Where are my... keys!

[akima]

On Thursday, just before leaving work, I began my end of work ritual by changing into my motorcycle gear. Doing so, I noticed my bike keys weren't in their usual place. I searched through my bag and all my pockets but failed to find them. I suddenly had this nightmarish vision that I had left them in my bike for the day. Those keys dangling from the ignition baiting someone to steal it. There would be no way the bike was still there if I had done that, but it didn't stop me bursting out of the shop doors, cursing and sprinting down the street in the direction of my bike. I got a few funny looks: I guess seeing a half dressed biker running down the street with a helmet in one hand, a bag in the other and a look of panic across her face will invoke 'funny looks'. I approached the final corner before the road that my bike was parked on and by which point my mental visualization an empty space where my beautiful Ninjette should be was vivid and felt real. Insurance wouldn't pay out for that kind of negligence. I shaved off some speed and came to a stop on the corner to find...

It was still there! My beautiful, green Ninja was still there! * wipes sweat from forehead *

I walked back to my workplace giving the people in the cafes another chance to gawk at the crazy girl and after some rummaging about (and some more cursing), I found my keys.

I'm normally pretty careful when locking up my bike and leaving it, but now I've had that experience I'll be triple checking. If I loose my bike then that's it. No more riding for a long time.

Have any of you ever left your keys in your bike or had an experience similar to mine?

-Lola Rennt

[WhiteRice]

Boosted139 and I stopped for lunch after a ride. We were getting ready to leave until we realized there was a bike dealer right next door. I started walking toward it and Boosted139 mentioned that I might want to remove my key before someone rode off on my ninja.

[nickjpass]

I hate losing track of stuff!!

I'm glad no creepers took it

[akima]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

I'm glad no creepers took it

lol. Damn those creepers! They're everywhere these days!

You seen this music video nick?

[Trailerboy531]

I have walked away with the thing still on once or twice.... Didn't get much farther than 5-10ft though.

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by akima

lol. Damn those creepers! They're everywhere these days!

You seen this music video nick?

Creepy...



Yes. I've watched it. Although, I don't think I'm allowed to. My parents let me ride a motorcycle, but not watch "The Creep"

[Ytse Frobozz]

I've left the key in it once or twice in my driveway, but I don't remember leaving it in when I park it away from home. Usually when I park somewhere, I put the helmet on the hook, so I have to unlock the seat, and it's pretty much impossible for me not to see the key right there in front of my hand when I push the seat back down. When I go to work I take my helmet with me, but I think I'm just lucky that I never forget to take it out then. One thing I do all the time is when I go into my house, I hang my jacket up on the hook in my enclosed porch, with the key still in the jacket pocket. Then when I want to go for a ride, I search high and low for my key, only to find it still in my jacket.

[Mr.E]

Originally Posted by akima

Where are my... keys!

[KawiKid860]

and a look of panic across her face

I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE A GIRL!!! I mean.... cool story.....

[akima]

Originally Posted by Mr.E

lol, I think I like your [strange] sense of humour

[Mr.E]

Originally Posted by akima

lol, I think I like your [strange] sense of humour

I think its the squirrel pic that brings out the strange in me. lol. If it makes you feel better, Moldbuster has a picture of what seems like a caveman to me. If he had posted the same, I probably would've posted a cave. Lol.

As for the actual OP, I often find myself leaving my key on my seat. I dont get too far before I turn around. I take it out of the ignition and place it on the seat, then my gloves on top of it, then my helmet on top of them, so I can unzip my jacket and get comfortable. I like to grab everything but my key, so Im making it a habit to check twice or to place my key in my pocket before anything.

I used to be like "Wtf, why do these idiots leave their key? They wouldnt do that in a car, so why on a bike?" pre-ninjette. But after I picked up my bike, I find myself being the idiot I talked about. (No offense to anyone lol.).

