Having gone through this last year, the experience is fresh in my mind and I cannot say DIY will lead to an all together pleasant time.

• New ignition switches are not available from BMW.

• Key blanks are available from BMW and about $5 each. The BMW key blanks are steel and so your local hardware store variety key duplicator won't have anything to do with them. You need the harder to find carbide wheel to cut the blank.

• Even after I found a working key and someone to cut the blanks for me, the dumb SOB ruined $10 worth of blanks doing exactly what I told him NOT to do. He then proceeded to tell me he wasn't responsible with a shrug. I finally took my third (and final) blank home and did it myself.

• When you disassemble the ignition switch, it is done from the electrical contact end. The tumblers are the last part to come out, and there are numerous springs, balls, sliding contacts and other tiny bits eagerly awaiting their chance to jump across your shop. Don't ask how I know this.

So unless you can go to a local Tech Day or rally, and find someone who's BMW key will unlock your switch, then I highly advise you to simply buy a new switch assembly from Motorrad Elektrik and be done with the headaches for the very small sum (in 20-20 hindsight) of $150.

http://motoelekt.com/ignition.htm

Hope this helps.

Thank you very much Wobbly - So I assume that there is no such thing as a key number for them - RATS. Well, I guess this will just be part of the adventure of bringing this old girl back to life.

Chris
#16533

Congratulations on such a cool year and model. Enjoy!!!

8/2015 headz,

Recently I was getting some keys made and thought it would be a good idea to have 2 extras of the BMW bike. I know being on a ride or attending a rally and misplacing your bike's key is the $h√t$, so having an extra set pinned to your riding jacket will get you home. ........... tip ; on that note i also have a small washer with my phone # stamped into the edge on the key-ring.

I have always kept the original keys for all of my vehicles as such, socked away. My spares are the working set and a spare done up in aftermarket blanks. The 74 is no different, the original NEIMAN keys are the ones I have new keys cut. I have several sets and when looking I found a SPARE match key I've had for years,
made by TAYLOR. I found out the other day that TAYLOR keys are NLA. the copy # is

B69 with a
K below the b69

My local small town locksmith found a JMA KEY blank, # NE-8 that works as the same pattern as the old NEIMAN. It even looks similar to the " L " shaped NEIMAN I have.

hope this helps

Thank you very much Wobbly - So I assume that there is no such thing as a key number for them - RATS.

There are "key numbers"... but only on the keys. The locks have no markings.

Does anyone know of a locksmith that I could remover the key switch from the bike and send the mechanism to the locksmith and have them make a key?