"HONEY, WHERE'D YOU PUT THE IGNITION KEY ?"

[Granpah]

Dave in 2007, posted a complaint that he's seen GL1200 key blanks costing as much as $200 !!!!

As for me, my nightmare is riding out somewhere, stopping for a short break, then dropping my one and only ignition (and everything else) key down a grating! hock: B-( :YMPRAY: Some used bikes come with ONLY one key.

Back in March 2010, at this site, the question was raised and answered, sort of. Three years earlier, in 2007 this issue first came up here -- but there were few complete suggestions. Since then some new riders came on board who are carrying around the one and only key that came with their new Aspy, SEI, Ltd, or Interstate. Get yourself a couple of spares for Christmas.

So I thought it useful to post a few places where GL1200 key blanks can be bought. The other part of it is, DON'T take it for cutting to some high school kid operating a computerized key cutting machine on the weekends at Home Depot (or even Ace Hardware). I did that several years ago, and some kid chewed up my GL1000 and Shadow VT500c key blanks -- and I had to go back to square one. Get them cut by a professional lock smith (who usually charge less than the chain stores with the kid at the computerized key cutting machine).

My favorite (O.K., i.e., favourite :d ) supplier is Auto Locksmith out in American Canyon, California because in addition to the standard GL1200 key blanks ($4 to $8 a pop, depending on head design) they can also supply fancy simulated wood head Honda key blanks for ONLY one dollar more. Not only that, Auto Locksmith charges ONLY a flat rate $3.00 shipping 1) no matter how many keys you order, and 2) anywhere in the world. That's decency with a capitalD!
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NOTHING'S too good for my "baby" :x !

KeyBlankSales sells GL1200 blanks for about $5.00 plus mailing.
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Make sure you get the exactly correct key blanks(s) for your bike.

On eBay, there are still a few GL1200 key blank suppliers left.
Such as the supplier who lists "OEM HONDA GOLDWING KEY BLANK GL1200 1984-1987"
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In Holland, Consolidated Motor Spares charges about $16 per key blank (plus shipping which is a few dollars).

While in Merry Oulde England David Silver Spares Ltd. sells them for about $13 apiece (undercutting the Dutch by $3). BTW Spares has, in his words, "a mountain of good spare parts for Hondas and other bikes."

Don't wait until you're a day's ride from home before getting that spare key hidden somewhere on your bike -- or cemented into your helmet or boots. [-X

Get it done now while you're stuck at home waiting for spring to arrive! :d

[clancyp]

Hey Grandpah
I am in Quartzsite Arizona and there is a guy here who sets up at the Flea Market every winter and i get all my
extra keys made for my quads etc. I took him my wing key just last week and figured he would stop at that one
and he said no problem that will be $2.50 and it worked perfect first time.
If anyone needs a blank i am sure he would sell me some.
These are not original honda but they do work for emergency as you were talking about.
Honda wanted $13.00 for a blank here??? go figure

[Roleketu]

I got spare keys made at a local locksmith, within the first month of owning the bike. I had plenty of spares made and the OE key is left at home on my desk for any future need. So I only use the new spares, and keep one in my pack, and one in my riding jacket, and the wifey carries one. I'm all about having extra keys.
One of my friends never learns as I had to pick him up on one of my nights off and bring him to work because the key to his Sportster was in the semi truck he drove the night before. So I tell him get spare keys made and always carry them. Then just last week he calls me, at 5 AM, I'm driving tractor-trailer and almost done for the night and he just got to work. Anyways, he managed to lock his SUV keys in the SUV while it's running and the wipers are going. Damn, I almost drove off the road laughing so hard. He had to leave it running for almost 5 hours till his wife went down and used her keys to turn it off. Always carry spare keys for whatever you drive.

[Keener]

Good post, Granpah. We should all have an extra key or two.

[Guest]

Thanks for the reminder Granpah. I to only have the one key and the thought of losing it, well you know :-\
I'm going to look into a new blank today. Thanks. eartpig...

[Fire1386]

I have a 1985 LTD and I went to the Ace hardware store here and they went through their blanks and came up with one that worked. None of the Honda blanks they had would, but the Suzuki blank did. The information on the blank is X87 Suz11 Ilco USA. The total cost was $1.99...... :lol: Hope this helps!

[Guest]

Interesting post. I went to Lowe's and got an extra key. I think the cost was about $3. :-J :-J :-J

[Granpah]

Thanks, everyone. ^^

Notice, I didn't include Honda dealers in the above post. ALL of them overcharge because that's their religion. :twisted:

Re: "I have a 1985 LTD and I went to the Ace hardware store here and they went through their blanks and came up with one that worked. None of the Honda blanks they had would, but the Suzuki blank did. The information on the blank is X87 Suz11 Ilco USA. The total cost was $1.99...... :lol: Hope this helps!"

It does.

"Interesting post. I went to Lowe's and got an extra key. I think the cost was about $3. :-J :-J :-J"

See? It doesn't have to cost a lot to be prepared for losing the ignition/gas tank key to your bike far from home. \:d/


By-the-way, Happy **== Thanksgiving, everybody!

[bluewing]

I got 3 blanks at the local Honda Dealer for $10. each and paid $2. each to have them cut at a lock smith.

[aspengold]

I went to my local ACE hardware store and had a key made. After the initial cut, several fine tuning adjustments were made and I have been using that key for 2 years. Total cost $1.89.

Bob **==

[admin]

Excellent post Grandpah, thank you. :YMAPPLAUSE:

[Granpah]

Thanks Vic. :YMHUG:

If just one biker can be saved the trouble of getting stuck far from home because they were prevented from losing their only GL1200 ignition key the post is cerainly worthwhile. ^^

[roncar]

If just one biker can be saved the trouble of getting stuck far from home because they were prevented from losing their only GL1200 ignition key the post is certainly worthwhile.

As the riding season is fast approaching, this thread is just as pertinent now as it was when originally posted over 2 years ago. Please heed it's advice.

[Granpah]

Thanks for the reminder Ron.

When last January I replaced my destroyed bike with an '85 Aspy guess what's the second thing I did (after replacing the timing belts )? Yup, went out and triplicated the one and only ignition key. ("Don't leave home without it")

I'd like to hear from ANYONE who ever bought a used bike that came with an extra ignition key. That would be novel.

[roncar]

I'd like to hear from ANYONE who ever bought a used bike that came with an extra ignition key. That would be novel.

Actually I've had 2 that came with more than one key.

The first had 3, but 2 of them were miss-cut and required serious jiggling to get them to work.

The other had an aftermarket ignition switch with both original keys. The lock is different in as none of my key blanks will go into the lock. Looks the same, but something is different, so I won't be able to cut any additional keys for that lock. (There was only 1 key for all the rest of that bikes locks, but I can make more of that one.)