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So you think keyless is great?


AndyS

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Here's what happened this weekend:

I went to a neighboring town (25 miles from home) on Sunday morning on the bike ('17 RTLE).

After I finished there, I started my ride home. At about 1/2 a mile after my journey started, I noticed the Yellow Triangle and exclamation mark, and below it the key symbol with the question mark. I foolishly ignored it because this has happened before when the remote fob was in my pocket, masked (I believe by my phone), so I didn't give it a second thought.

Shortly after this, I stopped at some traffic lights, and as is (now) my custom, I left the bike in 1st but hit the kill switch [i can't bear that crunch into 1st gear] but with the ignition left on. Lights turned green, I hit the start button, dropped the clutch and off I went. Anyhow, about 3 miles later, I was way too hot, so stopped to take a layer off. Same procedure, 'kill' the engine in 1st gear. Ignition left on. I popped the clothes in the top box and then jumped on my bike. Hit the start button....nothing. Checked my side stand up, yep, it was. Still, nothing. Clicked the bike into neutral and tried again...nothing. So pushed the ignition 'off' button and then pushed again to turn it back on again...Oh, no! nothing at all. The bike was now totally shut down.

I went through all my clothing checking for the remote fob and all to no avail. I pushed the bike to a slightly safer location and then started my way back to my start location. EVENTUALLY I got back to where I had started my bike first time and started searching for the key. My lovely Son-in Law, turned up on his bike and he let me ride it (as I knew where I had been). We SLOWLY navigated back to where my bike was marooned with a hope of spotting the fob on the ground somewhere. Nada!

We then went back to my house and picked up the grey plastic emergency key and retrieved my bike. I retraced my route again, and still no sign of the fob.

Here's the thing. If the bike had shut down where it lost the key, I may well have found it. But to only stop once I tried to restart the beast seems crazy.

 

Here's the bottom line. I COULD have really been in the wilderness with no on to call on.

PLEASE CARRY YOUR SPARE EMERGENCY KEY SOMEWHERE THAT IS ON THE BIKE/HELMET ALL THE TIME.

 

If I had an ignition key, this COULD NOT happen.

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I'm anal/obsessive. I admit it. Before I get moving, I'm doing a pocket check. Right coat pocket has my keyless key. Left coat pocket has my hearing aides. I double check those zippers are closed. Inside coat has wallet.

 

Then down to my pants pocket. Left usually has my phone. If it's hot out, right pants pocket will get key fob and/or wallet if no coat.

 

So for me, I would have just as likely lost my physical key as I would have the keyless fob. But since the fob is bigger, I would have more likely found it in a pocket check.

 

On trips, I do bring the plastic key with. I need to find a better place to hide it though. I'll be looking into the forum suggestions. Easy to get to, but hidden so the average guy doesn't know what it is.

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No you wouldn't. If you had a key, the key HAS to be in the ignition before you move.

 

BUT, let's say you have a hole in your jacket pocket and the key slips out...then what?

 

Be as ANAL as you want, I am telling you it can (and did) happen.

 

Be careful, carry that emergency key somewhere on your bike / helmet.

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When I rode my old bike with a physical key, the key went into the same pocket. If said pocket had a hole, I would have just as likely lost either key.

 

Me doing the Macerana every time before mounting has worked for me. But I do agree keeping the backup key handy is important.

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greiffster

Yeah, it seems like everyone gets burned by keyless (car or bike) eventually. You know, you drive the spouse somewhere and drop them off. Then get home and realize they have the key on them. That kind of thing.

 

I still don't really get the convenience? Inserting a key and twisting seems pretty easy. I do get aggravated when I jump on my (keyed) bike and I've left the key in my pants pocket. I just can't get that thing out of my pocket with out dismounting the bike and taking off the gloves. Other than that?

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Yup, the downside of keyless. My GSA is keyed, but I still never get on the bike without two keys. It's just a habit I got into some time ago.

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szurszewski
When I rode my old bike with a physical key, the key went into the same pocket. If said pocket had a hole, I would have just as likely lost either key.

 

Me doing the Macerana every time before mounting has worked for me. But I do agree keeping the backup key handy is important.

 

I think the point was that you wouldn't have been able to ride away without the "key" and couldn't have lost it while you were riding if you had to put a key into an ignition. If he was able to start the bike he must have had - or been very near - the key/fob at "take off" and then because separated from it later.

 

Yeah, it seems like everyone gets burned by keyless (car or bike) eventually. You know, you drive the spouse somewhere and drop them off. Then get home and realize they have the key on them. That kind of thing.

