Restoration Wednesday, The Key to Any Restoration

The key to any restoration is to actually have one. My Honda Elite key was lost. But the pass-the-project owner bought an ignition lock with keys as a replacement. The problem with them was two fold. One it didn’t fit. And two there are still two other locks on the scooter that need to be opened. The seat to access the gas tank. And the storage compartment where you can put a spare pair of socks. The storage on the Elite is abysmal. During my typical internet sleuthing to rebuild any project I learned that old Honda motorcycles and scooters have a code stamped on a lock tumbler or fuel cap in the case of a Ruckus. The catch is they don’t tell you which location. It could be the ignition. Pulled that apart, it wasn’t. Down the line to the storage compartment. Strike two. By default, the seat lock. Cycle keys are available on eBay from cyclekeysonline for $10.99 plus $2.99 shipping. Just give them the code and year/make/model. A slight bargain over buying somebody’s lock set from a parts bike even if not 100% original. Guess what? the electronics work on the scooter and it will crank.