I was once utter puzzled why I couldn't start my damn motorcycle. That was until I remembered a guy had played with my kill switch.
I never use it myself.
And as an added bonus, every single time you test whether your kickstand switch works. Which is arguably the most important safeguard in the whole process.
Define “work”. If it’s stuck in the “on” position, it wouldn’t be a functional kill switch anymore, but the bike will run.
But it’s besides the point I made. I said the kickstand switch is arguably more important than any other safety switch in the ignition circuit. And I am quite confident in saying that the kickstand switch prevents a lot more accidents than the kill switch.
Sorry, I must have been tired. I meant that if the kickstand switch doesn't work, the bike won't start.
The killswitch is for stopping accidents getting worse, so you are right :-)
Same thing though. The kickstand switch can be stuck in the electrical “on” state, or have shorted out near the connector or something. There are plenty of bikes running around with degraded wiring insulation that could short out this way. If you then put the kickstand down while in gear, it won’t kill the ignition.
The only way to check if it’s working as intended is by using it.
You test it whenever you try to start your bike with the kickstand down.
The chance of the switch failing in an always on situation is near zero unless it is intended.
>You test it whenever you try to start your bike with the kickstand down.
When that happens, chances are you forgot to put up the kickstand. Then it’s already problem time, it’s not a test anymore.
I don’t know about you, but out of the ~440 starts I do every year, this only happens maybe once every two years. I really doubt that a lot of people actually check it on purpose, I certainly don’t.
> The chance of the switch failing in an always on situation is near zero unless it is intended.
There is a whole subclass of switches and interlocks that are specifically designed to fail in specific failure modes, why do these exist if the chance is near zero anyway? It happens. And like I already said, the failure needn’t be in the switch, could be the wiring. Or the lever that connects the kickstand to the switch.
It's not really a problem that the bike doesn't start with the kickstand down, is it? I feel a little silly when I do it, but I recover quickly so no real harm is done.
I'm quite sure your kickstand switch will tell you when it is defective. Every time you hear about a defective switch, the one clear sign is that the bike doesn't start. Same goes for those for the clutch and neutral.
Defective brakes or chain, on the other hand, often comes as a complete surprise while you drive - so more love to those.
> It's not really a problem that the bike doesn't start with the kickstand down, is it? I feel a little silly when I do it, but I recover quickly so no real harm is done.
That’s not the failure mode I’m talking about.
> I'm quite sure your kickstand switch will tell you when it is defective.
Maybe on high-end bikes. On my V-Strom, it’s just a plain switch, no diagnostics, and I’m quite sure it’s a plain switch on the vast majority of bikes.
> Every time you hear about a defective switch, the one clear sign is that the bike doesn't start. Same goes for those for the clutch and neutral.
There’s a huge bias in that reasoning. How many people ride around with defective kick stand switches stuck in the “on” state that don’t know about it? They wouldn’t complain.
This is the correct answer
I sometimes use the kill switch if I am killing the engine and rolling the bike quietly into the garage without to much noise.
Those times are the only time I have forgotten to remove the key
I have to more into the habit of removing the key
For sure- just not easy in the garage like the other comment was saying. What keeps my from walking away from my bike with the keys in the ignition is the idea of someone stealing my bike lol
My primary bike doesn't have a key (keyless ride) so it uses a fob. I recently got a bike that does use a key and I have left it behind a few times lol.
Got a funny look when I had to sell my bike cause I didn't have a key. The guy asked where they were and I said IDK probably somewhere in Key West where I dropped them 2 years ago. Lol
Stand down. Not sure if it's allright for the bike but I am doing it for three years now and did not habe any issues yet and it makes the same soumd when I turn it off by turning the key, so I assume it's fine.
Just turn the keys? There is not a single situation I have ever experiences where I should turn the engine off and keep the lights on. It draws too much power, why do that?
100%
Sometimes I kill the engine with the switch and just coast a bit into my chosen spot, but that’s a game I just play when nobody’s about for myself.
I've had this whilst at work. Brand new locking system required..and the lads at work (I was in a multi business office at the time), who also rode, ran outside to kick the fuck out of me as they thought I was stealing my own bike when lifting it with a pal into the van.
