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Spare keys. We all take them but where do you hide them? Spare keys. We all take them but where do you hide them?
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TRAVEL Hints and Tips Post your TIPS to travellers - all the interesting little tidbits you learned on the road about packing, where to get stuff, and how to cope with problems. Please make sure the subject describes the tip clearly!
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #31  
Old 3 May 2006
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I 'hide' it on my girlfriend who's with me on almost every big trip. In case she's not, I never keep my set of keys and set of spare keys in the same jacket yet I would never hide my keys somewhere on my bike. It's usually in my rear Givi case (for which I have a couple of extra spare keys)
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  #32  
Old 14 May 2006
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Exclamation
'Real' bike thieves don't bother with keys.
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  #33  
Old 15 Jun 2006
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In the lining of your helmet

get a "money belt" not a real one or a full sized one but the kind that looks like a normal belt that has a zipper on the inside, not much room, its meant to store some emergency cash or a spare key

inside a thick pen that you keep with your tools, or inside the handle of tool
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  #34  
Old 16 May 2008
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Spare keys
Ground off the plastic, drilled hole through meatiest part of head and then screwed it into my boot right in front of the heel where it meets the sole. Very easy to get at and if you're paranoid enough do each boot so if one does come off for some reason you still have a back up. Chris
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  #35  
Old 16 May 2008
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One in my money belt, one in my Mrs' money belt and one at home. Question now is. What do you do with your money belt?
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  #36  
Old 16 May 2008
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The best safegaurd is to have a bike no one wants to steal... A RH gearshift perhaps ( and no electric start )

Last year I decide to get a spare key as my bike came with only one. I tried to test it in teh car park where it was cut, I fumbled and it feel down into teh bike somewhere behind the fairing. I could not find it at all. So had another one cut.
This week when I did teh oil change I had to loosen teh lower fairing panel to get at the oil filter cover. As I pulled away the cover the key dropped out from between the cover and teh fairing.

It has been there a year nearly and been thousands of miles.
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  #37  
Old 17 May 2008
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Why am I thinking of a gold wrist watch, Bruce Willis and Christopher Walken!

Oh, I notice someone else mentioned Pulp Fiction. Great film.

I keep mine on a lanyard attached to a belt loop on my jeans and have them in my pocket. I used to keep them around my neck but the bunch has got too big for that now. It works well as you see them every day so know you haven't lost your emergency back-up.
Last edited by Flyingdoctor; 17 May 2008 at 09:46.
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  #38  
Old 27 May 2008
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I actually have 3 sets of keys on me while traveling. My everyday riding set, which is on a neck lanyard that is ALWAYS around my neck unless I"m riding. My spare set that is tucked away well in my bag. And a third 'emergency' set that I have locked onto the bike. I use a real estate agents lock box, the kind that is hooked around a doorknob when your house is for sale. It has a combination lock on it and it locks itself nicely onto the frame. Never needed it and assume I never will. But love that it's there.
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  #39  
Old 28 May 2008
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On my F650 I just kept the screwdriver some thieving ****wit left in the ignition for me. Now that bloke could shift, so I never got to ask him why he'd left his screwdriver when he scarpered and why he'd turned on the ignition before thinking about the disc lock. :confused1:

Still, BMW's ****est security device worked regardless of if you used key or screw driver and I thought the driver might have other uses (like giving it's original owner something to think about everytime he sat down!).

I keep the spare key under the battery on the Triumph. Thing is, the battery isn't where Triumph left it

Andy
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  #40  
Old 28 May 2008
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Where do you hide your keys?
Hmmm, I had often wondered why off-road riders rode standing up.... Now I know!



On a more helpful note:
You could disguise it as something else... If your CDI is not visible, for example, you could fashion a fake one, under the seat or a panel and keeep them in there?
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  #41  
Old 29 May 2008
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Get a couple of copies cut and enlarge the holes to take a bolt / screw. The key then gets used as a washer somewhere out of sight.
Last edited by Big Yellow Tractor; 16 Jun 2008 at 08:35.
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  #42  
Old 15 Jun 2008
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Great ideas.
Dam, i feel like a fool. There was i keeping it in my pocket. What would have happened if i had lost my bike-pants.
Mental note: Buy zip-ties, gaffer tape, plastic bottles, welding torch, string, other tapes.
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  #43  
Old 8 Jul 2008
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Smile spare key
There are many things to hide the spare key.
1) Underneath seat foam of your bike.
2) Taped to the under the license plate.
3) Under the battery.
4) Leave one copy of the key at home.
5) If you ride with others keep the key with each other.
Last edited by amonil; 11 Jul 2008 at 10:54.
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  #44  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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Nice tips in here. Just wanted to mention (because I'm the sort of person to do it)...do not hide your spare key where a key is required to acess it, i.e. under the seat on some bikes, etc.

Cheers,
Sean
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  #45  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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On a lanyard round my neck never take it off.
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