There's a couple folks who did some work on making auxiliary keys for the gas cap and center pocket. Fred's page is the older one, then Paul came after and added details and improvement. In all cases people agree that 27 is the correct base key.

http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/keyknob

http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showt...d-right-pocket

Both of these cases resulted in much discussion about security; of someone taking your gas cap key, for example, and starting your bike. The best mechanical solution was to use a 27R key. Most people agree that the 27R key will in fact start your bike but it can't operate your fork locks.

So tonight I head into Home Depot to get some of these keys made and I discover their key machine is now electronic. I gave the guy my key, he slides it into a scanning bay on the key machine, and the machine optically scans my key... and suggests a 31. Hmmm.

I override the machine and tell the guy I want two 27R's. He takes a closer look at my OEM key for comparison to the 27R and advises that the channels and thicknesses don't match, but I insist and he agrees to make me a set. I pay the $4, stroll to the parking lot to test them, and neither 27R worked anywhere on my bike. I applied a good deal of force and tried operating the 27R's at varying depths. No way, no how, no dice.

So I sheepishly go back in and ask for the 31. No problem, he cuts me a set. Pay, stroll, test... BAM! The keys work in my gas cap, center pocket, and sidebags but WILL NOT turn the ignition switch AT ALL. As a final twist to all this, I look at the key tags when I got home and they are 31R, not 31.

One of the 31R keys worked quite smoothly but the other was intermittent. I did some very careful file work to the intermittent key and it seems to work fine now. I tested again in the ignition with varying forces, angles, depths, and twisting motions but still neither 31R would turn the ignition... which is puzzling because it looks identical to the OEM key except it's noticeably thinner.

So idk... did I stumble on a base key that solves the security issue?

Why did my key get recognized as a 31 instead of a 27?