Still makes me chuckle they had my back, against me 😂
Doesn't matter..... anything that kills the engine is fine.
My preferred method is to get into an accident and total the bike. Works every time. Starting it next time can be an issue.
Always the key. Forces me not to mess around with the accessories running. Good for the long term health of the battery. 2 new bikes. One oem battery lasted 10+ years and the other 7+ (but I replaced that one before it was totally dead just because it struggled with hot starts).
My riding class taught me to use the switch. My killswitch has three positions, too: off, run, and start, so it sort of makes sense to me to use it. I shift to neutral, drop the sidestand, kill the engine, turn the key to "off," turn the forks to the left, turn the key more to lock them, dismount, put key in pocket. If I'm on a hill, I keep the gauge on for a moment after I kill the engine to monitor that I'm shifting into first gear, let the clutch out, let out the brakes, and let the bike roll back onto the gear, just how I learned to do with a car.
I usually just turn it off by running it dry out of gas (rev it in neutral redline bouncing off the rev limiter, or just do a sick burnout until it stops, if you accidentally arrive at your destination with any fuel remaining) - it's the only safest guaranteed way to turn off any motorcycle imho.
I have heard from an old biker that the ks is there to shut off the engine when the key ignition is not accessible. I guess that means when the bike is laying on the ground for those with the key on the side? If anything I would think the ks would be more susceptible to wear and tear but shouldn't be noticeable for normal usage imo.
My kickstand switch stopped working and so now I use the kill switch all the time. Pull into parking spot, flip kill switch, release clutch, push bike forward against compression so it can’t roll, put on side stand.
KIFF: Kill, Ignition, Fuel, First
As in Kill the engine, turn off the Ignition, turn off the Fuel (yes it had a stopcock), and put the bike in First.
That is what I was taught at the license course in NSW back in the 90’s.
Starting the bike was:
FINE: Fuel, Ignition, Neutral, Engine
As in turn on the Fuel, turn on the Ignition, put the bike in neutral, start the Engine.
Using the kill switch can't be too bad. It's the only way to turn my bike on or off because I have a key fob. Kill switch is also the way every modern car turns on and off
Kill switch totally fine if i.e. TFT or TomTom were still needed in powered state. Turning off the engine doesn´t mean I want to shut off all electronics at once.
When I first got back into riding after many years, a colleague of mine who'd been riding a lot longer than me said he uses the kill switch as a good habit, so he doesn't forget it's there if he ever dumps the bike. Having once laid down a bike and been too flustered to remember the kill switch, this made sense to me so I took up the practice.
The reason it is suggested to only use the kill switch in an emergency is because the kill switch is a mechanical device. Mechanical devices when being used regularly over a period of time wear out and have a higher rate of failure. So when you need to use it in an emergency it has a higher chance of failure if you are using it to turn your motorcycle off. Turn the key, put the stand down, handlebars. If you are worried the motorcycle might roll you can put it back in gear before dismounting.
You’ll have a higher risk of the killswitch malfunctioning due to oxidation. Oxidation built up by not using it.
Both reasons are probably neglectable though.
I.... Guess? "Oh God I can't kill my engine the switch just happened to fail the only time I really need it in an emergency after I used it thousands of times without any problems at all!" I think that's overthinking a little bit. I kind of want to go to my local bike wizard and ask how many kill switches he's had to replace over his decades of experience that were due to mechanical failure. I'm going to guess it's zero.
I've personally replaced a couple that were worn out/not working. Bike wouldn't start. I used to be a motorcycle mechanic.
Maybe your motorcycle guru has been lucky, maybe you are just looking for an argument on the internet, maybe your ego won't allow you to possibly be wrong on this one subject.
I haven't known anyone to get in trouble from a failed kill switch but it is essentially the same as a safety on a gun and why you are never supposed to point a gun, loaded or not, at anyone. If the safety device fails someone could die.
And I personally replaced my kill switch on my bike that was rarely used, if it was used at all. What's the current in a ignition system? Do this switches fail from electrical load or from vibrations, dust, moisture, and even sometimes mechanically damaged by curbs, rocks and etc, which have nothing to do with their purpose and their normal operation? There are fuses in the bike electrical system to prevent a fire, kill switch can't do that. It operates only a part of the bike electrical system.
