the key code

Honda supplied a key number with the original keys and both manuals ask you to record it; the CBR250R manual has a space for it. The usual place to find it on a used bike is in the owner's manual in the document bag under the rear seat, or on paperwork from the original sale.

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)

Honda CBR250R and CB300F key FAQ

Does a CBR250R key have a chip?

No. Honda's 2011 manual has no immobilizer section, and it tells owners a locksmith can make a duplicate from the spare key or the key number.

Is the CB300F the same as the CB300R for keys?

They are different motorcycles. Both use a plain cut key, but the CB300F is the 2015 era naked version of the CBR300R, while the CB300R is the later model with its own page.

My key is bent after a drop. Can I keep using it?

It is risky. Bent keys crack where they were bent and tend to break off in the ignition. Get a new one cut while the old one can still be read.

Can I get to my registration if the key is lost?

The document bag is under the rear seat, which needs the key. Once a new key is cut, or the seat lock is opened, you have access again.

More Honda models

Services for this bike

Worn or Bent Motorcycle Key: Signs, Risks and the Right FixA worn motorcycle key shows up as a key that needs wiggling, works in one lock but not another, or works worse than the spare.
How Many Keys Should Come With a Used Motorcycle?Most motorcycles are delivered with two keys or fobs, and many also come with a third item that matters more than either: a master or programming key, a code card, a key number tag or a security PIN.
Bought a Used Motorcycle With No Key? Here's What to DoA 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.
Motorcycle Key Stuck in the Ignition: Causes and What to DoA motorcycle key that will not come out is most often sitting in a position where the switch is designed to hold it, usually ON or partway between two positions.

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Sources

Page last updated November 14, 2026.