Cruiser and Touring Motorcycle Keys: Bags, Forks, Fobs

Quick answerYes, keys for cruisers and touring bikes can be replaced, and on most of them it is a mechanical job because the key is a plain cut or barrel key. What sets these bikes apart is the number of locks: a separate fork lock, saddlebags, a trunk or Tour-Pak and sometimes glove boxes. Many Harley-Davidsons and Indian's big bikes add a fob with a PIN backup, and the fob itself is assigned by the dealer while the keys and locks can be handled where the bike is parked.

More locks than any other kind of bike

A sport bike has an ignition, a seat lock and a fuel cap. A full dresser can have an ignition switch, a fork lock, two saddlebags, a trunk, fairing glove boxes and a fuel door. Every one of those is a chance for a key to stop matching after a repair, a parts swap or twenty years of wear.

So the first question on a cruiser key job is not only which key you lost, but which locks it worked. A quick walk around the bike with any key you still have, noting what turns and what does not, saves time for everyone.

Barrel keys and flat keys

Harley-Davidson's big twins use a round barrel key, which looks nothing like an ordinary motorcycle key. Harley's dealer lock and key guide lists barrel keys for 1991 and later models, while Sportsters and the Street 500 and 750 use flat keys with their own code ranges. The code is stamped on the key head, hidden under the black plastic cover on covered keys, and codes on 2012 and later barrel keys end in HD.

That code matters on a Harley because the factory will build individual replacement locks to it. The same dealer guide explains that keyed-to-match ignition switches, fork locks, saddlebag locks and Tour-Pak locks are built to order for the models and years it lists, and that they are non-returnable. If you have the code, write it down away from the bike. If you do not, a Harley dealer can look it up from the VIN, or a key can be made from the lock.

Metric cruisers such as the Honda Shadow, Rebel and Fury, Yamaha V Star and Bolt, Kawasaki Vulcan and Suzuki Boulevard use ordinary flat cut keys with no chip on US-market bikes. So do the Victory cruisers and baggers and Indian's Scout through 2024. From 2025 the Scout has a keyed ignition or a keyless one depending on trim.

The fork lock is often its own lock

On many cruisers the steering lock is not part of the ignition switch, which sits on the side of the engine or frame. Instead there is a small lock on the steering head.

Harley's Softail owner's manual puts the fork lock in the steering head on the right side, worked by the same barrel key. On Harley Touring models it depends on the front end. With a fairing, the fork lock is integrated into the ignition switch knob. Without one, as on a Road King, it is a separate lock at the steering head. Honda's Shadow VT750C manual also describes a separate steering lock that takes the ignition key.

Some older cruisers went further. Suzuki's Intruder VS1400 manual says the bike comes with two pairs of keys, one for the ignition switch and one for the steering lock. If a used cruiser came with a mystery key, try it in the fork lock before throwing it out. A fork lock that is stuck locked keeps the bike from being ridden or loaded straight, so mention it when you call.

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Saddlebags, trunks and Tour-Paks

Luggage locks are the most common reason a touring rider ends up with two or three keys. Factory luggage usually starts life on the ignition key. Harley's Touring owner's manual says to use the ignition key to lock or unlock the Tour-Pak latch handle, and the saddlebags lock with the key as well. Honda's 2010 Gold Wing manual says the travel trunk and saddlebags lock and unlock with the ignition key or the remote transmitter, and that they relock after thirty seconds if you unlock them remotely and open nothing. On the Victory Vision, one key works the ignition, fuel door, saddlebag doors and trunk.

Things drift apart later. A replacement bag from a parts bike, an accessory Tour-Pak or aftermarket hard bags arrive with their own keys. That can usually be put right by rekeying or replacing the lock so it matches your main key, which our guide to one key for all locks covers in more detail.

