Key Barrel

[HeavyHustler]

I have noticed that the ignition key has slowly gotten more difficult to turn when I turn the bike on.  Is there and easy fix for this?
Cheers.

[Sin_Tiger]

I have noticed that the ignition key has slowly gotten more difficult to turn when I turn the bike on.  Is there and easy fix for this?
Cheers.

No magic bullet here, they do seem to suffer from wear after about 50k both mine have succumbed but are hanging in there with a bit of care. The key, no pun in tended, is lubrication, I find ACF50 works well once it's worked it's way in. Ultimately you'll need to be replacing the barrel with wafers keyed to match. I got a new key blank cut against the original key which made a big improvement. You might also consider swapping either the seat lock or fuel cap as an interim measure but that's quite a lot of work if you'll be doing it all again.

Best to consult the expert on the topic of key barrel replacements, that'll be Bixxer 

[HeavyHustler]

So you just blasted some ACF50 into the barrel then?

Thanks ST

[Nick Calne]

Never tried this on a bike but it sorts my 25 year old 4x4 out from time to time.

[ssevy]

I noticed my bike occassionally acts dead when I go to crank it, and wiggling the key cured it. I suspect having extra weight on your key chain probably doesn't help.

[Bixxer Bob]

Sevvy, that's probably crap in the contacts area which can be fixed by spraying it with liberal amounts of contact cleaner.  It could also be a broken contact leaf of course.....      

Mostly, we do all the usual stuff like engine oil, filters, plugs valve gaps etc but then forget the little things like a few drops of lubricant in the locks, oiling the cables, clean and grease caliper slide pins etc  All equally essential if we're to avoid a sudden problem miles fromanywhere.

[Sin_Tiger]

I use the extension tube, poke it as far into the barrel as I can and then gently squirt it in until it rises out of the barrel, not uncommon to see some debris or water come out on the surplus surface which I wipe away. I do this after every serious wash (2-4 weeks) or if I'm putting the bike away for a while.

If you haven't done this previously, I would try to flush out as much crud with a less viscous fluid,  WD40, Lusol or similar, first as BB suggests.

[HeavyHustler]

Thanks lads!

[ssevy]

Sevvy, that's probably crap in the contacts area which can be fixed by spraying it with liberal amounts of contact cleaner.  It could also be a broken contact leaf of course.....      

Mostly, we do all the usual stuff like engine oil, filters, plugs valve gaps etc but then forget the little things like a few drops of lubricant in the locks, oiling the cables, clean and grease caliper slide pins etc  All equally essential if we're to avoid a sudden problem miles fromanywhere.

That is a great reminder about maintenance. I bought some special red rubber grease for the seals in my brake calipers, and what a difference! I also used contact cleaner and dilectric grease on all of the connectors I could find, but I completely ignored the ignition switch. I have heard mixed opinions about using wd40, etc. in the keyhole area. I will get to it, I guess. Thanks for the reminder.

[HeavyHustler]

A quick shot of WD-40 did the trick.   I noticed the slide cover doesn't close when you take the key out.  Prolly why some water gets in there.  Dirt too!

[motoOzarks]

It's the time of year to carry a can of spray deicer.

It rained and then dropped below freezing a couple weeks ago and I thawed it out with hot tap water poured over the key and into the lock.

Drove to the supermarket and ate lunch.  Came out and couldn't get my key into the ignition.

Went back inside and bought a can of spray deicer and keep it in an unlocked bag until spring. 

Some lubricants are better at not freezing than others.   

[Sin_Tiger]

Result 

Be liberal with the WD40 until it's all nice and free, then use something that won't evaporate like WD40 dues.

[RJS]

My Steamer (1994 33k) had exactly the same problem - no amount of lube made a difference and eventually it seized solid.

Firstly I removed and dismantled the switch unit which has steering lock fixed on top of it.

1st pic shows the mess of the lock innards :

2nd pic shows a temporary joiner to hot wire the ignition to get me home:

The electrical part of switch is operated by a slotted extension of steering lock barrel. Having removed barrel of steering lock, I realised the switch was fine and I could operate it with a slotted driver.

3rd pic shows a butchered driver with a flat ground on and a radio knob fitted - getting the right length took trial & error. The conical green bit is a plumbing reducer to centralise it.

4th pic shows the finished bodge - works so well that even though I bought a 2nd hand switch on ebay, haven't fitted it - chain & alarm provide security ! Also looks neat ?

Cheers Rodger

[nickjtc]

Very neat.

[John Stenhouse]

Probably a good anti theft device too, leave it on there and a thief would look at it and think it's a lock on the ignition.