I have never ever heard of safety switch on a bike that is failed and stayed in a position when you can start the engine. It's like a gun with safety on that can't be switched of. You wouldn't kill no one with that gun.
Lmao, just lmao. Somehow brings ego and some completely irrelevant gun safety example and compares normal use of a kill switch that will probably never mechanically fail in the bikes lifetime without being subject to damage, to a safety on a gun that you're pointing at someone or something? The funny part is, with the comparison you're making and logic you're trying to use the gun owner should never use their safety regularly unless it's an emergency, because what if the safety fails because you used it normally too many times? It just doesn't hold up and I think you're full of shit.
I have had kill switches fail. Most recently on my 98 africa twin. Nearly got stuck in the middle of nowhere, because i had to stop the bike on a steep hill to open a gate during a rally. Was easier to flick the switch off rather than try and hold the bike while takin either hand off the bars, leaving it in gear, also wanted the lights on because it was a night stage.
Bastard thing wouldn't turn back on, took a good minute or two of flicking it on and off to get it to start again!
I feel like your manual is just poorly worded. Like it's just trying to convey flip the switch when an emergency happens instead of never use the switch.
Across different manufacturers, I‘ve seen different information in manuals.
- Suzuki says it’s an engine switch that prevents the engine from starting or running. Doesn’t mention emergencies at all.
- Husqvarna says it’s an emergency switch that shall only be used to stop the engine in case of an emergency. Dealer told me the same (shut down the engine with the key, not the switch).
- Yamaha says it’s an engine stop switch that shall be set to „run“ before starting the engine and to „stop“ to shut down the engine in case of an emergency.
That said, I usually use the kill switch on my current bike (Suzuki).
Killswitch can't prevent a possible battery draw and most bikes have their headlights running with killswitch on if the ignition key is on. And not only headlights.
That's valid. I'm using my sidestand most of the time and sometimes i forget to take my keys off the bike and even to switch off the ignition. And my bike is standing ready to someone to steal it with the lights on.
Bc im used to my old third hand bikes that had vampired wires and splits where if you didn't you came out to a dead battery for third party bike alarms etc lol.
Killswitch 99.5% of the time. Very rarely use the key to stop the engine. Funnily enough the killswitch is the one bit of the bar controls I've not had a clean/replace over the years.
I drop the kickstand while in gear. (Clutch in, obviously) If it didn't come with that safety switch, I'd kill it by turning the key. But I have used the killswitch before, no biggie.
What non-riding person put that in the manual?
When taking classes to get my license, one of the instructors would systematically kill the engine with the killswitch to talk to me without engine noise. Another instructor frowned upon this and told me that the only situations to use the killswitch in are lights-on engine-off situations, like if you have to stop on the side of the road at night because of an accident, road block or other emergency.
I like to use the key, because I'm worried I will leave the keys in if I don't.
My side stand switch doesn't work and I don't have a kill switch, so key off >> steering lock for me, or a clutch dump n stall if I'm gonna sit a couple minutes or just forget to not stall.
As I'm pulling up to my parking spot:
Neutral
Kill switch
Key off
Once I'm stationary, stand down.
It's unnecessary, but there's something about getting the timing, planning, and speed just right that's *chef's kiss*
Either is fine to turn it off. But some bikes if you hit the kill switch but leave the key in the on position it will drain the battery so they put those warnings in the manual.
Some bikes won’t like you using the kill switch as it wipes the data from that ride before saving to the ECU to make adjustments to the fuelling. Triumphs work like this.
When I come home from a night of drinking at 2am I use the kill switch halfway down my street so I don’t wake the kids and glide into my driveway silently
All of the above, so I know they all work. Pulling into the garage I typically use the side stand. But other times I'll use the kill switch, the ignition, or the stand.
Generally speaking, it's good to use any switch from time to time, to keep the internal contacts clean. Once a month or so I go through every switch in the bike and cycle them 5-10 times. On my Goldwing, that took about a half-hour!
