Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD, 750 and 800 Key Replacement

Quick answerKawasaki's mid-size Vulcans from the carburetor era use plain cut keys with no electronics. The parts catalog lists ordinary blanks for the Vulcan 500 LTD, Vulcan 750, Vulcan 800 Classic and Vulcan 800 Drifter, and none of them has immobilizer parts. When a key is lost we cut one at the bike; when the ignition is worn out, we can replace it and keep you on a single key.

Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD, 750 and 800 key quick facts

The 2002 Vulcan 800 Classic and the 2009 Vulcan 500 LTD share an ignition switch part number and the same pair of key blanks in Kawasaki's catalog, and the 1999 and 2000 Vulcan 800 Drifter is listed the same way.
For those two models Kawasaki lists an A blank (27008-1138) and a B blank (27008-1139), and a bike takes one or the other.
From 2001 the Vulcan 800 Drifter is on a different blank, 27008-1208, shared with the 2008 Vulcan 1500 Classic.
The Vulcan 750 has its own blank, 27008-1103, in the 1986 and 2006 catalogs, and a lock list that includes two helmet locks and a box lock.
The Vulcan 500 LTD and both Vulcan 800s have a steering lock that is separate from the ignition switch.

Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD, 750 and 800 key types by year

Years	Models	Key type	Chip	Notes
1996-2009	Vulcan 500 LTD (EN500C)	mechanical cut key	no	A or B blank per the 1996 and 2009 catalogs. Ignition, steering lock, a lid lock, helmet lock and fuel cap.
1995-2005	Vulcan 800, Vulcan 800 Classic	mechanical cut key	no	A or B blank per the 1995, 2002 and 2005 catalogs. The 2002 and 2005 bikes are on the same ignition switch part number as the 2009 500 LTD. Steering lock, two lid locks, helmet lock.
1999-2000	Vulcan 800 Drifter (VN800C)	mechanical cut key	no	A or B blank in the 1999 and 2000 catalogs, as on the 800 Classic. Steering lock, two lid locks and a helmet lock.
2001-2006	Vulcan 800 Drifter (VN800E)	mechanical cut key	no	Blank 27008-1208 in the 2001, 2005 and 2006 catalogs. Steering lock, two lid locks and a helmet lock.
1986-2006	Vulcan 750	mechanical cut key	no	Blank 27008-1103 in the 1986 and 2006 catalogs, and for the 1985 Vulcan 700. Two helmet locks and a box lock listed with the ignition and fuel cap.

A and B blanks, explained

Open Kawasaki's parts page for a Vulcan 800 Classic, an early Drifter or a Vulcan 500 LTD and you will see two key blanks, marked A and B. They are alternatives, not a pair. The factory fitted locks of one type or the other, and the other type is the wrong blank for that lock.

For a customer, the upshot is that telling us the model is not quite enough. A photo of your existing key, or of the face of the ignition if the key is lost, shows which type the bike has. The 2001 and later Drifter and the Vulcan 750 do not have this split; each has a single blank.

Need a key for your Vulcan 800?

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

Call (805) 429-8452 Text your year, make and model

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Locks on these Vulcans

The lock count is higher than the size of the bike suggests, and several are easy to forget until the day they are needed.

Ignition switch, listed separately from the steering lock on the 500 LTD and the 800s.
Steering lock on the frame, worked by the same key.
Helmet lock: one on the 500 LTD and 800s, two on the Vulcan 750.
Lid locks: one on the 500 LTD, two on the 800 Classic and Drifter.
Vulcan 750: a box lock in addition.
Keyed fuel tank cap on all of them.

When the ignition is worn, not the key

A Vulcan 750 could be forty years old and a late 500 LTD is past fifteen. On bikes this age the ignition switch itself can be the problem, not the key. Symptoms include a key that turns with no click, power that cuts out when the key is nudged, or a switch that will accept almost any key. A new key does not cure a worn switch.

Where the switch has reached that stage we replace it and, where the parts allow, set the replacement to your existing key so the fuel cap and steering lock still match. If someone has already fitted a mismatched switch, the same work in reverse gets you back to one key.

Lost or missing keys

A used Vulcan can change hands with a single tired key or none. Either way, we come out, check your photo ID against the title or registration, and cut a key from the ignition. Then we try it in the steering lock, helmet lock and fuel cap, and tell you if any of them has been changed and needs matching.

Nothing electronic is involved, so the bike is ready to start as soon as the key turns, provided the rest of it is.

Where to find the key code

The original keys came with a key number, and Kawasaki's manuals of the period give a space to record it. If the number has gone missing over the decades, we cut the key directly from the 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)

Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD, 750 and 800 key FAQ

Is a Vulcan 500 LTD key the same as a Vulcan 800 key?

They draw on the same two blanks, A and B, and share an ignition switch part in Kawasaki's catalog. Your bike uses whichever type its lock was built for, with its own cuts.

Does the Vulcan 800 Drifter use the same key as the 800 Classic?

It depends on the year. The 1999 and 2000 Drifter is listed with the same A and B blanks and ignition switch as the Classic. From 2001 Kawasaki lists a different blank and a different ignition switch for the Drifter.

My Vulcan 750 starts with a screwdriver. Is that a problem?

Yes. It means the ignition is worn or has been forced, and anyone can start the bike. We replace the switch and key it to match your other locks where possible.

Are any of these Vulcans chip-key bikes?

No. All of them use plain mechanical keys, with no immobilizer parts in Kawasaki's catalog.

The immobilizer system on this bike

Kawasaki Immobilizer and KIPASS: Keys, Fobs and Lost KeysKawasaki has two electronic key systems: a transponder immobilizer with coded keys, and KIPASS, a fob system used on the Concours 14 and a few newer models.

More Kawasaki models

Services for this bike

Signs Your Motorcycle Ignition Switch Is FailingA motorcycle ignition switch is two parts in one housing: a lock cylinder that reads the key and an electrical switch that powers the bike.
Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Keys: Codes, Blanks, WearA key can usually be made for a vintage motorcycle even when no original survives, because these are plain mechanical locks with no chip.
Buying Motorcycle Keys Online by VIN, Code or BlankOrdering online can work well for a plain metal key when you have the key code, because the code tells the seller exactly how to cut it.
Ducati Asking for a PIN Code or Showing an E-LOCK ErrorA Ducati that opens a PIN screen at switch-on is telling you the key was not acknowledged and that a PIN was stored on the bike at some point.

Where we come to you

Sources

Page last updated November 14, 2026.