 

I still don't really get the convenience? Inserting a key and twisting seems pretty easy. I do get aggravated when I jump on my (keyed) bike and I've left the key in my pants pocket. I just can't get that thing out of my pocket with out dismounting the bike and taking off the gloves. Other than that?

 

It is nice when you're getting in/out of the car frequently to not have to mess with the key, but I don't know how much it'd be willing to pay "extra" for it. Of course, I used to say that about power windows....

 

 

 

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I've accidentally left my fob in my coat pocket and put the coat into the saddlebags. I couldn't start the bike with the fob just that far back. And since I don't have central locking, I couldn't lock the coat in the bags. That's as close as I've got.

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greiffster

Of course, I used to say that about power windows....

You'll have to pry the heated steering wheel out of my (un)cold dead hands.

 

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Thanks Andy for the reminder. I never leave home without it. I know many people hide a key on their bike where no one could possibly find it. :) I'll tell you where my secret hiding spot is because I'm sure no one will possibly see it on this public website. My key is not on the bike.....it's not on me.....wait for it. It's in my helmet. Yes I know you have to be careful where you place it in the helmet so it doesn't create a hole in your head on crash. First my key is plastic so my hard head would likely break the key...and I've thought about the different ways I could fall and I believe I've placed the key in such a way that it would be virtually impossible for it to poke me in the head.

 

 

Since I never ride without my helmet...and I mean never....and since I take my helmet in even when I go get water...I think it's unlikely a thief will find my spare key....Shsshhh though I would hate to have anyone know where it is. :)

 

Edited by Skywagon
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It's quite simple on the RT to leave the key in one of the little storage pockets on top. YMMV

 

Be careful if you have central locking...those cubbies do lock. If you lose the key while the bike is locked, you wouldn't be able to access your extra key.

 

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I found a relatively flat spot on the underside of the front fender. I cleaned that area with lacquer thinner, scuffed it with coarse sand paper, and epoxied a piece of steel plate. I bought a magnetic key holder and put my spare there.

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And THIS is why I got my 2016 RT without keyless and central locking

 

I bought my bike as a demo with 600 miles on it, so it already had the features. I agree with you...they are not features I would have ordered.

 

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I do have Keyless Ride on my '15RT, it came on the bike but wasn't something I particularly wanted. Since then I have come to like central locking particularly running errands around town. Is it worth the extra $1K, probably not, and it is actually only a half keyless ride, unlike Kwasaki's system that locks and unlocks the bike on proximity.

 

I now see at the dealer RT's with all the extras except Keyless Ride, so maybe the consumer votes are coming in as not interested.

 

By the way my plastic spare lives in of my over stuffed wallet, right behind the folded and crumpled receipts wadded in the corner of the cash fold.

 

Regards,

George Costanza

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When i take road trips in any vehicle, I always carry a spare key just in case. If my wife is with me, i give her the spare to reduce the probability of failure. Unfortunately, it did not work on a certain road trip to NC. At a stop in a state park, I was wading in a stream with my hands in my pockets when I slipped on a mossy rock. My hands flew out to balance myself and with it the keys to my Ram. I searched the stream but couldn't find my keys. No worries I said, I have a spare. But my wife left it in the truck. Duh! 1 hour and $60 later, I was on my way again.

 

After that, I always check with her if she has the spare.

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Rider1200RT
It's quite simple on the RT to leave the key in one of the little storage pockets on top. YMMV

 

Be careful if you have central locking...those cubbies do lock. If you lose the key while the bike is locked, you wouldn't be able to access your extra key.

 

How would you lose the key when it is in that pocket?? :lurk: I am talking about the key FOB...

Edited by Rider1200RT
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It's quite simple on the RT to leave the key in one of the little storage pockets on top. YMMV

 

Be careful if you have central locking...those cubbies do lock. If you lose the key while the bike is locked, you wouldn't be able to access your extra key.

 

How would you lose the key when it is in that pocket?? :lurk: I am talking about the key FOB...

 

Are you talking about your spare key? If you're talking about the FOB, you also don't want to keep it on the bike when you're not riding. This causes the key and the bike to stay in constant communication and it will prematurely wear out the FOB battery.

 

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It's quite simple on the RT to leave the key in one of the little storage pockets on top. YMMV

 

Be careful if you have central locking...those cubbies do lock. If you lose the key while the bike is locked, you wouldn't be able to access your extra key.

 

How would you lose the key when it is in that pocket?? :lurk: I am talking about the key FOB...

