The always 'fun' battle to get a key made

[Lee Bruns]

Went to four places in town. None had anyone that could simply LOOK at the key and compare the profile. Every one of them was 100 percent locked into 'the book', so when they asked "what is it for" and I replied "It's a specialty thing. It won't be in the book, but the profile is the same as other things" they looked at me as if I had three heads. They simply can't comprehend not using the book. So, after failing everywhere else in this small town, I went back to the first place, the key blanks are right there, so I walked up to them, eyeballed a bit, found the blank that looks like my Quota key, and handed it to the lady. "Carve this key onto this blank", and she did, and it works fine. It's a triumph key, if anyone needs that info. The one good lock place we have here, is only available during the day, when I'm at work. I'm left to the hardware stores and farm stores after 5pm. New key procured!

[Oca Grassa]

I’m quite lucky. In the next town over is an outstanding locksmith shop.

Retired Navy guy owns & operates. Kids work there too. My go to place.

Can still cut a key from a key code. Reasonable rates. Even makes house calls to fix locks on house doors or cars.

Gotten spare keys to all my bikes cut there. Ducati, Aprilia, Suzuki….Nissan, GM etc. Not needed one for my Norge…not yet anyway. Thanks for the tip on the Triumph key.

[Lee Bruns]

I’m quite lucky. In the next town over is an outstanding locksmith shop.

Retired Navy guy owns & operates. Kids work there too. My go to place.

Can still cut a key from a key code. Reasonable rates. Even makes house calls to fix locks on house doors or cars.

Gotten spare keys to all my bikes cut there. Ducati, Aprilia, Suzuki….Nissan, GM etc. Not needed one for my Norge…not yet anyway. Thanks for the tip on the Triumph key.

Oh for sure. We have one great locksmith shop that can do it, but they're not open after 5. So, no one with a day job can go there. The reality of businesses not being open after 5 or on weekends is a real FU to people with day jobs.

[ridingron]

That's one of my big reasons for working the evening shift. All the stores were open and usually with fewer customers. The doctor appointments were closer to being on time.   

It's sad that people operate a service business and close at 5. If you want to live a 9 to 5 life, get a 9 to 5 job.

[monkeyodeath]

With older stuff I've had the best luck just buying a blank online and going to my local key cutting guy. (Hardware store won't do it anymore, alas)

Blanks are usually pretty cheap and never paid more than like $7 to have it duped from an original.

[Perazzimx14]

BMW makes it easy. Call up any BMW Motorrad and give them the bikes VIN and provide proof of ownership then wait a few days and a new key will be delivered to you in the mail.

[Moparnut72]

Do hardware stores do anything anymore other than sell s**t. I worked in a hardware store many years ago, we cut glass, cut plywood to size, I even cut laid out stair stringers for decks. Which brings to mind, my local hardware store has a lot of empty shelves and hangers, standard hardware stuff, lots of high ticket items though, generators etc. Sorry for the thread drift, I couldn't help myself, very frustrated.
kk

[kballowe]

I had a similar experience.  Finally ended up at ACE Hardware and an 18 year old girl took me in the back to a tub of old keys and found one that was "close".  She cut the key and then proceeded to file it here and there.  It worked better than the original.

My latest experience was an 85 year old "locksmith" in a 40 year old clapped-out conversion van.  I met him in the parking lot of a small local cafe.  He popped the hood and hooked an inverter to the battery with a set of loooong jumper cables and then plugged in a key cutter that was bolted to a board.  He cut the keys out the back of the van, and they worked perfectly.


hahaha - remember the old days when everyone cut keys and half of them didn't work ? 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

If not in a hurry, Keys4Classics in Australia has blanks and can cut to code.

MG Cycle has blanks for the Quota and other models of the era.
https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_140&products_id=1229

Some information here: https://www.thisoldtractor.com/moto_guzzi_tonti_keys_for_the_ignition_switch.html