Motorcycle mistakes you only make once... and ones you make all the time...

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Along the same lines, leaving a zipper open on my jacket/tail bag/backpack. Luckily I haven't lost anything yet, but a friend lost his entire keyring (house, car, etc.) and we spent a couple hours riding up and down Concession Road 10 and the 35/115 looking for them because some of them he didn't have spares for. Never found them.
 
Relax said:
Along the same lines, leaving a zipper open on my jacket/tail bag/backpack. Luckily I haven't lost anything yet, but a friend lost his entire keyring (house, car, etc.) and we spent a couple hours riding up and down Concession Road 10 and the 35/115 looking for them because some of them he didn't have spares for. Never found them.
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I lost a key ring one winter and it had everything including the safety deposit box key. I found it on the gravel parking lot at work in the spring when the snow had melted.
 
Only did it once:
Not opening the sliding barn door at least half way to ride the bike out WITH the side cases installed.

Do it frequently:
Set small tools and parts down on uneven surfaces on the bike instead of the bench or tool cart. I always think, "It's only for a moment" then spend 5,10,or 15 minutes trying to fish the bolt/nut or part out of a previously unexplored crevasse on the bike.
 
Only did it once:
Purchased a brand new bike for the first time. Nervous of theft, I put a disc lock on it. Forgot about it one day, rolled it back and put a crack in my fender. Devastated! 6 months later it was stolen (even more devastated), so somebody else's issue I guess.

Do it frequently:
One bike has a key and one has a fob, so I do get stung by the "key in the pocket after fully geared up" bug every now and again. (shakes head at self)
 
oioioi said:
One of the guys I ride with rides with his keys in the top case lock quite often. Last ride his top case was actually opened and it never bothered him.


I also find it annoying that every time I want to open my top case I have to remove the keys from the ignition.
I use one of my spare Givi keys and put it to a detachable tether. It's attached to my top case with the key in the lock. I'm not worried of it coming out and I know it's there all the time. I can remove it from the tether if I'm walking away from the bike.
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I found that if you keep the key in the Givi top box slightly turned, it will not come out. I rode all summer with it that way. The tether idea is even better! I will do that too. I don't like keys flying around in the ignition with a key ring/chain, so leave it unattached. Half the time I forget it there, but no one wants to steal it. LOL
 
Scuba Steve said:
I only have the ignition key for the bike on me and don't lock the top box everything else house etc has a keypad lock no keys.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
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All of my vehicle keys are solo. I can't stand the avoidable scratches on the triple from key rings, or the jangling of keys hanging off a car ignition (doesn't sound quite as nice as a dry clutch).
 
Sunday Rider said:
I found that if you keep the key in the Givi top box slightly turned, it will not come out. I rode all summer with it that way. The tether idea is even better! I will do that too. I don't like keys flying around in the ignition with a key ring/chain, so leave it unattached. Half the time I forget it there, but no one wants to steal it. LOL
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I only have 1 additonal key on the bike key ring. Iginitoin key and Givi key (1 Givi key for all 6 of my Givi cases) .
If I had the Givi key seperate from the Ignition key, I know I would loose it or as I call it "misplace" it.

I only loose things when the wife puts things away for me. (she doenst touch any of my motorcycle stuff though)
 
One thing I ALWAYS do is check the luggage that it’s all locked up and secure.

There’s an inner liner from my jacket somewhere on Allan Rd that left my case 10 years ago.
 
mimico_polak said:
One thing I ALWAYS do is check the luggage that it’s all locked up and secure.

There’s an inner liner from my jacket somewhere on Allan Rd that left my case 10 years ago.
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I do as well.
But it was annoying if I found an opened and they key was in the ignition. Hence the key on a tether.
 
Biggest mistake I ever made was getting on the gas with a brand new set of tires. I had changed the tires on my ST1300 for an upcoming trip to New Orleans . Normally I would have taken it straight out onto the road and scrubbed them in but for whatever reason I didn’t. A week later I loaded up my bike, pulled out my driveway and about 30 feet into my road-trip I was going sideways and 40 feet into my trip the bike was lying on the ground. It was like there was grease on my tires. First and only time in over 40 years that I went down on the street. I picked my bike up and rode to New Orleans, Damage was minimal, I replaced a $50 part and it was good as new. Total beginner mistake, I should have known better.
 
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Sunday Rider said:
I don't like keys flying around in the ignition with a key ring/chain, so leave it unattached. Half the time I forget it there, but no one wants to steal it. LOL
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Steal what, the bike or just the key? I'm not worried about anyone wanting to steal my ST because of it's age and the fact that there is 198K km showing on the clock, so not enough value for a thief. However, I would be worried that some jerk would take the key and then I couldn't ride home because I don't carry a spare key with me on short daily rides.
 
Malks said:
Steal what, the bike or just the key? I'm not worried about anyone wanting to steal my ST because of it's age and the fact that there is 198K km showing on the clock, so not enough value for a thief. However, I would be worried that some jerk would take the key and then I couldn't ride home because I don't carry a spare key with me on short daily rides.
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The bike. When I used to commute with it, I left the key in it at least a dozen times and spent so much time looking for the key back to the office see if I dropped it only to come back and find it in the ignition. You are right I never thought about someone taking the key. I only take the duplicate with me on long trips. Mine has 125,000 miles, so not worth much to someone else.
 
nobbie48 said:
It's tricky but I was able to lock my keys in the bike once. Fueling the wing with the little door open I set the keys inside the little false tank area. When I finished, I slapped the door shut. I can't recall how I got it open.
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On a scooter you can put stuff in the under seat storage, close the seat, and **** yourself.

I got it open by taking the bus home, getting my spare key, and going all the way back to my bike.... Broke student, couldn't afford taxis. Took almost two hours.
 
adri said:
On a scooter you can put stuff in the under seat storage, close the seat, and **** yourself.

I got it open by taking the bus home, getting my spare key, and going all the way back to my bike.... Broke student, couldn't afford taxis. Took almost two hours.
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I think I got around to carrying a spare key in my wallet. That came after my wife had to drive across the city to bring me her key.
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