Do You Remove the STOVE KNOB key?

[Rembrant]

Hey, it was not me but rather a moderator but still.... holy thread resurrection Batman! Still, it IS the same discussion, four years later. :-)  And those people who are ascairt of taking the ign. key out are still wrong, four years later.

 

Brian

"ascairt"?...Hahahahahahaha....

6:19am Atlantic Time (that's an hour ahead of Eastern Time...lol) and I just snarfed coffee out my nose when I read "ascairt"...LOL.

I know you're all still in bed....

 

[gPink]

Not all of us. 

[VirginiaJim]

I usually use the stove knob for everything, although lately I have begun to use the fob key. I have an idea though for a ground breaking innovation that would eliminate the need to dig the fob out of the pocket and remove the little key.  It would work for both the ignition and the bags and would eliminate the need to carry a fob. I'm going to call it...a key. 

  Luddite!

[Rembrant]

Not all of us. 

Haha...the lights are still out in New York City when you get out of bed...lol!!

[Rhino]

Hey, it was not me but rather a moderator but still.... holy thread resurrection Batman! Still, it IS the same discussion, four years later. :-)  And those people who are ascairt of taking the ign. key out are still wrong, four years later.

 

Brian

If you wait long enough, history will always repeat itself. Now with modern communications the cycle is compressed.

[PH14]

Luddite!

 

[VirginiaJim]

 

[elp_jc]

I think sometime in the next 50 years, something bad is going to happen to me and we will all know I never should have taken the ign. key out in the first place.

Well, I took it out and got leukemia a week later... so remove it at you own risk . Ha ha.

Seriously, decided to use it exclusively. I'm already used to turn the bike off at 'FSS', for fueling, etc. And when at a restaurant or something, will just throw it in a pocket or something. One of the 'new' 2014 bikes I looked at had ignition/key damage due to somebody thinking he needed more force to turn the key. If the key is left in the ignition while on a trip, it might attract attention not just from thieves, but from somebody wanting to go for a joy ride... and ruin your trip if he tries too hard to turn the key and either breaks it inside, and/or damages the ignition. But that's just me .

[B.D.F.]

On a serious note (difficult in any KiPass thread), sorry to hear about your health issues and I wish you the very best in overcoming the condition. Not my field but as I understand it, your condition is extremely treatable and you have every reason to be positive regarding the outcome of treatment. Again, the very best as you move forward.

As far as someone tampering with the key left in the ignition: it does not seem to be a problem. Kawasaki made the 'stove knob' key with a ratchet mechanism in it so excessive force used to turn it will not damage the lock, only ratchet the key knob around the actual key itself. The only harm is that they key knob will end up being 'miss- timed' and will no longer align with the marks on the ign. switch housing. Still, the key will work fine and of course there are new stove knob keys available from Kawasaki to fix the timing problem. If it were to happen to me, I would tinker with the key itself and see if I could get it to ratchet back to the original position, being careful not to damage the key itself of course.

Brian

Well, I took it out and got leukemia a week later... so remove it at you own risk . Ha ha.

Seriously, decided to use it exclusively. I'm already used to turn the bike off at 'FSS', for fueling, etc. And when at a restaurant or something, will just throw it in a pocket or something. One of the 'new' 2014 bikes I looked at had ignition/key damage due to somebody thinking he needed more force to turn the key. If the key is left in the ignition while on a trip, it might attract attention not just from thieves, but from somebody wanting to go for a joy ride... and ruin your trip if he tries too hard to turn the key and either breaks it inside, and/or damages the ignition. But that's just me .

[AZ-ZG]

Yes.   

[XR6]

I never thought about someone tapering with the bike with key in. I have always left the key in and locked the steering.
Never had any problems so far. I like the fact that the red light flashes, makes it look like there is an alarm.

[Rembrant]

If the key is left in the ignition while on a trip, it might attract attention not just from thieves, but from somebody wanting to go for a joy ride... and ruin your trip if he tries too hard to turn the key and either breaks it inside, and/or damages the ignition. But that's just me .

Ya know, it's almost the opposite of what you would think....

Your first thought is to worry about thieves and people creeping around in the dark up to no good...

When the problem is far more likely to happen in broad daylight, right in front of you. One of your 6+ foot 250 pound friends gets on your bike, and tries to turn the key on. Before you realize what he's up to, you see him lean into it a bit so he can put some real force on the key that he cannot turn, and bam, he forces the knob itself to turn...lol.

LOL. I've watched it happen, more than once...lol. That simple black knob is a very complex and mysterious device in he eyes of the average man. That fact that it will not turn *should* make one realize that something else is required...but all it really makes them realize is that more force is required...lol.

Rem

[XR6]

I just remembered that I used it once to open petrol cap and twisted the key badly. Straightened it and thought best not risk breaking it, that's was the last time it took it out.

[PH14]

I just remembered that I used it once to open petrol cap and twisted the key badly. Straightened it and thought best not risk breaking it, that's was the last time it took it out.

If the key twisted, your petrol cap lock is in some serious need of lubrication. Use graphite. All my locks turn very easily. Simple quick maintenance.

[VirginiaJim]

It's actually quite easy to bend with that monstrous cap on the end of the key..

[Rhino]

I also found that unless the lock is lubricated as PH suggests, it's difficult to remove from the lock. I used a dremel to cut little groves in the sides so I can get a good grip. No need now since I never take it out anymore.

[XR6]

Good point, I will lube the petrol cap,  but I do think the key is made from softer material. The keys from the fob do feel stiffer ( easy boys)........ to use Brian's phrase

[maxtog]

If the key twisted, your petrol cap lock is in some serious need of lubrication. Use graphite. All my locks turn very easily. Simple quick maintenance.

Yep, I had the same problem.  The issue is that the gas tank lock seems to corrode quickly and needs constant lubrication  (like several times a year) for some reason.  I do use graphite spray (which can be quite a mess) on both the cylinder and the side slides.

[VirginiaJim]

Mine doesn't.  Must be the salt air in your neck of the woods.

[gPink]

Maybe it's just me but if I push down on the gas hole cap ever so slightly, the ignition key turns effortlessly with no fear of catastrophic failure.