# Experience w/ Ball Bearing keychain?



## Seifenkiste (Mar 14, 2006)

Folks,

I picked up my X5 in South Caroline yesterday! The only negative if that they didn't even provide me a key chain. Hence, I am now left with the terrible dilemma of choosing and buying one. One of the coolest seems to be the "Ball Bearing" chain:










Does anyone here have it. My biggest concern is that it's so big that it would really be heavy in the pocket. Any thoughts on this crucial decision?

A few other I like are:










Or the 2-Ball Key Ring that seems to be out of stock at bmwusa...


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## 325ic a beer (Oct 21, 2005)

*jeezus dude..*

You could use that ball bearing keychain as a weapon for cryin out loud...


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## Bob Clevenger (Dec 17, 2004)

I just use two split-rings with a quick-disconnect coupler between them. I keep the BMW key on one ring and my other keys on the other. When driving, the BMW ignition lock has only one key hanging from it.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Hey, they take you over the Zentrum and the gift shop is open, so you can BUY one.


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## Maximus57 (May 13, 2005)

The X ones will poke your nads. I'd go with the B Bearing. The trouble with the ball bearing, it will swing like crazy in your ignition and scratch the heck out that area.


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## Ernö (Aug 26, 2005)

I have my BMW key and a small swiss army knife on one keyring - that's it. Looks pretty cool, and very handy. Besides, the key has the roundel if you're keen on people knowing that it's a BMW key


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## machmeter (Aug 6, 2002)

This is what I use and it's the best (cuz I said so!):










:thumbup:


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## Penforhire (Dec 17, 2005)

LED light fob user here. Latest generation is brighter and whiter.


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## suzer (Jan 4, 2002)

Maximus57 said:


> The X ones will poke your nads. I'd go with the B Bearing. The trouble with the ball bearing, it will swing like crazy in your ignition and scratch the heck out that area.


Not sure about the poking, but the X one will bang against the steering column. Dealer gave me one, but I switched after the first week to one they don't make anymore, so I won't show it to you to make you jealous.


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## JonathanIT (Feb 12, 2004)

One more suggestion on what NOT to get. I'd stay away from "steel cable" style key rings like this one. On my E46 key, the hole in the key head is a triangle shape with two sharp sharp corners on the bottom. This steel cable worked like a "round file" and sawed away at the sharp corners of the opening in the plastic head. After just a couple weeks I noticed the corners were becoming rounded and was just plain annoyed. 

I tossed it and went with a classic sterling silver "horseshoe" ring with the ball bearing ends and a monogrammed tag.

--J.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Ernö said:


> I have my BMW key and a small swiss army knife on one keyring - that's it. Looks pretty cool, and very handy. Besides, the key has the roundel if you're keen on people knowing that it's a BMW key


I guess you don't travel by air much.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Pinecone said:


> I guess you don't travel by air much.


Yeah, ever since 9/11, I had to stop using this as my keychain...










:eeps:


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## Lord Bodak (Jul 18, 2005)

machmeter said:


> This is what I use and it's the best (cuz I said so!):


I assume that the two parts separate? I'm using something like that but without the Roundel, and I want to get another so I can switch between ignition keys easily (to keep the batteries in both charged)... maybe I need two of these.


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## Seifenkiste (Mar 14, 2006)

humm, interesting. I'm going to try the "Dual-Ball Key Ring" based on all this bashing of the heavier jewelry.









Thanks for all the input.

PS: what the use of these wallet/multipl-ring keychains unless you have 5 feraris and keep on sapping keys with the playmates at your pool?


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

Debbie uses the spining roundel shown above. She likes it.

I've got a '3' for the e46 and a dealer logo fob for the e34. Oh I almost forgot. The Sterling's keys are on a paperclip. I leave them in the ignition so I won't loose them.


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## schnooe (Sep 3, 2003)

Whenever anyone on this site says anything disparaging about e46fanatics, I will always remember this thread.


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## JonathanIT (Feb 12, 2004)

schnooe said:


> Whenever anyone on this site says anything disparaging about e46fanatics, I will always remember this thread.


Why is that?

:dunno:

--J.


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## SlidewaysRSS (Apr 8, 2006)

looks like some S&M toy.


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## schnooe (Sep 3, 2003)

JonathanIT said:


> Why is that?
> 
> :dunno:
> 
> --J.


It just frustrates me when people disparage the forums for not being 'serious' car guys or 'real' racers and yet we can have an entire thread here based on picking out a bmw keychain. I mean, more power to you, people should be able to do what they want but there's a lot of good stuff that goes on over at fanatics and yet I see constant hate.


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## tmoody (Apr 24, 2004)

.......it's all ball bearings these days.


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## avincent52 (May 22, 2006)

I too received no keychain with my CPO BMW. I stopped at the Parts Dept to pick up my new key, I asked about keychains.
The helpful gent brought out an armful of boxes. Flipped through a bunch of rather pedestrian ones, and then I saw one that stopped me dead. Brown leather, old school BMW logo, looked like it could have belonged to my wife's late lamented 2002. 
He said it was NOS, a discontinued model.
I gulped hard at the $36 price tag, and bought it.

I guess there are still a few around. Here's a web link. It's Letter "T" on this page.
http://www.autothing.com/Products/KeyChains/products-keychains-BMW.htm

Now I like my keychain as much as my car. 
On a dollar per smile basis, perhaps more.

allen


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

SlidewaysRSS said:


> looks like some S&M toy.


I attended an "Erotik-Messe" (trade-show) in Dusseldorf years ago, and would concur with your assessment... :rofl:


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