A Sinking Feeling this Morning

[bobhamlin]

Left just before dawn for a meeting in DC. It rained hard last night. Weather said that it was foggy along the way and the weather map showed green formations moving over DC. It will be in the high 80s later.

I spent time considering what to wear and stow--enough to take me out of my routine. When you take me out of my routine in the early morning, strange things can happen.

Got to DC fine. My chaps and rain jacket caught all the road spray. At the parking meter (DC has clumps of parking meters scattered around the city dedicated to motorcycles at, compared to car meters, an excellent price), I reached into my right jacket pocket for the key so I could get my laptop out of the right saddlebag. No key. And I distinctly remembered putting it there.

My left jacket pocket didn't have the key either. I undid my chaps and patted my pants pockets. Nope. I was already wondering how I would participate in the meeting without my laptop. I tried to remember if I ever got around to sticking a magnetic keyholder on this bike. I know I had it on one of my Classics.

I took off my jacket and chaps. I carefully touched every pocket and felt around my pants pockets. No key. My wife was working. There's no way she could bring me a spare.

Then I noticed my left saddlebag. The key was dangling there. And I remembered: I was ready to pull out when I thought to take a denim shirt--just in case. For some reason, the key never made it back to my jacket pocket.

I'll have to do some buffing on the clear coat to fix this screw-up.

[cnc]

I know exactly the feeling you had. I've done what must look like to a bystander "the Macarena key search" quite often. Padding down this pocket, then that one only to find the key in a dumb place. I carry a spare tucked in my wallet now.

[BudMan]

This may be a dumb question, but why wasn't the key in the ignition?

[jd01]

Glad you finally discovered the key hanging on the other bag. I guess that could be considered a plus for us earlier 1500 owners. Got to have a key in our ignition switch to start the bike (unless you've done some kind of mod). I've left mine on the saddlebag several times, but when I get on the bike to crank it, no key in the ignition to turn it on and I remember where it's at ::). Guess that would give you that sinking feeling, though.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by BudMan

This may be a dumb question, but why wasn't the key in the ignition?

Because when he parked the bike previously, he didn't turn the ignition far enough to lock it. On the 1600's you can turn the ignition switch to on, then remove the key. When you park the bike, you can turn the ignition halfway in order to restart it without the key or all the way until it locks. I don't usually lock my ignition when I park my bike in my garage.

With the key removed, you don't have to worry about keys scratching your nacelle or the paint.

[Jared]

Glad the door didn't pop open and you didn't loose all your stuff...

[jasperboy]

Been there, and actually spent several hours walking the neighborhood CONVINCED the key had fallen out of my pocket while taking it for a spin after washing the bike. I had no spare, as was just about to completely give up when I walked back into the house and found it laying next to the fish bowl on the kitchen counter. I had started the bike and run in to get my wallet for "just in case'. I think I'm a prime alzheimers candidate as I do stuff like this in my early 40's. Lesson for me was to make to extra's, and hide one on the bike.

[sly]

My brain is going numb too, ::)

[Dave]

Brain farts happen to me all the time!

[cactusjack]

I've ridden hundreds of miles with my key hanging in my saddlebag lock. I've had people pull up to at lights and point it out. Each time, I can trace it back to a disruption in my usual routine, usually while getting gas.

Just last Saturday I rode from our fuel stop almost to our lunch stop (70 miles) with both my tourpak latches open. It wasn't until I hit a bump and heard the lid bounce a little that I realized it.

[mac]

I had that "sinking feeling" last month while on a ride in Arkansas. We were leaving The Hub and it looked like it was about to rain. I took off my chaps and put on my rainsuit. As soon as I closed my trunk I realized I had my keys attached to the belt on my chaps. We were all about to take off, and I knew I could start my bike without the key and thought when we reached our destination that evening in Texarkana I'd look for a locksmith.

We rode for a while and at our first gas stop I pull up to the pump and then it REALLY HITS ME - I need the key to even put gas in the bike! Now a *huge* sinking feeling is strongly felt. The little town we were in didn't have a locksmith. I didn't know what to do, and I'm holding up 7 other bikes.

Luckily messing around trying to think of a solution, our ride leader just thought to stick a small screwdriver in the lock and he was able to turn it and it just opened up! BIG sigh of relief! Then of course I thought my trunk wasn't as secure as I thought it was but right now that was a good thing.

After I got home and looked at it, the trunk even shows to "lock" it turn all the way to the left, other wise it isn't "locked". Now I know if something like that happens again I can just stick something in the lock and turn it. Of course I'd need the key to actually lock it.

This caused me to hide an extra set of keys on the bike like I was going to do BEFORE the trip but didn't get around to it.

[bobhamlin]

Originally Posted by BudMan

This may be a dumb question, but why wasn't the key in the ignition?

Being able to turn the bike on/off without a key is a great feature of the 1600 most of the time. Once you turn the bike on, the key is removable. Turn the key knob counter-clockwise just enough to turn off the bike, and you don't need a key to turn it back on.

The flip-side, of course, is the potential to ride a full gas tank away before realizing the key is back on the workbench because you laid it down when you decided to get a fresh stick of gum for the ride.

[Cajunrider]

I've never left mine hanging from the saddlebag but have left them dangling from the lock on the back of my trailer. Went nearly 180 miles like that one time and the keys hung in there. I've since had my dealer cut another ignition/saddlebag key (only $7) that I keep in my wallet. I carry the ignition, trunk, and trailer keys in my pocket and my wife also carrys a set in her pocket except for the other OEM ignition key. That one is in my gun safe at home. I know the feeling Bob.....the last place I looked for the keys at a fuel stop was on the back of the trailer and there they were. The sinking feeling changed to embarrasment right away. I always pick on my wife about her forgetting where she puts things. I got payback that day.

[fakebikerdude59]

Geez, you guys are good. I do the key, wallet, phone, change dance nearly every time...I thought that was my routine.

[redjay]

My hardbag door popped open a couple of weeks ago. Lost a map and a pair of gloves. A guy in a car going past me pointed to the hardbag being open. I thought it was latched when I left home.