How to Program a Harley Key Fob

Published

White Star Rides is your trusted Harley-Davidson companion, offering expert guidance and information to enhance your riding experience.

How To Program A Harley Key Fob

Do you own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and struggling with the key fob because you don’t know how to program it? If yes, then you’re at the right place at the right time.

Programming a Harley key fob involves a combination of setting the ignition bezel back and forth, pressing the turn signals, and then pushing the remote’s buttons at the right time. The Harley-Davidson key fob is a reliable security technology, and it is implemented for added convenience and security for your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It will temporarily deactivate security features and enable you to roll and start your bike’s engine.

In this article, you’ll get to know more about the Harley-Davidson key fob, how to program a Harley key fob, how to start your Harley-Davidson bike if you’ve misplaced the Harley-Davidson key fob, and more. Continue reading to get all the answers that you are looking for.

Harley-Davidson key fob to add safety to your bike

The Harley-Davidson key fob security system isn’t actually new technology, but not many bikers know too much about it. It’s a waterproof, remote-controlled technology that makes use of state-of-the-art rolling code technology. It’ll act as a proximity key, allowing the bikers to simply jump on their Harley-Davidson bikes and start the engine without inserting a key in the ignition. Implemented for convenience and as an extra security feature for your joy and pride, the key fob will use smart security system technology that can sense if the bike owner is around the bike. It’ll automatically deactivate the security features and enable the owners to roll and start the engine.

Say that you’re mid-way through a ride, and you end up misplacing your key fob. When you’re setting up the system, the users will have to create and remember the PIN number. The PIN will allow you to start the engine even without the key fob present. This PIN can be easily changed according to your preference at any time, all you have to do is follow the instructions in your owner’s manual.

If the key fob isn’t present and an individual decides to move the motorcycle, the signal lights will start to flash until it is disarmed by the PIN or the presence of the fob. If not, the lights will continue flashing until the battery drains, and on some bikes, a siren would get activated. To neutralize the security features, the bike owners can switch their motorcycle into “Transport Mode”, which will allow the bike to be moved easily, without the need for a PIN or key fob, while it won’t set off the security system. This will be helpful when you’re transporting your Harley-Davidson motorcycle in a truck or trailer.

See also  How To Use Heel-Toe Shifter Harley-Davidson Bikes: Everything You Need To Know

How to program a Harley key fob

Programming the key fob of your Harley-Davidson bike’s alarm doesn’t always require a trip to a Harley-Davidson dealership or a local technician. As long as you’ve got the key fob with you, you can program the key fob on your own. It’ll involve a combination of setting the ignition bezel back and forth in the right positions, pressing the turn signals, and then pushing the remote’s buttons at the right time. In case you haven’t attempted to program your Harley-Davidson bike’s key fob before, you shouldn’t be flustered. If you know the proper instructions, you can program your Harley-Davidson key fob in less than 5 minutes. Here is how to program a Harley key fob on your own – 

  1. Choose a 5-digit code (with each digit being between 1 and 9). Make sure that you also keep the code somewhere safe.
  2. With the assigned key fob present, turn the ignition key ON – OFF – ON – OFF – ON.
  3. After that, press the left turn signal indicator twice.
  4. Press the right-turn signal indicator once and then release. Both the turn signals will flash thrice. The current PIN will appear on the odometer screen and the first digit will start blinking.
  5. Select the first digit (a) of the new PIN by pressing the left turn signal (a) times.
  6. Press the right turn signal indicator once and release. The new digit (a) would replace the current number in the odometer window, and you’ll advance to the next digit.
  7. Select the second digit (b) of the new PIN by pressing the left turn signal (b) times.
  8. Select the third digit (c) of the new PIN by pressing the left turn signal (c) times.
  9. Press the right turn signal indicator once and release. The new digit (c) would replace the current number in the odometer window, and you’ll advance to the next digit.
  10. Select the fourth digit (d) of the new PIN by pressing the left turn signal (d) times.
  11. Press the appropriate turn signal indicator once and release. The new digit (d) would replace the current number in the odometer window, and you’ll advance to the next digit.
  12. Select the fifth digit (e) of the new PIN by pressing the left turn signal (e) times. The new digit (e) will then appear on the odometer screen.
  13. Press the right turn signal indicator once to move to the next digit.
  14. Press the appropriate turn signal once again to turn off the security system alarm. The odometer then returns to the mileage display. Now, turn off the ignition as you have programmed the key fob.
See also  How to Shift a Harley-Davidson Bike

How to re-program your Harley-Davidson key fob

For reprogramming your Harley-Davidson key fob, you’ll have to go to your local motorcycle dealer. This service is normally performed at the dealership if you end up losing the key fob or want to reset the PIN. When you’re reprogramming the Harley-Davidson key fob, the PIN wouldn’t be set to your initials, so you must enter a new and meaningful number.

A Motorcycle Professional Reprogramming Harley Key Fob

The Harley-Davidson security system consists of a key fob or remote control with a 5-digit PIN to lock and unlock your motorcycle. You can reprogram this Pin to prevent the alarm from blaring. However, if the battery ends up going dead, it’ll be easier to replace it at the dealership. Moreover, it’ll ensure that the turn signals aren’t disabled.

Reprogramming a Harley-Davidson key fob is pretty easy, and the process is very similar to reprogramming any remote control. To reprogram the remote control, first, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve got the right model of the motorcycle. After that, you’ll need to follow the correct procedure to set the new PIN of the key fob.

How to start your Harley-Davidson bike without the key fob

If you haven’t got the key fob with you but know your PIN, there is a way to start your Harley-Davidson bike. However, make sure that you know the right steps to start your bike. Here is how you can start your Harley-Davidson bike without the key fob present – 

  1. Turn the key to IGNITION and then immediately hold both turn signal indicators until you see five dashes appear in the odometer gauge. 
  2. Select the first digit of the PIN (a) by pressing the left turn signal button (a) times.
  3. Now, press the right turn signal switch once to move to the next digit.
  4. Select the second digit of the PIN (b) by pressing the left turn signal button (b) times.
  5. Now, press the proper turn signal switch once to move to the next digit.
  6. Select the third digit of the PIN (c) by pressing the left turn signal button (c) times.
  1. Now, press the right turn signal switch once to move to the next digit.
  2. Select the fourth digit of the PIN (d) by pressing the left turn signal button (d) times.
  3. Now, press the appropriate turn signal switch once to move to the next digit.
  4. Select the fifth digit of the PIN (e) by pressing the left turn signal button (e) times.
  5. Now, press the right turn signal switch once to move to the next digit.
  6. Lastly, press the right turn signal indicator once more and the security system alarm is disabled.
See also  When Is It Too Windy To Ride A Motorcycle: Everything You Need To Know About Driving In Windy Conditions

Conclusion

Thank you for reading. Hopefully, now you’ll know a lot more about the Harley-Davidson key fob, how to program a Harley key fob, how to start your Harley-Davidson bike if you’ve misplaced the Harley-Davidson key fob, and more. Programming a Harley-Davidson key fob involves a combination of setting the ignition bezel back and forth, pressing the turn signals, and then pushing the remote’s buttons at the right time. The Harley-Davidson key fob is a reliable security technology, and it is implemented for added convenience and security for your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It’ll temporarily deactivate security features and enable you to roll and start your bike’s engine.

Photo of author
Author
White Star Rides is your go-to Harley-Davidson expert. We live and breathe these bikes. Our team has years of experience in fixing, riding, and loving Harleys. We know every part of these bikes and love sharing what we know with you. Whether it's about fixing a problem or just enjoying the ride, we're here to help. Trust us to make your Harley journey better and easier.