[Mountain Dew]

The first time I rode my bike to campus, I left the keys in the ignition. Everything thought I was kinda crazy when I yelled "oh ****!" and burst out the door.

Other than that, I believe I left my keys in my 74 CB550 in a park-and-ride. No one stole the bike, but I'm pretty sure someone tried to. It was sitting there because it didn't run and that's where I parked my Jeep, which I needed to get home quickly (the jeep), so I had the bike towed from the dealer to there. I had planned on coming back for it later in the day because I thought I had the solution to make it work. But it didn't happen.
I'm sure the would-be thief was like "who the hell parks a broken bike here with the keys still in it?
Needless to say, the keys were missing. But that's just my speculation.

[gfloyd2002]

I've totally done this. Went a whole day at work once, and another time during a haircut left 'em in for about an hour (in a dodgy neighborhood I might add). Bike still there both times, but made me feel like a senile old man to forget.

I think it happens when my normal routine is broken, and I have a ton of stuff to arrange when I get off the bike. Gloves go here, tank bag here, pull off my oversuit, helmet off, gloves in helmet, oversuit over shoulder . . .

[sombo]

At my old apartment I think this happened more than once. I would put my key in the side to unlock the seat for the tool bag, then work on the bike on the other side of it from the key. After getting done, put the tools back, put the seat back, walk away forgetting the keys were still in the side of the bike. I would remember later and go out to get them of course. Only once when I was at work did I forget my key in the ignition. But luckily where I work the parking lot is a bit private, the motorcycle area is secluded (small area next to building behind a dumpster lol) and they have security cameras around.

I can't help it, but you made me think of this:

Link to original page on YouTube.

[akima]

I'm not having very good luck. Last night while I was asleep someone stole my mountain bike from right outside my house. It was an expensive bike: hydraulic disks, marzocchi forks and lots of custom components

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by sombo

walk away forgetting the keys were still in the side of the bike.

I have torn my house and garage apart, searching for my keys because I did this. I have come out from a store/mall/eats and rummaged through each pocket multiple times while in the parking lot because of this. The key might be there right now

[Alex]

Originally Posted by akima

Last night while I was asleep someone stole my mountain bike from right outside my house.

Thieves suck!

[akima]

Originally Posted by Alex

Thieves suck!

Yeah they do. My blood starts boiling whenever I think about the bastard who stole it. I was actually asking around town last week to see if any of the bike shops were interested in buying it from me: I need the money. Makes me angry that I worked to buy that bike and someone else has come along and taken it from me when I need it.

* sigh *

[gfloyd2002]

Bike theft is often covered by your homeowner's insurance policy. Worth a call to the agent if the bike is worth more than the deductible, which it sounds like it would be.

[akima]

I don't have home insurance at the moment. I don't have that many possessions worth insuring - it would probably end up costing me more in the long run. My Ninjette is the one big exception, but I do have theft insurance for that. I think I probably should have had my mountain bike insured just by itself and maybe my computer; not the whole house. Live and learn.

[nickjpass]

I'm sorry...sounded like a really nice bike.

[OGjackafidy]

when the bike is in my garage i leave the key in the ignition. you cant get new keys cut without the duplicate so im not willing to have to put in a new ignition so i figure if somebody is gonna be willing to break in to my garage and steal my bike its really not going to matter whether or not the keys are there their gonna take it regardless. when i go places i have only left my keys once because i was in a hurry and forgot.

[akima]

Originally Posted by OGjackafidy

when the bike is in my garage i leave the key in the ignition. you cant get new keys cut without the duplicate so im not willing to have to put in a new ignition so i figure if somebody is gonna be willing to break in to my garage and steal my bike its really not going to matter whether or not the keys are there their gonna take it regardless. when i go places i have only left my keys once because i was in a hurry and forgot.

Make sure your insurance company will still pay out even if the bike is stolen with keys in the ignition. I'm pretty sure some companies wouldn't pay at in that scenario (in the UK at least).