 

Are you talking about your spare key? If you're talking about the FOB, you also don't want to keep it on the bike when you're not riding. This causes the key and the bike to stay in constant communication and it will prematurely wear out the FOB battery.

 

Is this behavior confirmed? Doesn't the bike only send out a search signal when the start button is pushed and the fob responds? The alternative behavior is that the fob and the bike are attempting connections almost constantly, testing whether the fob is in range or not. I keep my fob hidden in the garage where my bike is and after 2 years the fob has the original battery.

 

My BMW car fob is kept in a room adjacent to the driveway where my car is parked and is always within range and able to unlock doors/lower windows, etc. and it's still on its original fob battery after several years. I suppose the car is constantly communicating with the fob?

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Rider1200RT

For clarification, I keep the spare in my wallet and the key FOB either in the tank bag or the cubby on the left, depending if I bring the tank bag or not.

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My BMW car fob is kept in a room adjacent to the driveway where my car is parked and is always within range and able to unlock doors/lower windows, etc. and it's still on its original fob battery after several years. I suppose the car is constantly communicating with the fob?

 

I"m going by what my dealer told me when I bought the bike. It has to be in very close proximity to the bike (i.e. stored in the bike or on your person when sitting on the bike) before the bike and the FOB start communicating with each other. I've noticed if I walk just a couple of feet from the bike when it's running, I get the warning that the key is not in close enough proximity, which would suggest they will cease to communicate with each other.

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I had an "interesting" experience with keyless ignition in my Honda HR-V last year. My wife and I had gone to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta. I normally wear a camera on a case attached to my belt. I also carry the keyless thing on a fob that also attaches to my belt. When we were through and got back to the car, I unlocked the rear hatch, undid my belt, got in the car with my wife, then drove back to the hotel we were staying at.

 

About 10 minutes later, I went down to the car to retrieve something I had left in it. The car was locked and wouldn't open. WTF?

 

After thinking about it, I realized the fob must have slipped off my belt when I took off the camera case, but because my wife was in the car, it operated for me. I borrowed my wife's "key" and dashed back to the Delta museum, which had just closed, but after I banged on the door, someone opened it. I explained my situation, and left a note about the lost key. I spent about 15 minutes searching the parking lot in the vicinity of where we had parked. No key.

 

I got back in the car, and at the exit from the Delta campus, I stopped at the security kiosk to make another report of what had happened. There was my key, on the guard's desk! Someone had spotted it on the tarmac and turned it in.

 

I'm still a huge fan of keyless ignitions, and will never buy another car with a keyed ignition, but this was a teachable moment.

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And THIS is why I got my 2016 RT without keyless and central locking

 

Some friends and I were discussing these features yesterday. Exactly what problem did they solve?! I also understand that techs have a hard time repairing locking case issues.

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And THIS is why I got my 2016 RT without keyless and central locking

Special ordered mine without these also. Just didn't see any need other than avoiding potential problems.

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This is my least favorite feature on the modern BMW's. Like Indy Dave, I see no real problem we solved.

 

Ducati makes it a bit more tolerable in that you can enter a PIN code to start the bike if you lose the key, forget the key, FOB dies, etc. The problem with the Ducati approach is they don't often include the keyless gas cap with the keyless ignition. This means you could start the bike without the FOB, you just can't put gas in it if you don't have a physical key.

 

Maybe we can combine Ducati's and BMW's approach?

 

I really wish they'd just keep with the very simple key. We need to press the button anyway. Why not just insert the key?

 

 

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I'm still a huge fan of keyless ignitions, and will never buy another car with a keyed ignition, but this was a teachable moment.

 

Wouldn't own a touring bike without it. Every day is a teaching day for me, grandkids are teaching me to use an X Box, much steeper learning curve than a key fob - but what a hoot.

 

Tom

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When I had my RT with keyless ignition, I sewed a tether in the pocket with a clip on the end. Clipped the fob to the tether, which was long enough to reach the seat lock. I'm ATGATT so I always had my gear on, and I always had the fob with me.

 

The only issue was my phone - it seems that the fob and the phone don't play well together. Sometimes the fob wouldn't communicate with the bike. Once I learned to separate them a foot or so I never had an issue.

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My Klim Latitude Jacket has a tether attached to the front upper pocket. I clip my fob to that tether and it is always useful. Like others I always ride with the jacket and the jacket stays with me when away from the bike. This system has worked well on my last 2 bikes. I also keep an extra fob battery on the bike should it start to lose battery power. A warning should be displayed on the instrument panel when the fob battery is weak.

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