I hate key fobs

I have no knowledge of the Gen 1 Rockets, the method above was for Gen 2 Rockets with the TFT screen & antenna in the tail area.

RockOn said:

I'm curious about the passive VS smart key. What is the difference? I recently installed a keyless system on my '06 RIII Classic. The FOB can be programmed to automatically energize the ignition with the FOB in my pocket if I am within approx. 10' of the bike. It can also be programmed to turn the ignition on with a single press of a button. Is this what the new Generation Rocket keys do but requires two different keys? One key if you want automatic activation and a different key if you want to manually press a button to activate the ignition?

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The smart key exists to be more convenient than the passive key. The passive keys exist as backups, in case you lose or damage the smart key. As long as you have at least one key, you can pair up to 2 additional keys without buying a new ECU.

The R3 doesn't check for the presence of a key until you use the switch to switch the ignition on. Once you do that, it scans for approx. 5 seconds for either type of key. If it senses a valid passive key (or a dead/off smart key) that's close enough to the rear RF antenna, or if it senses an active key which just needs to be within a certain distance of either RF antenna, the ignition system powers on. After that, if you wait too long to start the bike it will eventually time out if it can't sense either key and turns the ignition system off again.

sandcritter said:

Harder to lose? Please.

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A key you keep in your pocket, by definition, is harder to lose than one you have to pull out. Nobody ever dropped a key down a storm drain or grate by leaving it in their pocket.

sandcritter said:

Forget in the ignition? Dementia, or? I knowingly leave my key in vehicles quite purposely, and often, living by choice in not-a-crap-hole, low crime area. I don’t even want a “key”; a switch would be fine with me. Shrug.

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If you want "just a switch" then (semi-)permanently attach one of your passive keys to the rear RF antenna and you'll have exactly that.

sandcritter said:

I can just “hop on and ride, no mechanism to fail”? Please. Have fiddle farted with the stupid fob (distance from receiver not right, battery low, switches self off) so often, hence longing for a plain azz key. Which would be less bulky, and less flexy/breakable, to boot. When even the dealer struggles to start the bike trying to sell it to me, it’s a sign. Bad design decision - sign.

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Yes, hop on and go. That's how fobs with keyless ignitions work--not just on motorcycles.
They do, factually, eliminate a mechanism that can potentially fail.

vsteel said:

I have a FOB on my Indian Roadmaster and the nice thing with it is if you have an issue the screen will pop up a 4 digit PIN you can enter to get you moving again.

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Same with Harley-Davidson. Had to do that a few times on mine, though the passive fob process on the Triumph is much faster.

TURBO200R4 said:

On the early rockets there is no way that you can start it with out holding the clutch in unless the clutch switch is shorted. If it is shorted then that will cause running problems.
I am curious if the newer rockets are like that or do you have a shorted clutch switch..

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Same on Gen 2.

lotus said:

The "cool" factor goes away pretty quick when you've just filled up at a convenience store in Red Desert Wyoming with 105 deg (F),
20mph wind blowing and it won't start because the FOB battery decides it's time to die in the heat.
This is scary to think about. I've heard these kind of stories with FOB equipped bike riders.
I'm sticking with revenue generator.......

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I had almost that same thing happen with the key to my wife’s Fatboy. We had to find a store that was open on a Sunday evening to get a new battery. Great adventure to reminisce about now. Now great then. lol

theBarzeen said:

I had almost that same thing happen with the key to my wife’s Fatboy. We had to find a store that was open on a Sunday evening to get a new battery. Great adventure to reminisce about now. Now great then. lol

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What model year? Fat Boys and other H-Ds have had "enter PIN to start engine" as a backup to the FOB for a long time, now. Something like two decades, IIRC. That's what I always used when my FOB battery died. It was the first thing I changed whenever I bought a new bike, since the dealerships put the same code on all bikes they sell.