Recently ripped off but now a question.......

[robocop]

Recently ripped off on the Nor Cal coast and lost lots of equipment including my tank bag. All replaced after another $1k investment but am now wondering where to keep my newly replaced plastic but coded emergency key. I know it's a security question for some but can any harm be done to the electronics if I bury it deep inside the bikes internals under the frame rails or tank ? Perhaps it's best just to keep it with the detached hard luggage every night. Can't begin to tell you folks how tiring it is protecting oneself from the roving thieves out and about.......

Interesting conversation with my dealer during the replacement process. You must provide a copy of your drivers license and registration to get the replacement process going and then wait 2 weeks or so for the key delivery. I asked the obvious question: What happens if both the fob and emergency key are both lost? The dealer's answer: Be prepared to stay in town a long, long time..............

 

[67207]

Sorry for your loss, it's unfortunate but we have to stay aware of our surroundings in today's world.
When on the road staying in a motel, always try to make friends w/ folks at the desk... Again, sorry+ hope the rest of your travels are trouble free.

Sent from my C6606 using Tapatalk

 

[t6pilot]

I’ve heard from fellow riders, if you wrap the key in Black electrical tape and zip tie it to inner rear fender extension where the adjustment screw is, you should be good to go
We’ve parked in some really sketchy areas along the coast in both eureka and crescent city, cheap cover on bike at night so far has deflected the zombies that occupy that area, I feel your pain

 

[brucepatt]

Keep spare where it will always be with you

There's been a previous thread on this, with lots of good ideas. I keep my emergency spare on a carabiner hanging on the loop inside the top front pocket of my Aerostich Roadcrafter. It goes everywhere I go.

 

[akbeemer]

Mine is in a small space I carved in the foam in my helmet. Held in place with a piece of duct tape.

 

[exgman]

There's been a previous thread on this, with lots of good ideas. I keep my emergency spare on a carabiner hanging on the loop inside the top front pocket of my Aerostich Roadcrafter. It goes everywhere I go.

Robocop - It's always an unhappy thing to hear of someone's loss and resultant costs to recover from the loss. We don't know which model Wethead you have, so I looked at my RT manual with all of the cautions and procedures regarding the use of keys, both standard and emergency. There are about three or four pages of instructions in manual for my 2015 RT with "Keyless Ride." I keep copies of those appropriate pages of the manual with me because I had one occasion when my RT wouldn't start.

I now have a lanyard with the emergency plastic key, and the key for my ABUS disk lock attached which I wear around my neck anytime I'm traveling. I also carry a spare 2032 battery for the fob but that's in my tank bag.

I had an incident-free trip through that area a year ago. I stayed overnight in a motel in Fort Bragg, CA, and I think about half the guests were riding BMW motorcycles. So that readers will get an idea of how gorgeous it is, here's a photo from that trip:

 

[daboo]

I did a dumb thing the other day at Costco and lost my keys. Ignition, pannier key and top box key. Even though my F800GT doesn't have an engine immobilizer, the ignition key was still pretty expensive to replace.

But the question does remain...where to store a spare set? The panniers and top box are third-party, so aren't keyed with the ignition key. If I stored a spare key in my helmet liner...hmm, the helmet was locked in the top box. If I stored it in the jacket, during the summer my jacket is usually stored in one of the panniers. It takes some thinking through to make sure your backup plan is smarter than you are for when you do something dumb like I did.

I suspect that I'll put them under the seat and carry the plastic key in my wallet. I can get the seat off with the plastic key and the rest of the keys will be available then.

Chris

 

[lee]

now wondering where to keep my newly replaced plastic but coded emergency key..

If you don't keep a lot of stuff in your wallet, the plastic key should fit there.

 

[jswisc]

Motel managers

Went through northern Cal along the coast in early October. The folks at each motel always accomodated my buddy and I regarding finding us a room as close to registration as possible and let us park right next to the motel office. Just lucky I guess but after the experience I'll always ask in the future.

 

[lee]

There are about three or four pages of instructions in manual for my 2015 RT with "Keyless Ride." I keep copies of those appropriate pages of the manual with me because I had one occasion when my RT wouldn't start.

I keep a PDF file of the Owners Manual on my smart phone.

 

[glenfeld]

Put is in your helmet

Mine is in a small space I carved in the foam in my helmet. Held in place with a piece of duct tape.

DITTO - There was a prior thread on this subject - I used a teaspoon to make a depression in the EPS liner of my helmet (just big enough for the key), placed the key in there and hold in place with tape. Now the key is always with me. I placed it in the very top of the helmet - tried the side above an ear and it caused pressure after 90 minutes.

Simple and it works.

 

[glenfeld]

That's how I broke my origional key

If you don't keep a lot of stuff in your wallet, the plastic key should fit there.

Origionaly placed the key in the wallet - snapped in two in within 1 year. But, that's my wallet - your results my be more successful.