[423yjl]

I have left my keys in my ninjette for 2 or 3 days, and I live in a condo. So no garage and alot of people could have walked by. Wow, I felt lucky nothing happened.

Sorry to hear about your bike.

[Boom King]

Buy a Xena disc lock as extra insurance for these type of forgetful moments. Of course, before you ride your bike, don't forget to take off that disc lock. A reminder cable is also good for this.

[akima]

Originally Posted by Boom King

Buy a Xena disc lock as extra insurance for these type of forgetful moments. Of course, before you ride your bike, don't forget to take off that disc lock. A reminder cable is also good for this.

I have one and it's great! It's an alarmed one. I'm not sure how that would help me remember my keys though?

[Boom King]

It doesn't. It just means it won't be a simple of case of someone finding your bike with the key in the ignition, starting it up and riding away. They have to deal with the audible alarm as well.

[DarC]

I've done the same thing before realizing that I had locked my key.....under the seat cowl. 45 minutes later the rear was disassembled enough to recover my key

And this was done without breaking anything much to my surprise!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by DarC

I've done the same thing before realizing that I had locked my key.....under the seat cowl. 45 minutes later the rear was disassembled enough to recover my key

Funny. On an R6 I owned, I didn't have the key on a keychain, so it was a loose single key. I dropped it into the tail section as well, and it found its way all the way down the crevices of the bike to underneath the seat (not a normal storage area). I was riding with a guy who owned a Yamaha dealership though, so it only took him a few moments to get to the right area and retrieve the key. I was afraid we'd have to turn the bike upside down and shake it.

[Jiggles]

When I first got my bike I constantly left my keys in the ignition. I felt so dumb Now I have a habitual system of locking my steering wheel and pocketing my key before I do anything else. Problem solved

[DarC]

Originally Posted by Alex

Funny. On an R6 I owned, I didn't have the key on a keychain, so it was a loose single key. I dropped it into the tail section as well, and it found its way all the way down the crevices of the bike to underneath the seat (not a normal storage area). I was riding with a guy who owned a Yamaha dealership though, so it only took him a few moments to get to the right area and retrieve the key. I was afraid we'd have to turn the bike upside down and shake it.

LOL, done that too, . I now make a conscious effort to keep small things away, far away, from an open tail section. The tail on the RC is cavernous and I have lost many a nuts, crimps, keys, insurance cards, small children, etc. It's always off with the tail so that they don't cook on the rear cylinder/exhaust.

[nickjpass]

Small children

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by akima

lol. Damn those creepers! They're everywhere these days!

You seen this music video nick?

!!

That's hilarious Akima!

Yes I lost my one Kawasaki key the first week I had my bike. Scared the heck out of me! So I went to a locksmith to make me a copy. Now I carry the copy, and keep the original at home. That way, if I do lose it, I can still start the bike. Plus, my original doesn't wear down and will be good to make copies from if need be

[akima]

Originally Posted by Alex

I was afraid we'd have to turn the bike upside down and shake it.

LOL, so these are the kind of things a skilled mechanic thinks of when faced with a problem

[Kevin2109]

Ive left my keys in my bike over night before. Always really scary and stupid

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by Mr.E

I keep clicking and nothing is happening!

[Heed]

maybe a good reason to always turn your bike off with your key instead of your kill switch just so you remember to take it out every time (Just in case)

[Meltoff]

I once left my keys sitting on my seat in the public parking lot while I was at work. I always put them in my jacket pocket first thing after getting off the bike, an ever since I left them out I occasionally feel sudden dread I have done it again and immediately check my jacket pocket. It's such a strong impulse I cannot think of anything else until I have made sure they are secure.

[akima]

Glad to hear none of you key-negligent folk have had your bikes stolen.

[jdoucet93]

I did it at home depot like 4 hours ago.... I didn't realize iI didn't have my keys until I came back outside and saw the key still in the ignition. haha oops....