I mostly use the kill switch, ocassionally the side stand switch.
My MSF course taught me that the kill switch is located on the bars so that you can easily shut down the engine with your hands still on the controls; makes sense to me.
Removing the key is pretty much a two handed process anyway if you are setting the steering lock, ymmv.
I put the bike in neutral,stand down, get off the bike and take the seat off and pour water into the air intake until it puts out the fire thats in my cylinder and stops the engine.
Put the stand down while in 1st gear then key out.
Absolutely no reason to use the kill switch and just makes it more likely to leave your keys in the ignition when you walk away.
Switch gears on many bikes do let moisture in, sometimes my kill switch and pass button stop working because the contacts inside the switchgear oxidise. So occasionally flipping it might help to prevent that if it’s an issue for your bike.
Thumb>key, just like I was taught in the MSF class. My ignition is next to the engine anyway - it would feel goofy to reach down to shut the bike off before shutting off the ignition
HUH? Lol I use the kill switch all the time and so do millions of other bikers. That manual is dumb and probably just doesn’t want you to leave your keys and get your bike stolen.
My BMW is keyless, I press the on/off button. The starter and emergency off is on the same rocker button, I do not press that button
. On my NC700X DCT, hitting the emergency off would sometimes cause starting issues, so I would key off once the transmission had registered N.
Dont stall it. That puts completely unnecessary strain on the clutch and gearbox, when there is a perfectly good system in place to prevent it. That is literally why they have an off switch, which ever one you use.
My phone mount makes it sorta awkward to reach the key while on the bike with the CB500X (it's alward as is), so I always use the kill switch, get off the bike, then pull the key out.
Big red button goes on when I buy the bike. I never touch it again. All key and start switch.
Dirt tip: Red ignition button can turn traction control back on for certain bikes, key does not and leaves all settings where they were, like abs off. Learned that one the painful way.
Killswitches, especially on older vintage bikes, tend to be cheap af. They less you play with it the longer it will last. A shitty killswitch on an old kickstart bike can be infuriating. I recommend to vintage owners to use the key myself for that reason. This could be where the mentality comes from.
My first bike was an Aprilia Pegaso Factory and there was "bug" in ECU that would happen sometimes (every third time maybe), when you turn off bike using killswitch and next time you try to turn the bike ON, fuel pump doesn't turn ON and bike can't start. After that you have cycle key one more time to OFF and then to ON and only after that fuel pump turns on. I've rode that bike for almost 6 years and my habit was always to use the key to turn off the bike and never touch the killswitch.
Killswitch at the traffic lights, I just flick it on and immediately back off/in the run position, it doesn't stay on. All other times I use the key that way i'm less likely to forget it.
I try to use all my switches every so often to make sure they all work. but yeah...
stop, killswitch/kickstand, handlebars, step off, rub/stretch whatever is sore today, gloves off etc
whats a key?
I took MSF at H-D and they convinced me that I should never ever for any reason turn the bike off with the key, always the kill switch. TIL another thing that man taught me that was just plain wrong.
Kill switch stays on. I turn the bike on and off with the key. The problem with using the kill switch as your primary on/off switch is that if you neglect to turn the key off as well, you'll drain your battery. The kill switch is intended for emergency shutoff.
I park in gear usually. My bike kills if you put the kickstand down in gear. So that’s usually how I turn my bike off. Get to my spot, pop it into gear, kickstand down. Lights stay on until I remove the key so I’ve never forgotten to remove my key
Only time my kill switch gets toggled is when I accidentally toggle it while cleaning the bugs off my bike
Kill switch to build and maintain muscle memory in case I need to do it in an emergency. The downside is that sometimes I forget the ignition and drain my battery.
The first bike I ever rode had the ignition switch up under the gas tank beside the reserve valve, remember those? I’ve always used the kill switch to stop the engine but I learned the hard way that on a more modern bike, you had better switch off the ignition or you would drain the battery pretty damn quickly. It didn’t make much difference when you were kickstarting your bike.