Make	Starting	Luggage and fork lock
Harley-Davidson Touring, 2007 and later	Switch knob locked with the barrel key; fob and PIN where the security system is fitted	Barrel key for the saddlebags and Tour-Pak
Harley-Davidson Softail, 2018 and later	Keyless: hands-free fob or PIN	Barrel key for the fork lock
Harley-Davidson Softail through 2017	Switch locked with the barrel key; fob only if the security system is fitted	Separate fork lock on the barrel key
Harley-Davidson Sportster through 2022	Flat key; fob only if the security system is fitted	Separate fork lock on the same flat key
Indian Chieftain, Roadmaster, Challenger, Pursuit	Fob or rider PIN	Saddlebags and trunk lock electronically from the fob
Indian Scout through 2024	Cut key	Key number on a metal tag on the key ring
Honda Gold Wing, 2010	Ignition key	Trunk and saddlebags on the ignition key or remote
Honda Gold Wing, 2018 and later	Honda Smart Key fob	The fob also releases the saddlebags, travel trunk and fairing pocket
Metric cruisers and Victory	Plain cut key	Fork or steering lock often separate

Fobs and PINs on Harley-Davidson and Indian

Harley-Davidson's hands-free fob belongs to the H-D Smart Security System, which arrived for the 2007 model year and is standard or optional depending on the model, year and market. Touring models keep a switch knob locked with the barrel key, and Softails went fully keyless with the 2018 platform. On a bike with the system, a lost or dead fob is not a tow, because the owner's manual explains how to disarm it with your five digit PIN. The security module holds two fobs, and a Harley-Davidson technician assigns new ones.

Indian's Chief, Chieftain, Roadmaster, Challenger and Pursuit are keyless. The dealer supplies a master PIN with the bike, you change it to your own rider PIN, and only an Indian dealer can pair a fob. Yamaha's Star Venture and Eluder use a smart key fob with an emergency code card.

For the owner, the split is simple. The fob is a dealer item. The barrel key, the fork lock, the saddlebag and trunk locks and the ignition switch itself are mechanical, and those are what a mobile locksmith handles at the bike. Find your PIN record today, before you need it in a parking lot.

What to have ready

Make, model and year, and whether the bike starts with a key or a fob
A list of the locks on the bike and which ones your remaining keys work
The key code stamped on the key, or on the metal tag for an Indian Scout, if you have it
Your PIN on Harley-Davidson and Indian models with a fob
Photo ID and registration or title in your name
Whether the fork is currently locked

Quick questions

What is a Harley barrel key?

It is the round, tubular key Harley-Davidson uses on its big twin models. Harley's dealer guide lists barrel keys for 1991 and later models, with the code stamped on the key head.

Does the ignition key open the saddlebags and trunk?

On factory luggage, usually yes. Harley's Touring manual has the ignition key working the Tour-Pak latch, and Honda's 2010 Gold Wing manual has it working the trunk and saddlebags. Replaced or aftermarket bags often have their own key.

I lost the key to my fork lock but the bike starts with a fob. What now?

That is a mechanical key job. A key can be made for the fork lock at the bike, and it is worth doing before the fork is ever locked with no key to open it.

Can a locksmith replace my Harley or Indian fob?

No. Both makers have their dealers assign or pair fobs. Your PIN keeps you riding in the meantime, and we handle the keys and locks.

Do metric cruisers have chip keys?

On US-market bikes, generally not. Shadows, Rebels, V Stars, Bolts, Vulcans and Boulevards use plain cut keys, so a new key is cut and fitted with no programming. An imported bike can differ, so check the owner's manual for an immobilizer section.

Services that can help

Key details by make

Keep reading

One Key for All Your Motorcycle Locks: Keying AlikeA motorcycle that needs different keys for the ignition, fuel cap and seat has almost always had a lock replaced.
Motorcycle Key Fob and Keyless Ignition ProblemsMost keyless motorcycle problems come down to a weak fob battery, a fob the bike is not reading, a damaged fob or a lost one.
Trike and Three-Wheeler Keys: Harley, Can-Am, TrunksKeys and locks on trikes can be replaced, but who does which part depends on the machine.
How to Find Your Motorcycle Key CodeA motorcycle key code is a short number or letter-number code that tells a locksmith or dealer how to cut a key for your locks.
Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Keys: Codes, Blanks, WearA key can usually be made for a vintage motorcycle even when no original survives, because these are plain mechanical locks with no chip.

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Page last updated November 14, 2026.