Re-keying Vario panniers

I know this has been covered before but I did my panniers tonight to match my ignition key without buying a kit. Luckily for me by switching 2 wafers I got an exact match. If anyone else is struggling with this I'd be happy to help or do it for them/assist.

Has anyone got any 1 and 3 wafers I have some 2s

Bungy said:

I know this has been covered before but I did my panniers tonight to match my ignition key without buying a kit. Luckily for me by switching 2 wafers I got an exact match. If anyone else is struggling with this I'd be happy to help or do it for them/assist.

Click to expand...

Sometimes you get lucky like that and sometimes you need extra wafers. It’s possible to leave an odd one out if you can’t get them all to play nicely, or don’t have enough wafers, although the fewer wafers you have in the lock the less secure it is.

In the past I’ve found that the one nearest the keyhole can snag and cause problems with key insertion and removal. It’s sometimes necessary to leave this one out completely. No idea why this one plays silly buggers.

A top tip for anyone doing these is to leave the locking wafer out when you first refit the lock after recoding it. This is because they sometimes seem okay on the bench and the key will slide in and out without any snags…… but as soon as you refit it to the pannier or topbox it snags and the key can’t be removed. It’s far easier to shove the lock into its housing and hold it in place with your thumb whilst operating the key lock/ unlock/ release etc. If the key does snag then it’s simple to slide the lock barrel out again.

If the wafer is fitted and the key snags it can be a pain and unnecessary hassle , especially with the RT type luggage, to remove the barrel again.
Once you’re happy it’s all okay then simply slide it out, refit the locking wafer and refit the lock.