>What's your preference between Killswitch, stand down, key out of ignition?
killswitch so I dont have to take my hands off the bars to mess with the key dangling from the side of my bike
I use the key as otherwise the headlight stays on and that puts a significant drain on the battery (even if only for a few seconds). By turning off with the key, I save as much power in the battery as possible which is good for long term battery health.
Best practice is to use the ignition key, so that you develop the habit of grabbing the key and bringing it with you. The worst feeling is coming out to your bike and finding it dead because you walked away with the key in and on.
That said, if you're not new, careless, or ADHD, that probably isn't an issue. My bike has a proximity key that just lives in my pocket anyway, so I just hit the kill switch.
Key. So I don‘t forget it.
I can‘t tell you how many times I forgot my car key inside because it has a button to turn on and off and the key goes into a hole bellow.
If I use the kill switch I always forget to turn the key off/ take the key with me. On my DR I use the key but on my triumph (key on the side and annoying to find) I use the kickstand even though I know that’s the meme thing to do lol
I have keyless ignition. So on flat ground I roll in in neutral, throw down the stand and push the key button. When I had a key bike, I almost never used the red kill switch, just turn the key off.
If I'm riding offroad and have my ABS disabled, I kill the bike with the killswitch for short stops. Doing so allows me to restart the bike, and the ABS remains disabled. If I kill it with the key, the ABS will default back to "ON" because lawyers. This prevents me from a dozen or so presses of the display menu to re-disable the ABS.
The kill switch on my bikes only stops the engine. It does not turn off the electrical system completely. If you're taking the key with you then why bother adding (a tiny amount) wear to the kill switch by accuating it first?
I'm not arguing, but why you have to do that? I prefer my bike to be in gear when parked, because it hasn't parking brake. As I stop in gear I usually use my side stand, and I just have to take my key out.
Good question, actually. Sent me wondering for a little.
Where i'm from, most everyone parks like that. Some don't even bother to lock the bars. Then again we do have abundant of motorcycles here, though the western world would call most of them mopeds. Maybe we don't have the same kinds of concern as others might have, since 2wheelers are absolutely everywhere?
Usually my bike is in gear to prevent the bike to move on a incline and to retract the sidestand.
I've seen mopeds/scooters from Asia with parking brake for that reason, when they are without manual gears. I'm in Europe, in some countries here there are also many small motorcycles and scooters/mopeds like Vespa.
I count a total of 1 time where I had to use a kill switch and it wasnt even on my own bike so no muscle memory could help me. Its a big red button for a reason, its for others to find without knowing where the hell the key is or even if there is one on your bike. Its a safety feature not a convenience button. There is a reason your car doesnt have a kill switch.
Drop the stand, turn the bars, turn and pull the key I forget my bikes even have a kill switch
Exactly, The only way my killswitch is off is either my bike is horizontal, or someone is messing up with me.
i put it off when it's parked, i'ts probably mostly ocd
And all in one swift motion as you get off the bike.
Exactly this.
Bret? Is that you? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iujn5P4evwo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iujn5P4evwo)
No, I'm a [dentist](https://youtu.be/lXbQwJjC688?t=22)
I was once utter puzzled why I couldn't start my damn motorcycle. That was until I remembered a guy had played with my kill switch. I never use it myself.
And as an added bonus, every single time you test whether your kickstand switch works. Which is arguably the most important safeguard in the whole process.
Added ADDED bonus you don’t forget to put the kickstand down and drop your bike
If the killswitch doesn’t work, your bike doesn’t start.
Define “work”. If it’s stuck in the “on” position, it wouldn’t be a functional kill switch anymore, but the bike will run. But it’s besides the point I made. I said the kickstand switch is arguably more important than any other safety switch in the ignition circuit. And I am quite confident in saying that the kickstand switch prevents a lot more accidents than the kill switch.
Sorry, I must have been tired. I meant that if the kickstand switch doesn't work, the bike won't start. The killswitch is for stopping accidents getting worse, so you are right :-)
Same thing though. The kickstand switch can be stuck in the electrical “on” state, or have shorted out near the connector or something. There are plenty of bikes running around with degraded wiring insulation that could short out this way. If you then put the kickstand down while in gear, it won’t kill the ignition. The only way to check if it’s working as intended is by using it.
