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Steering Lock

fordmender

fordmender

Training Wheels
New 2011 C14 this weekend! Factory service manual is ordered, but not received yet. Just one quick question.....does the C14 steering lock only lock the bars out to the left ?? I was thinking that every other bike I've owned I could lock em out to the left OR right. Is this just a limitation of the KIPASS setup and how it handles the lock or might I have an issue here? Didn't think I did, but I thought I'd check.

Thanks!!
 
First and foremost as always gets the congratulations on the new bike. I will be honest with you and say that I don't know if any bike I've ever owned would lock to the right. Please don't take this wrong. But I have to ask. Why would you ever want to lock the bars to the right? Having the bars to the right takes weight off the side stand and makes it more susceptible to tipping over. So I've never left my bikes alone with the bars turned to the right ever, other than being on the center stand for maintenance. And I do not leave my bikes on the center stand either unless protected by wind and such secured in the enclosed garage on a concrete floor. (I had a bike blown off the center stand back in the early 80's)
So in my case I honestly don't know if any of my bikes (including the C14) locked to the right. I don't know if it's a limitation of KIPASS of not. (KIPASS has enough limitations by it's inherent design anyway)  :))    But one thing you will find is that you will not be able to lock the forks and have the key removed. Leaving the key in the ignition itself all the time is by design.
 
Congrats on the new ride, you will love it!  The owner’s manual says that when using the side stand, turn the handlebars to the left.  This makes the bike much more stable, and is a good habit to get into.

It would be a very nice feature to be able to remove the key when the fork is locked.  Makes you wonder what they were thinking?  A stove knob rain cover for the key hole is all I can come with.
 
4Bikes said:
Congrats on the new ride, you will love it!  The owner’s manual says that when using the side stand, turn the handlebars to the left.  This makes the bike much more stable, and is a good habit to get into.

It would be a very nice feature to be able to remove the key when the fork is locked.  Makes you wonder what they were thinking?  A stove knob rain cover for the key hole is all I can come with.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The system is designed to keep the key in the ignition. The stove knob cap keeps the dirt and moisture out of the ignition lock.
 
Just wanna add that there's a pin in the 'stove pipe' knob that will shear if someone twists the key hard enough.  In other words, the key has a one time only slip clutch in it.  Look for it, find it, so you'll know where it is in case some idiot thinks that some idiot left the key in the ignition just to make theft convenient.  There are only two people who've ever had KiPass 'limitations' and I don't know who the other one was.
:))

Enjoy the hell out of the new bike and the folks that ride 'em. :motonoises: :motonoises:
 
On my previous bike...09 Goldwing ...I could lock em to either side. I almost always locked them to the left anyway but on occasion, due to terrain or the slant of the ground where you HAD to park the bike, it was nice being able to have the option to change the angle of the bike by turning the bars out to the left or right when to the left was feeling like way to much lean over.

Anyway, looks like with the C14....to the left it is. Thats what I was wondering. Thanks for the feedback fellas.
 
For me there have been a few times that I parked my bike with the bars cranked to the right. If there's a slight incline leaning to the left, cranking the bars to the left may put the bike in danger of falling over in that direction.
 
Conrad said:
For me there have been a few times that I parked my bike with the bars cranked to the right. If there's a slight incline leaning to the left, cranking the bars to the left may put the bike in danger of falling over in that direction.
Click to expand...

+1 to that!

Every bike I have owned could lock to the left or the right.  But not the C14.  Seems Kawi is trying to protect us from ourselves...  ;)
 
I pretty much never use the fork locks, never saw the point in them,  anyone who wants to steal a motorcycle will not really be deterred by a simple fork.  (Most motorcycle thefts are them picking up the bike and tossing it on a truck or in a van,  gone in 20 seconds so to speak,  All a fork lock will do IMHO is make a would be thief try to steal the bike and then drop it when he/she realizes that the forks are locked
 
Hmmmm ...... I've  never ridden a mc that locksmith the right. Honda VTX, HD Road King, Yamaha Virago 500 all locked left only. I never knew that there was such a thing.
 
IIRC all bikes pre 80's locked both ways...
my 78' Ltd does...
I was shocked with the C14 when I parked it on a downhill once, turned the wheel to right, and rolled it to the curb to keep it from rolling further down hill on the sidestand, and found it sucked....ended up doing a u-turn so I could rely on the sidestand....on the other side of the road.
 
I don't use the steering lock, have been riding for 45 years, all over the US and never had a problem.
If someone wants the bike they will get it, thats what insurance is for. There has even been a few times I have left the key in the trunk of my Gold Wing overnight at a motel and nothing happened.
 
Never lock mine. Most of the time I try to park so that the forks are turned left anyway. The main thing I look for in a parking space is ... ... and easy way to get out of it. My wife use to HATE being my reverse gear on my Gold Wing.  :))
 
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