Advice please... replacing ignition barrel after theft recovery

Hi guys,

I would really appreciate some advice on repairing my Honda CBR 125 following a recent theft attempt (this occurred shortly after the Covid-19 lockdown began!).

The bike has been recovered and appears to be in good condition with the exception of a broken the steering lock (with steering moving freely now) and assumingly hotwired based on the black and red cable pair hanging off and no cables attached to the existing barrel.

I am planning to attempt the repair myself as my local garages have quoted around £300 for supply and fitting.

I found a new barrel kit on eBay £30 (see the attached photo), hopefully, this has everything I need for the repair?

Note: I am a novice when it comes to mechanical repairs but do have some competence with DIY and household electrics/plumbing.

I found a couple of online guides on replacing the ignition barrel which seems pretty straight forward process, however..

i) The new ignition barrel has a white socket at the end of its cables. I was wondering whether it would be OK to connect these cables directly to the existing ignition cables using a male variant of the same socket? Also, any ideas on what the white cable socket is called? as I am having trouble locating one.

ii) Am I correct in understanding that the ignition barrel unit is also the steering lock? So replacing this will provide me with the ability to apply steering lock again.

Would also appreciate any other suggestions on factors I am missing or need to consider?

Thanks in advance

New ignition barrel

Disconnected cables on bike (hotwired?)

Hi and welcome to the forum I have fixed the images for you as they wasn't showing

If you lift the tank there should be a connector for the wiring that you can take off and attach the new one to

Hi and welcome to the forum I have fixed the images for you as they wasn't showing

If you lift the tank there should be a connector for the wiring that you can take off and attach the new one to

Hi Stu,

Thank you for both the info and fixing the image issue.

Check the locking place on the headstock as this can be damaged if the bars have been forced to break the lock .

And can render a bike as a write off if the frame is damaged and potentially void any insurance policy if steering lock is not used unless other security measures are in place .

Do the insurance not cover these costs since its damage caused by theft?

Do the insurance not cover these costs since its damage caused by theft?

Yes they do, but not worth reporting if you have a high excess, and once you claim your premium will sky rocket

Are you sure that's the correct lock set as that ignition barrel looks more like a scooter lock with a seat release

Edit ok after looking into it post 2015 have this style apparently but still unsure of the open shut switch

That is a cover over the key slot that is opened with a shaped but sticking out from the key. Extra layer of protection or deterrent

Hi guys,

I am currently in the process of replacing the ignition switch but am really struggling with removing with yoke.

After removing the both handlebars and the 2 bolts located toward the right and left side of the yoke, I assumed that I should be able to lift the yoke away from the bike but it doesn't seem to budge at all..

Is there a particular trick to releasing this or am I missing something obvious?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZKDlBv-7dQVrHH0OgIKOd5HSQp22Uffc/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZL4VaEy0sw-xQd11RXvNLQ_hC_d43pph/view?usp=sharing

If you cant see any other nuts, bolts or circlips surrounding it (look underneath too) I'd give it a few taps with a rubber mallet. Sometimes they can need a little persuasion

Still struggling lifting out the yoke.

I attempted to use the rubber mallet which did help get the yoke moving but only about a cm before it got caught on the plate below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZL4VaEy0sw-xQd11RXvNLQ_hC_d43pph/view?usp=sharing

The image above shows that the yoke seems to be attached to a metal bracket underneath, which is connected directly to the yoke two bolts (one on each side). I am struggling to remove these bolts as both appear to have completely rounded heads and are located within a tight position within the bracket (circled in the image below).. so I have no idea on how to remove these.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ig3lNq5NriJUJyyxakvRQHcFGRc62kJb/view?usp=sharing

Whenever I attempt to lift the yoke, the bracket underneath gets caught onto a small metal lip protruding from the bike's stem. I have attempted to rotate the steering but the bracket still seems to get caught onto this lip.

Any ideas please?

If they are part of the steering lock they are probably safety bolts that the head snaps off when tightening, you may have to try tapping them undone if possible with a punch or chisel.

If they are part of the steering lock they are probably safety bolts that the head snaps off when tightening, you may have to try tapping them undone if possible with a punch or chisel.

Attempted to use a hammer and chisel but the bolt seemed too thick to make much of a difference. On the plus side, the hammering action managed to push the bracket enough that it slipped of the lip allowing the yoke to finally become free.

Thank you everyone for your help!

You’re welcome pleased you have it off.

Where did they cut the wires? Do you still have the original block connector where the ignition plugs into the bike's loom? If you still have it you should be able to just unplug the old ignition connector and plug in your new ignition and you can test if everything works before you go to the trouble of fitting it. If they cut off the block connector you'll have to get the male half of the new connector and join that to the bike's loom

I appreciate the suggestion but I think the whole ignition barrel was bugged tbh.

The key slot looked like it was battered (bent and shoved down) and the key wouldn't fit into the slot fully. So in hindsight, I think changing the entire switch was the best (although long) course.

What I mean is you should plug in the white plastic connector that's on the new ignition into the connector on the bike and make sure it starts before you mount it.