Yamaha MT-10 and FZ-10 Key Replacement

Quick answerThe MT-10 is a bike where the market matters. Yamaha's US owner's manuals for the 2017 FZ-10 and for the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 MT-10 have no immobilizer section, so those bikes take a plain cut key. MT-10 manuals written for other markets describe the full immobilizer with one red key and two black keys. Before anyone quotes you, work out which of the two you own.

Yamaha MT-10 and FZ-10 key quick facts

The 2017 FZ-10 US owner's manual and the 2020, 2021 and 2023 MT-10 and 2022 MT-10 SP US manuals, all published by Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., have no immobilizer system section.
Export MT-10 manuals describe a code re-registering key with a red bow and two standard keys with black bows.
The FZ-10 seat is one keyed unit: open the seat lock cover, turn the key counterclockwise and lift the rear of the seat.
The US manuals list luggage strap holders and no helmet holder, so the only keyed points are the main switch, the fuel cap and the seat.
In the US the bike was sold as the FZ-10 for 2017 and renamed MT-10 from 2018.

Yamaha MT-10 and FZ-10 key types by year

Years	Models	Key type	Chip	Notes
2017	FZ-10 (US market)	mechanical cut key	no	No immobilizer section in the US manual. Keyed points: main switch and steering lock, fuel cap, seat lock.
2020-2023	MT-10 (US market); MT-10 SP (2022 US manual)	mechanical cut key	no	No immobilizer section in the US manuals for these model years. Keyed points: main switch and steering lock, fuel cap, seat lock.
Varies by market	MT-10 sold outside the US, and imports	one red code re-registering key, two black standard keys	yes	The red key is only for registering standard keys. Yamaha says losing every key means replacing the immobilizer system.
2018-2019 and 2024 onward	MT-10 and MT-10 SP (US market)	confirm by year and key set	varies	Tell us the year and send a photo of the keys and we confirm before quoting. Two matching keys and no red key points to a plain-key bike.

Two versions of the same bike

Yamaha builds the MT-10 for many markets and does not equip them all the same way. The owner's manual for European and other export bikes opens its controls chapter with an immobilizer section: a red-bow key that only registers codes, two black-bow keys for riding, and a transponder in each. The US manuals for the 2017 FZ-10 and the 2020 to 2023 MT-10 start that chapter at the main switch and steering lock, with no immobilizer section at all.

The quickest test is the key set. The US manuals describe ordinary keys and a key tag stamped with the key identification number. An immobilizer bike was delivered with three keys, one of them red. If you bought the bike used with a single black key, look at the dash when you switch on: an immobilizer bike has an immobilizer indicator light that a plain-key bike does not.

Need a key for your MT-10?

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

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Locks on the FZ-10 and MT-10

There is no separate helmet lock to worry about on these bikes. The manuals offer luggage strap holders instead.

Main switch, which also locks the steering once the bars are turned.
Fuel tank cap, opened with the ignition key.
Seat lock behind a small cover. Turning the key counterclockwise lets the rear of the seat lift so it can be pulled off.
The owner's tool kit is on the bottom of the seat, so a seat lock that will not turn also keeps you from your tools.

What a lost key means on each version

On a plain-key FZ-10 or MT-10, we check your photo ID and registration or title, cut a key to the bike and test it in the main switch, fuel cap and seat. The engine starts on the cut alone.

On a red-key bike the job depends on what you still have. With the red key, a new black key can be cut and registered. With only a black key, the bike still runs but Yamaha's manuals say no further key can be registered. With nothing, Yamaha calls for a new immobilizer system. We will tell you plainly which of those situations you are in and whether it is one we can handle at the bike.

Where to find the key code

The US manuals say the key identification number is stamped into the key tag and give a space to record it. Immobilizer bikes also depend on the red key itself, which no number replaces. Keep the tag and any red key somewhere other than the bike.

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)

Yamaha MT-10 and FZ-10 key FAQ

Does the US FZ-10 have an immobilizer?

Yamaha's 2017 US owner's manual for the FZ-10 has no immobilizer section and describes no red key. A correctly cut key is enough.

My MT-10 came with a red key. What does that tell me?

It tells you the bike has Yamaha's immobilizer and was most likely built for another market. Do not ride with the red key. Store it, because it is needed to add any new key.

I only have one black key for my MT-10 and no red key. Should I worry?

First find out whether the bike is a plain-key US model, in which case a spare is a simple cut. If it is an immobilizer bike with the red key missing, that one black key is the only way to start it, so call us before it wears or gets lost.

Can you open the MT-10 seat without a key?

Yes, as part of a locksmith visit with proof of ownership. Once a new key is cut it works the seat lock as well as the main switch and fuel cap.

The immobilizer system on this bike

Yamaha Immobilizer: Red Key, Black Keys and Lost KeysYamaha's immobilizer uses three chipped keys: one red-bow code re-registering key and two black-bow standard keys.

More Yamaha models

Services for this bike

Motorcycle Immobilizers Explained: HISS, KIPASS and MoreA motorcycle immobilizer is an anti-theft system that only lets the engine start when it recognizes a coded chip in the key or a paired fob.
Lost Motorcycle Master Key, Code Card or Key Tag: What ChangesA master key, code card or master PIN is the item the maker uses to authorize new keys for your bike.
Adding a Spare Motorcycle Chip Key: Who Can Program It?First check that your bike has a chip at all: many Japanese motorcycles sold in the US use a plain key, and a spare for those is simply cut.
Motorcycle Immobilizer Light Flashing: What It Means by MakeA slow flash with the ignition off is normal on a bike with an immobilizer: Honda HISS, Yamaha and Triumph manuals all describe the light blinking for 24 hours after you switch off to show the system is armed.

Where we come to you

Sources

Page last updated November 14, 2026.