Cutting a shorter key for the frunk

[Guest secondborn]

So I bent one of my original keys while unlocking the frunk. Luckily, it only bent and slightly cracked, and I could carefully straighten it out to get back home and swap it out for the spare key, so all good there. It appears it's quite a straightforward procedure to code a new key, which I probably will do at some point just to have another fully functional spare, but now that I see how easy it is to accidentally break the key off in the frunk (with how it only inserts halfway, which is exactly where it bent and cracked for me), I'm wondering whether I could make myself a shorter key just for the frunk. The auction site lists both the full sized keys, and some shorter ones (similar in size to the top box keys), but before I go and spend money on them, I was wondering - has anyone had any luck taking that shorter key, and copying the full sized one onto it to use specifically on the frunk and panniers?

[Mike5100 2,061]

There are posts on here about making frunk keys.  IIRC I got a full size blank for about a fiver (because it didn't need to be a coded one.  Then cut it and epoxy'd it into a black bottle top that looked like a switch or dial that might be part of the bike.  I was able to leave that key in place permanently and I think only another NC owner would have realised it opened the frunk (if I was in a dodgy area it was easy enough to take it out and put it inside the frunk).

Mike

[Guest secondborn]

Now that's clever - I might actually try that

 

As for the other posts - yeah, I looked through them, and I saw someone make a cursory mention of making a smaller key, but they didn't go into detail about it, so I figured I might as well make a new topic for that specifically.

[Mike5100 2,061]

I found a pic of mine.

Mike

[Guest Wilco]

Nice work Mike I might have to do that myself. 

 

Did you just take the blank to a highstreet cutter?

 

 

[Mike5100 2,061]

TBH I can't remember ..... or maybe it was the specialist auto key cutting company on the West road - if so then that did cost me more money about £28 I think - he recognised a car key blank that he could use, and then said he couldn't make it work in the ignition.  I didn't mind and even though it might sound expensive I really liked it as one of my best accessories.

Mike

[Guest DelBoy]

I did get another key cut for the "Frunk" and opening the seat for fuel, as the standard one is made out of putty.

Went to a well stocked key place and they had blanks in stock.

The aftermarket key was much stronger and did not bend/twist as per the OEM one.

 

Mislaid it now unfortunately....

Edited May 4, 2018 by DelBoy

[rjp996 1,091]

On 02/05/2018 at 15:35, Mike5100 said:

There are posts on here about making frunk keys.  IIRC I got a full size blank for about a fiver (because it didn't need to be a coded one.  Then cut it and epoxy'd it into a black bottle top that looked like a switch or dial that might be part of the bike.  I was able to leave that key in place permanently and I think only another NC owner would have realised it opened the frunk (if I was in a dodgy area it was easy enough to take it out and put it inside the frunk).

Mike

+1 I did the same thing. Spent a good hr searching the supermarket shelves for the right bottle top colour I wanted :-)

[Guest AceTallPaul]

I accidentally put my padlock key into the frunk lock, and it got stuck halfway in 

 

I spend quite a few desperate minutes before it finally came out.

 

I like the idea of the blank key with the both top.  Might try that...

Edited May 4, 2018 by AceTallPaul