Progress has been slow on the VTR250, mainly due to the weather here, rain and humidity, but progress nonetheless. This bike came with no keys, normally you would just bridge a couple of wires at the plug connector inside the headlight and all things being right you can start the engine. But on this model VTR250, not sure about others, there is diode or resistor at the back of the ignition that allows the engine to start. Bridging the red to red-black wire turns over the engine but no spark. The pink wire is the one to the diode but has to be connected at the ignition switch for the electric signal to allow the engine to start. Remove the ignition, then remove the 2 philips head screws from the cover of the ignition switch, slide off the cover, manipulate the lock barrel out through the front, then turn the ignition carefully with a screwdriver or something non damaging, as the switch is plastic. I made one key, keeping the brass wafers in order, and it worked the petrol cap and seat lock with a little bit of fine tuning with a file. In one of the pictures you can just see the diode from the pink wire behind the cover. Another shows the screws to remove the ignition cover. The 3rd photo shows the keyblank that worked. It was an eebay blank with no identification number unfortunately. Photos. Suitable keyblank.
Hi mate, Best way around this problem would be to call a locksmith to cut a new key for your ignition barrel. Or even take the barrel and keys to a locksmith and avoid a callout fee
I am a locksmith albeit retired. Apprenticed fitter and turner, then 12 years with Chubb Lock and Safes and other MLA companies after that. The local locksmith said in not so many words he wasn't interested, so....It was more the issue of the pink wire lockout that I thought would be interesting.
Take the electrical side of the lock barrel off, observe where the connections are supposed to move, wire up to some switches.
forget about diode at ignition switch, too much work. Wire it in-line on pink wire anywhere on way to ECU. Snip pink wire, insert 4v zener diode with stripe facing towards ignition-switch. Measure voltage at pink wire at ECU connector, want to be around 9 VDC. similar mod to resistor on Kawasaki ignition switches. Leave ignition switch alone and untampered. Put it in-line on wire to ECU. Has benefit of working later if you replace ignition switch with another generic unit in future, no need to rig it again.
I had no technical specs about the diode, so that is useful information. Useful information over the counter is in short supply around here in Coffs Harbour. But, whatever gets the bike going is good to know.
