Old Town is Goleta's original main street: the stretch of Hollister Avenue east of Fairview Avenue, lined with restaurants, markets, shops and the Goleta Valley Community Center. Streets named for trees, among them Pine, Magnolia, Nectarine and Orange, run off it into a compact neighborhood of houses and apartments. The airport is to the south and Highway 217 passes the east end on its way to UCSB.
It is a working neighborhood where plenty of people get around on a motorcycle or scooter, and a lost key here usually means a missed shift. We are a mobile locksmith that works only on motorcycles and scooters. We come to Old Town to cut a key when none is left, program transponder keys, remove broken keys and fix ignitions and seat locks at the curb. Ownership is checked before any key is made, so have photo ID and registration or title with you.
How Hollister Avenue is laid out now
If you have not parked in Old Town since 2024, it has changed. The City of Goleta restriped Hollister Avenue between Fairview Avenue and Kinman Avenue as an interim project. The street went from two vehicle lanes each way to one lane each way with a painted median and a dedicated bike lane in each direction. The city describes it as a pilot that it is evaluating, so go by the markings and signs you find on the day.
Parking changed with it. The north side of Hollister has back-in angled spaces with a 90 minute limit, and the south side has parallel spaces, also 90 minutes. For a motorcycle the angled spaces are easy to use and easy to be hidden in: a bike parked deep in an angled stall between two trucks cannot be seen by a driver reversing into what looks like an empty space. If your bike is stranded in one, stand it near the traffic end of the stall where it shows.
The 90 minute limit is the thing to watch when a key goes missing. A bike that cannot move is still on the clock.
Off-street options in Old Town
When the street was restriped the city pointed drivers to free public parking just off Hollister, and those lots are the better place for a bike that has to wait. Check the signs at the lot for its current terms.
- The Orange Avenue lot.
- The lot on Carson Street between Orange Avenue and Fairview Avenue.
Road work in Old Town
The restriping is one piece of a larger set of city road projects in and around Old Town, grouped under the name Project Connect. Work of that kind brings detours and lane shifts. If your bike is beyond a closure, tell us which street you used to reach it.
Motorcycle key services in Old Town Goleta
Everything is done at the bike in Old Town Goleta: no tow and no waiting on a dealer order. Tell us the year, make and model and whether you have any key, and we will tell you what the job involves.
- Lost Motorcycle Key, No SpareNo key at all? We make a working key at the bike.Details →
- Motorcycle Key ReplacementNew keys cut by code or from the lock, for all major makes.Details →
- Transponder and Immobilizer Key ProgrammingChip keys and fobs programmed to your immobilizer.Details →
- Motorcycle Key Duplication and Spare KeysA spare now costs far less than a lost only-key later.Details →
- Motorcycle Ignition Repair and ReplacementSticking, worn or damaged ignitions repaired or replaced.Details →
- Broken Motorcycle Key ExtractionSnapped key removed and a new one cut from the pieces.Details →
- Gas Cap, Seat, Steering and Saddlebag LocksGas cap, seat, steering, helmet and saddlebag locks.Details →
Where we come to you in Old Town Goleta
| Areas | Hollister Avenue, Pine Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Nectarine Avenue, Orange Avenue, Kellogg Avenue, Fairview Avenue, Kinman Avenue |
|---|---|
| Common call-out spots | Goleta Valley Community Center on Hollister Avenue, Hollister Avenue back-in angled parking, Orange Avenue public lot, Carson Street public lot, Santa Barbara Airport south of Old Town, Highway 217, Fairview Avenue and Hollister Avenue intersection |
| ZIP codes | 93117 |
Stuck in Old Town Goleta without a key?
Call or text with your year, make, model and where the bike is parked.
Or read first: all services · common questions · about us · contact details
Local notes for Old Town Goleta riders
- Tell us which side of Hollister you are on. With a painted median and one lane each way, getting to the other side takes a trip to the next intersection.
- Wheels In Motion, the motorcycle dealer in Goleta, is farther west on Hollister Avenue, if your bike turns out to need a dealer-only procedure.
- If the bike is on a side street such as Pine, Magnolia or Nectarine, give us the house number it is in front of.
Riding roads near Old Town Goleta
- Hollister Avenue: One lane each way through Old Town with bike lanes and vehicles backing into angled spaces. It continues west through the rest of Goleta.
- Fairview Avenue: The west edge of Old Town, north to Highway 101 and south toward the airport.
- Highway 217: The short freeway at the east end, connecting Highway 101 to UCSB.
- Kellogg Avenue: Crosses Hollister Avenue in Old Town.
Dealer or mobile locksmith in Old Town Goleta?
Dealerships near Old Town Goleta can order a key by VIN or key code. That suits you if you can wait for the part and get the bike to them. If the bike will not start or you need it today, we make the key where it sits.
- Wheels In Motion (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Ducati, KTM, MV Agusta and Vespa)
Makes we cut and program keys for in Old Town Goleta
- Harley-Davidson
- Honda
- Yamaha
- Kawasaki
- Suzuki
- Ducati
- BMW
- Triumph
- KTM
- Indian
- Aprilia
- Moto Guzzi
- Husqvarna
- Royal Enfield
- Can-Am
- Victory
- Vespa and Piaggio
- Zero
- MV Agusta
- Benelli
- Beta
- Buell
- CFMOTO
- GASGAS
- Genuine Scooters
- Hyosung
- KYMCO
- LiveWire
- SYM
Old Town Goleta motorcycle key FAQ
My scooter is in a 90 minute space on Hollister and the key is lost. What should I do first?
If you can, push it to one of the public lots off Hollister, such as the Orange Avenue lot, so the 90 minute limit stops mattering. Then call with the location and have your photo ID and registration or title ready.
Do motorcycles have to back into the angled spaces?
The spaces on the north side are back-in angled parking. Most riders back a motorcycle to the curb anyway. Follow the signs on the block, since the layout is a pilot project and the city may revise it.
I work at a shop in Old Town and my key broke off in the ignition this morning. Can you come to the shop?
Yes. Leave the broken piece in the ignition and keep both halves. We extract the fragment at the shop and cut a new key.
My bike has a chip key and the dealer is down the road. Should I just go there?
If the bike cannot be started, it would need to be transported to the dealer. In many cases we can cut and program a chip key where the bike is. Tell us the year, make and model and we will say whether it is one we can do on site.
Helpful guides
- Keyless Motorcycle Not Detecting the Key: Causes and BackupsOwner's manuals give a short list of reasons a keyless bike fails to detect its fob: a weak fob battery, the fob carried against a phone, laptop or metal object, strong radio interference nearby, the fob switched off or out of range, and a low battery on the bike itself.
- KTM RACE-ON Light Flashing: Blink Codes and Key Not FoundOn a keyless KTM, the RACE-ON indicator lamp reports faults by flashing a set number of times after you press the RACE-ON button.
- Locked Your Keys Under the Motorcycle or Scooter Seat?Keys get locked under the seat because most seats latch shut with a push and need no key to close.
Nearby areas we also cover
- Goleta
- UC Santa Barbara
- Isla Vista
- Hope Ranch
- Santa Barbara
- Gaviota Coast and Highway 101
- All of Santa Barbara and Goleta
Sources
- https://www.independent.com/2024/07/10/hollister-avenue-in-old-town-to-move-to-one-lane-traffic-pattern/
- https://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/public-works/capital-improvement-program-division/hollister-avenue-old-town-interim-striping-project
- https://www.wheelsinmotionmc.com/
Page last updated .