[The CyberPoet]

what causes this problem wear and tear of the pins inside the lock itself? so changing the key slightly would make up for the wear?... kind of like adjusting your clutch cable to make up for wear in the clutch plates?

Combination of factors:
Slight offsets when the replacement keys are cut, plus cutting duplicates from worn (or bent) keys. The offsets are cumulative (a dup cut from a dup is significantly worse than a dup cut from an unused original). Add wear and tear to the key before duplication, and minor bending across it's length from impacts, and the copy is worse yet.
Debris in the tumblers can cause wear and blockage. Wear down the tumbler teeth and they don't want to match up; stick something between the key's ridge and the tumbler, and the tumbler doesn't want to line up.
lack of lubrication can cause tumbler wear, key wear, and depending on exposure, corrosion. More reasons for the tumblers not to line up with the key.

All the 98+ Kats (and possibly the pre-98's) came with a cut code included either on a metal tag, in the original buyer's paperwork, and/or imprinted on the spare "master" key (this key is different than the others in the sense that it's got a small rectangular metal head rather than the black plastic Suzuki head around the hole in the head of key). That spare "master" key should be stored and used ONLY to cut duplicates. Every 98+ Kat came with three keys - two black-plastic headed ones (the "originals") and the all-metal spare "master key".
No clue about pre-98's, but I suspect something similar was probably bundled with them when they were sold new.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[DreKat]

Just lube it up.....and JAM it in there!

Mmmmm Jam!

[SOS]

Broke my key last week I took the two pieces to the lock dude and voila. For $3 you can't beat it with a stick.

[cybrnathan]

Just lube it up.....and JAM it in there!

We're still talking about keys, I hope

[Pyrrosdimas1245]

Well assuming you can get an ignition cylinder that matches your key then you should be good to go. if not, then plan on paying upwards of 400 dollars to get the cylinder, seat, gas tank and helmet lock up thingy changed.

[The CyberPoet]

Well assuming you can get an ignition cylinder that matches your key then you should be good to go. if not, then plan on paying upwards of 400 dollars to get the cylinder, seat, gas tank and helmet lock up thingy changed.

Depends on the year and how much of the labor you do yourself. The price for a full set of all four locks (with keys), new, Suzuki OEM, for a 98+ 49-state model is about $210 through me...

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet