Key broken off in Fuel Cap

My fuel cap has always been hard to open but this week it went wrong...
Tried to open the fuel tank at the petrol station but could not get the key in. Went back home to spay some penetration fluid into the lock.
Then tried to open the fuel tank and broke off the tip of the key in the lock..

I unscrewed all the bolts but the fuel cap doesn't come off. Apparently there's another screw under the fuel cap ... which I can't open... FFS!

Any suggestions? I'm thinking to try and drill the lock out but i've never done that before.

Thanks in advance.

Btw - this seems to be common enough. Same issue found for Street triples, Aprilia Mille etc who also use the same fuel cap.

Once you get it out you replacing with a billet one with out a key?

Might be worth trying to pry it open (no chance of drill shards then, but see what Colenel Klink says should have the answer he is a locksmith of sorts.

Yeah, the drilling option is a last resort - don't like the idea of metal shards in the fuel tank.

I've order a different brand of fuel cap (with lock) @ half the KTM spares price.

My tank has always been difficult to get open as well. You just inspired me to get a new cap. The only thing I can recommend is apply WD-40 and try and wiggle it out with a paper clip until you can get a pair of pliers around it. Good luck.

I always push down on the cap when opening to relieve some of the pressure on the locking lugs. TIme to remove the tank and get the drill out.

I think you are a bit screwed dude. I'd lean to drilling and then fit after market that doesn't use a key. Warning the lock is made of butter and will drill out very very easily. Go easy.

Thanks lads.
Just been at it again. I have poured 3-in-1 lube in the lock on a regular basis to keep the mechanism working. Tried all sorts, even poured acetone into the lock to try desolve any gunk that could be in there. No Luck. I have hammered the tip on the key that had broken off down into the lock so that I could insert the key properly but no movement.

I'm taking out the drill tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up Clink, I'll go easy.
Any suggestion as to where to drill? Is it just right down the lock (key insert) or just above?

There are pins down both sides but just drill down the centre. Use a 8mm -ish drill and the you might need to wiggle it back and forwards in the direction the key went in the lock. (hope that makes sense) You just need the pins to pop out. Like I said its made of butter. Thieves just knock a big screw in the lock and then rip it out again and it takes most of the pins with it.

Go "keyless",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

will a magnet work?

Howz about a slide hammer if you are worred about drilling chips. A slide hammer with a sheet metal screw attached should yank the guts out in no time flat.

Tripoddave broke his off. Try a pm.

@dougfir - would be a nice try but I don't have any of those lying around.
@cerec1 - thx mate, will do!

I have received the replacement fuel cap so will try to get it done tomorrow.

I'd take the whole lock off the tank first ... that way no problems with shards.

I just went out to check and take pics, this is what I found out....

6 allen screws on top, only 3 are holding it...from the top



but inside the gas cap, there is another one...



so I removed the one underneath and unscrewed the top ones, and oh yeah, the gas cap does come out...



so you can drill a hole big enough to take the allen underneath around this area...



and no shards will go in your gas tank, just around the gas cap inner area, wichi you can clean up after you remove it, from now on, I´m keeping the inner allen screw out of mine, just in case of an emergency as such, good luck with your drilling

Evilwerkz, You the man! That should be much easier then drilling out the lock and trying to open it with a screw driver.
Btw - I figured that as the lock doesn't go all the way through you only have to drill about ~2cm into the lock to break it. No need to go all the way through and get shards in the tank.