This job should have taken me 3 minutes. Instead, it took nearly an hour and a few new curse words were invented.

You can remove the lock easily if you have the key.
Simply remove the chrome cover, and then insert the key, turn it counter clockwise until it stops (around 10 o’clock) and then wiggle and pull the key/assembly out.
If you don’t have the key and you removed the steering assembly, You can use a drift on the front of the lock, and punch the entire lock assembly through the neck. It will ruin the lock.
If you don’t have the key and you didn’t remove the steering assembly, it can be drilled out if your run a small drill bit between the brass and silver part of the lock…at the 2 o’clock position.

For more on Lock Removal, check out Duane Ausherman’s site which is chock full of other BMW tips too:
http://w6rec.com/bmw-motorcycle-fork-and-tank-lock-neiman-keys/

With a new lock, chrome cover and pivot pin from BMW, i thought the installation job would be a simple task.
It turns out that these new locks and chrome covers are different then the originals and require some modification.

Here is the new assembly from BMW:

With the key inserted, you turn the lock to line up the small flathead screw-pin with the upper shark fin and slide it into the frame.
Once it is inserted, you can turn your steering assembly/handlebars to the right.
Turn the key and press the lock into the frame. The lock’s end should insert into a hole in the neck of the tripple tree. It should go deep enough into the frame/neck that when you twist the key back, it will catch in a receded position.
Here is the hole I am referring to:

This is what a locked steering lock looks like. Notice how it is receded into the frame:

After scratching my head and swearing a few times, no matter how hard i pushed that lock into the frame/neck, it would not reach the second “catch point” to lock.
I tested the lock to make sure it fit in my spare triple tree and it did.
I then wondered if the notch wasn’t deep enough so i ground it down on both sides a bit.
It still didn’t work properly. I cleaned out the inside and then started doing some tests with grease on the lock. After i made some failed attempts with a greased up lock, i would remove it and see where grease was hitting and not hitting the innards of the frame. It seemed that i had to grind the notch even further.

I did a test fit and Bingo! It worked!
Don’t forget the small spring that goes around the end of the lock!
That spring is what provides the resistance to do the locking and unlocking.
It is BMW part number 32 32 9 016 104

I then lubed up the spring and lock and inserted it into the frame.

Then it came time to attach the chrome cover and pivot pin. I put it all together and then realized that the cover doesn’t slide as nice as the old one. I took it apart and realized that the old cover has a notch on the back that leaves space for a small pin that sticks out of the frame and acts as a ‘catch’ point to either open or close the cover.

Son of a B$#@@. Why can’t this job be easy?
I pulled the cover off the bike and saw that the protruding pin from the frame left some convenient scrapes on the back of the cover.
I put the plate under my drill press and shaved down a small pocket where the pin makes contact with the cover. Not the cleanest job but it works and nobody will ever see the rear of that cover.

Here is a second attempt at the rear from another bike restoration. I routed it out with a tiny routing bit:

Phew. Finally done.