[redone]

I just purchased a 2003 M620. The dealer has made a big! big! deal warning me not to get the key near anything magnetic as the magnet could erase the security code in the key??

I would like to get a magnetic tank bag for my bike, but certainly don't want to be 1/2 way thru a ride to find that my key no longer works.

Is the dealer blowing smoke or is this a valid fear?

Your experience/expertise is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Duc_N_Har]

Nobodys ever told me that before, I use a magnetic tank bag all the time, and I have a magnetic tank protector, no problems, had the bike 2 years now. It's an '02 620

 

[Herb]

It's a transponder key. Don't worry about it. If it were a problem, many of us here, wouldn't have made it home the first day. I think someone has an over-active imagination.

 

[vecio]

Not saying he's lying to you, but I've kept my key inside a magnetic tank back for days on several occasions. I think I may stop doing that now though... what he's saying does sound feasible.

 

[geeniusatwurk]

possible i suppose, since you can wipe a hard drive with a strong magnet

 

[putz]

Have you ever seen mythbusters? They tried to erase all sorts of stuff (credit cards, keys etc..) with normal everyday magnetic fields, measuring the fields with a gaussometer. They couldn't find make it happen even with exaggerated magnetic fields. What your dealer told you is possible if the field is high enough, but a tank bag magnet shouldnt even come close. I once lost all the mag info in my wallet (cc drivers liscence, parking gate card), but that was while working on the particle accelerator at MSU, that field was strong enough to float a steel desk around the room 1.5 million gauss rather that the 2500 or so from a regular magnet.

 

[redone]

Thanks for the input. Looks like I will be in the market for a magnetic tank bag!

 

[JEFFS900S]

Just like "Putz" said. The magnets in the bag are no where near strong enough to de-code your key. My car key with a chip, and wallet with credit cards go in my tank bag all the time. Never had a problem.

Jeff

 

[mitt]

I work around high current power supplies all the time that create large magnetic fields (your analog wrist watch hands spin out of control, so it is best to take them off) and have not had any problems with credit cards.

mitt

 

[DaffeDuc]

you gotta get a video of that going on! (the watch)

 

[mitt]

you gotta get a video of that going on! (the watch)

Not the watch, but I do have a couple vid's of high magnetic forces in action, I will look for them and see if I can find them.

mitt