 

[anglojaxon]

Origionaly placed the key in the wallet - snapped in two in within 1 year. But, that's my wallet - your results my be more successful.

If your key broke in your wallet you have too much money and too little farkle.

 

[snotty54]

Stash Plastic Emergency Key

I duct tape mine to the inside front of the shin protector part of my left boot. I don't ride without the boots on, so pretty safe, but a bit easier to do then the helmet idea although that is an excellent one.

 

[beemerdood]

I managed to drop my ignition key into the space between the hard cases and the frame. It hung up about half way down, well out of reach of my fingers. I had a length of wire coat hanger in my tool kit, but of course, the bag was locked. I tried borrowing a piece of coat hanger from some nearby businesses, but all they had was plastic. REI was next door so I purchased a pack of Nite Ize gear ties with one that was long enough to reach the keys. Now I carry that in the fairing glove box. I also put one of those "Remove Before Flight" keychains on the ring that has the ignition key, so if it drops down into some inaccessible space, I might be able to reach it.

 

[markmacrae]

Avoiding dropping key in odd places

I managed to drop my ignition key into the space between the hard cases and the frame. It hung up about half way down, well out of reach of my fingers. I had a length of wire coat hanger in my tool kit, but of course, the bag was locked. I tried borrowing a piece of coat hanger from some nearby businesses, but all they had was plastic. REI was next door so I purchased a pack of Nite Ize gear ties with one that was long enough to reach the keys. Now I carry that in the fairing glove box. I also put one of those "Remove Before Flight" keychains on the ring that has the ignition key, so if it drops down into some inaccessible space, I might be able to reach it.

That reminds me that I had a scare once when I parked the bike at a curb, my went missing temporarily, & I was parked over a large stormdrain grate! Now I ALWAYS avoid grates AND I'm more disciplined about handling key at bike, i.e. I NEVER set it down anywhere, especially not on the seat.

Mark

 

[pglaves]

I know somebody who was at a rally and stopped by a liquor store to purchase a thing or two for Friday and Saturday. Back at the bike this person suddenly discovered that the key was missing. Exactly how one of the accomplices of this person discovered the key in the barrel full of roasted in the cell peanuts remains a mystery, but spare keys are now a routine happening.

 

[Paul_F]

I don't have a fob with my older bikes but I have plain mechanic keys. The R bike's is placed under the insole of my right boot, the K's under the left insole.

For long trips, I keep a complete backup set of keys tethered to a belt loop and stored in a zipped pocket of my pants which are worn under my riding gear.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

I thought I had it all figured out...

...but now I'm a couple hundred bucks reinvested and not that sure!
Piloting a 15' R12 GS with Touratech pans & Givi box. Using a cable combo-lock for jacket & helmet security when walking around with the bike loaded while touring, and that's worked well.
I have the BMW actual "hard key", previously made from my dealer, and this I have on a carabiner along with the box & pan keys for frequent use of the locking points. I keep the plastic backup and a "spare" for the pans & topbox on a carabiner, taped together and well tucked away... all good.

But this key fob & emergency plastic backup sure have potential issues.
I learned some of that in early July, coming south on the Icefields Parkway enroute to the MOA rally.
The BMW Fob I normally wear on a lanyard by itself around my neck.
While packing camp that morning I tucked the lanyard/fob into the outer chest pocket of the Klim jacket.
Just south of Jasper, I reached across my chest to adjust a zipper for airflow... wherein my jacket wrist velcro snached a peice of the lanyard that had escaped the pocket... and thus, as my hand returned to the grip, promptly slung the BMW Fob away from its rightful owner.
I was informed of this as I felt a tug on the sleeve and a thud across my tank, along with a reflection of something in the mirror spinning & tumbling just behind...
the previously savvy BMW Rider. That and a flashing red icon on the handsome GS instrument cluster.
My initial thought, just after... "what was that and then oh-no!"... how am I going to find that in this roadside grass. Then as it stopped on the roadway...
with a line of traffic cresting the hill, well... after a quick U turn and getting stopped/parked alongside, most folks at least wavved.

Mostly smashed and mangled with a very bent key... with the pieces held gently together, a remarkable and unexpected discovery: the Key Proximity icon ceased flashing as I lowered the remains into the tank bag! That evening I taped the components as they lay and finished my trip with only a few delayed starts that required gentle movement of the taped bundle, likely battery related contact, as I had the battery icon display intermittently. The Canada dealership in Calgary needed two weeks minimum for a new fob, but my conversation with Salt Lake BMW would likely had me leaving the MOA with a replacement... after jumping through some hoops with coordination with my dealer.

The moral of my story: Use your pre-ride checklist especially as pertaining to fobs & zippers.

"travel'n" john

 

[ncpbmw1953]

But the question does remain...where to store a spare set? Chris

Hi Chris,

I put my spare key for my F800GT taped w/ a strip of gorilla tape to the inside of the left fairing panel, below and forward of the roundel. It is a very hidden location and yet can be reached and slowly removed w/o taking the panel off: