Anyone have any thoughts as to where I should start looking. On my sons 2006 Ultra the ignition will lock and turn the way it should. However the lock for the forks will not engage when you typically turn the wheel to the left. Nothing was done to bike recently that would have caused this to be inoperable.
Should I be pulling the ignition and taking a look inside the locking mechanism?

 

Not without a service manual, or a decent idea of what you will find! There is a small leverage system that engages a locking bar in a hole in the top tree when you press down on the switch, which probably needs adjustment.

 

Yes I have all the manuals and am afraid that I will need to pull that dang switch. Not to confident with doing this without the proper ignition switch alignment tool.

 

Take it in. If something is broken in there it is dangerous.


My 2005 got recalled for the fork lock.


Have it taken care of.

 

The alignment tool should not be your worry.
Plenty of pics and videos about making your own. Mine is made from old steel brake line. To ease things just put a stop on it. I used an old lug nut and taped it to the flattened tool leaving about 3 ¼ inches of the tool exposed at the bottom. Now I don't have to work it up and down to get it to work, it just sits there and turns like the keyed switch. Cost -$0.


But then there is the Ignition Switch Connector Remover – another special tool over a hundred bucks.
Made one out of an old thin steel rod, ground the tip and it is long enough to fit and bend over the triple tree nut so I don't have to loosen the radio. Cost -$0


But if that 06 is like my 09, you will need to pull the handle bars to get the switch out.
Then you can look at it to see if something is wrong and there is something you can fix.
Is that a task you want to handle?

 

Is this really a safety issue. The front end is tight and turns like it should. The ignition just doesn't lock the forks is all. The ignition does lock the ignition if that makes sense?

 

I don't believe it would ever be a safety issue. I don't see how it could lock up in the forward position. Just not designed to do that. Just to make sure, nobody has pulled it out and put it back in incorrectly?

 

Nope . The lock was not touched. Or anything on the front end for that matter. Is the locking mechanism internal I'm guessing?

 

Yes it is. Scan over the manual. It is easy to take out and put back in. I think where some people get into trouble, is when they pull the locking unit out with the wheel straight a head, then turn the wheel to the left and it gets locked on them. Then, I think you can get the unit back in but it will not lock the forks. There is a good video on here that explains how that happens and what to do to get things working again.

The key for operating fork lock with the unit out is easy to make. I cut mine from a piece of 1/8" aluminum plate.

 

Makes complete sense, they are two different devices joined at the hip. Once you get in there all will become clear!

My Glide is an International spec and for some reason has an additional steering lock, in the side of the steering head, so when my 'normal' lock started playing up I simply disabled it and use the other one.