Ignition - Steering Lock Giving Me Trouble

[Zealot]

Heya folks! Had this issue a bit on the past but it's been frequent as of late and driving me nuts. Park the bike, carefully lock the steering, and when I go back to unlock it - I can't get the key to slide all the way in to unlock it. With enough fiddling I can get it, such as by shaking the handle bars and wiggling the key - but it's pretty frustrating when you want to just hop on and go somewhere. Time to unlock it can vary based on my luck, which is understandably from five seconds to five minutes.

What's the procedure? WD40 fixed me one morning before class, but I'm thinking something more along the lines of oil would be appropriate for a long term solution. Would some 10W40 synthetic I've got kicking around the garage cut it?

 

[payneib]

Bodge: penetrative spray (WD40, GT85, etc) to get it moving, then clean engine oil on your key, keep working it in and out, lock, unlock, parking lights position, etc to work it in.

Proper fix: graphite powder from a hardware store/locksmith.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Yep, there is a small drain so flush the crap out the best you can. Then a graphite.

Make sure the mechanism that comes out to lock the steering is clean too..

If someone tried to force the locked steering, they may have damaged the mechanism. Peek and make sure nothing there looks bent..

 

[VEGASRIDER]

There are times I can't get the key to turn as well. Sometimes turning the handle bars will help. I realize there won't be much turning of the bars if they are locked.

 

[dbldutch02]

Mine was like this for a while, it lives outside which can't help. Really embarrassing when you look as if you're trying to nick the bike in public.
I flushed it out with gt85, wiggle, gt85, wiggle, etc, etc then engine oil,wiggle etc, then keep cleaning oil off the key until it comes out dry again

 

[Zealot]

Alright, blew it out with some WD40 and got a fair bit of engine oil inside. Hoping that fixes it (seems to have helped quite a bit) until I can pick up some graphite and do it properly.

I don't think it's been tampered with, or at least I don't see any evidence of that.