Geekay
Member
I think that the OE luggage looks great - i only ride on roads so looks and convenience were high on my criteria and i love that the mounting is so discreet when the cases are off the bike (which is about 49 weeks of the year!) - I also got a cracking deal from my dealer on the 3-piece set so i was sold.
However - i have been very disappointed by the quality of the locks - and i think this is echoed by other owners. They always feel stiff and it always feels like you might twist the key - also the key has to stay in it when it is opened and cos the ignition key is quite long, but the panniers do not accept the whole key, there is always the danger of snapping it off in the lock - not good if you were far from home.
In the dealers today - talking about the recall letter i received (another story) - i was asking about keys - the 660 tenere box looks the same, but isn't and comes with short keys provided (it doesn't use the ignition key!) - but i was asking if they could get "short keys" for our luggage - the guy knew where i was coming from and said that they couldn't get shorter keys but that the ignition key was available as a blank in either 'chipped' (for our ignition immobilisers) or "unchipped" for regular bikes - he suggested that i just get a non-chipped blank key and get it cut.
Ok - so he had a couple and went to price them up - the non-chipped one was £42!! (about $60) he checked again as he said they used to be about £12, but the price was right - £42 - "lets see how much the chipped ones are", he said - expecting them to be ridiculous - they came out at £39! (about $55) - which neither of expected.
anyway - i gave it a miss - but on my way home i called into a home security / locksmith store - i explained the issue to the guy and asked if he could make a shorter key for just the luggage. He took my key round the back to his storeroom and returned with a shorter blank key - it was actually for making Kawasaki keys - said it looked like the grooves and external dimensions were about the same - did i want to try it
so he cut it in the back room - he said it was difficult as he had to start at the tip, not the base as they usually cut a key - but trying it in the luggage it fits perfectly!
This is great - the shorter key actually improves the perception of quality of the locks - odd as it sounds - being closer to the lock barrel when you turn the key (the kawasaki key is a good half inch shorter) actually makes it feel like the key is less likely to bend. I guess it is a feeling as with the standard keys the plastic bit you are holding is an inch away from the lock barrel. So now i'm really pleased.
oh the cost? - a whooping £3.80 (about $6)
the only downside is that was the only kawasaki blank he had - i'l try and get another somewhere else!
However - i have been very disappointed by the quality of the locks - and i think this is echoed by other owners. They always feel stiff and it always feels like you might twist the key - also the key has to stay in it when it is opened and cos the ignition key is quite long, but the panniers do not accept the whole key, there is always the danger of snapping it off in the lock - not good if you were far from home.
In the dealers today - talking about the recall letter i received (another story) - i was asking about keys - the 660 tenere box looks the same, but isn't and comes with short keys provided (it doesn't use the ignition key!) - but i was asking if they could get "short keys" for our luggage - the guy knew where i was coming from and said that they couldn't get shorter keys but that the ignition key was available as a blank in either 'chipped' (for our ignition immobilisers) or "unchipped" for regular bikes - he suggested that i just get a non-chipped blank key and get it cut.
Ok - so he had a couple and went to price them up - the non-chipped one was £42!! (about $60) he checked again as he said they used to be about £12, but the price was right - £42 - "lets see how much the chipped ones are", he said - expecting them to be ridiculous - they came out at £39! (about $55) - which neither of expected.
anyway - i gave it a miss - but on my way home i called into a home security / locksmith store - i explained the issue to the guy and asked if he could make a shorter key for just the luggage. He took my key round the back to his storeroom and returned with a shorter blank key - it was actually for making Kawasaki keys - said it looked like the grooves and external dimensions were about the same - did i want to try it
so he cut it in the back room - he said it was difficult as he had to start at the tip, not the base as they usually cut a key - but trying it in the luggage it fits perfectly!
This is great - the shorter key actually improves the perception of quality of the locks - odd as it sounds - being closer to the lock barrel when you turn the key (the kawasaki key is a good half inch shorter) actually makes it feel like the key is less likely to bend. I guess it is a feeling as with the standard keys the plastic bit you are holding is an inch away from the lock barrel. So now i'm really pleased.
oh the cost? - a whooping £3.80 (about $6)
the only downside is that was the only kawasaki blank he had - i'l try and get another somewhere else!