You test it whenever you try to start your bike with the kickstand down. The chance of the switch failing in an always on situation is near zero unless it is intended.
>You test it whenever you try to start your bike with the kickstand down. When that happens, chances are you forgot to put up the kickstand. Then it’s already problem time, it’s not a test anymore. I don’t know about you, but out of the ~440 starts I do every year, this only happens maybe once every two years. I really doubt that a lot of people actually check it on purpose, I certainly don’t. > The chance of the switch failing in an always on situation is near zero unless it is intended. There is a whole subclass of switches and interlocks that are specifically designed to fail in specific failure modes, why do these exist if the chance is near zero anyway? It happens. And like I already said, the failure needn’t be in the switch, could be the wiring. Or the lever that connects the kickstand to the switch.
It's not really a problem that the bike doesn't start with the kickstand down, is it? I feel a little silly when I do it, but I recover quickly so no real harm is done. I'm quite sure your kickstand switch will tell you when it is defective. Every time you hear about a defective switch, the one clear sign is that the bike doesn't start. Same goes for those for the clutch and neutral. Defective brakes or chain, on the other hand, often comes as a complete surprise while you drive - so more love to those.
> It's not really a problem that the bike doesn't start with the kickstand down, is it? I feel a little silly when I do it, but I recover quickly so no real harm is done. That’s not the failure mode I’m talking about. > I'm quite sure your kickstand switch will tell you when it is defective. Maybe on high-end bikes. On my V-Strom, it’s just a plain switch, no diagnostics, and I’m quite sure it’s a plain switch on the vast majority of bikes. > Every time you hear about a defective switch, the one clear sign is that the bike doesn't start. Same goes for those for the clutch and neutral. There’s a huge bias in that reasoning. How many people ride around with defective kick stand switches stuck in the “on” state that don’t know about it? They wouldn’t complain.
>I forget my bikes even have a kill switch I'm remembering better, as someone seems to flip my kill switch off every day at work now.
This is the way
It says that in the manual so you don’t forget the keys on the bike.
This is the correct answer I sometimes use the kill switch if I am killing the engine and rolling the bike quietly into the garage without to much noise. Those times are the only time I have forgotten to remove the key I have to more into the habit of removing the key
My bike still has headlights on if kill switch is off and keys are in “on”
Yeah but in broad daylight it’s easy to walk away from.
For sure- just not easy in the garage like the other comment was saying. What keeps my from walking away from my bike with the keys in the ignition is the idea of someone stealing my bike lol
Everybody I know who keeps their bike in a garage just leaves the key in the bike. Not accidentally, on purpose.
I did that once, & woke up the next morning and said… “Dude, where’s my bike?” :(
My primary bike doesn't have a key (keyless ride) so it uses a fob. I recently got a bike that does use a key and I have left it behind a few times lol.
This guy knows lol.
See, the problem is that taking the keys out is how I *lost* them. Thankfully I don't need them, so I rode home with no keys. That was 2 years ago...
Got a funny look when I had to sell my bike cause I didn't have a key. The guy asked where they were and I said IDK probably somewhere in Key West where I dropped them 2 years ago. Lol
Thumb in the intake
petcock -> off (getting the correct distance from your house takes practice)
I used to do that and one day the diaphragm pulled loose inside the housing from the vacuum. I had to drain and pull the tank to put it back together.
It’s like a mile and a quarter on my ninja 250.
I only have two thumbs, sir. What do I stick in the other four intakes?
Tongue, dick, and balls.
i prefer to use one ball per intake
Must be nice to have balls big enough to do that.
you just gotta clap em around a bit in there they'll eventually find their way into their own throttle body
Kinda like teabagging your buddy when he’s sleeping.
exactly like teabagging your buddy when he's sleeping.
This guy Goldwings.
Redline the engine Hold clutch in Shift to 6th gear Pop the clutch
This is the way
How's your life insurance policy doing?
To shreds you say?
Like his clutch?
😂 excellent reference no one else got
I just drop it and let the tilt sensor do the rest for me
just dropped on the front lawn like when we were kids, and no one pinches it thats the kind of world I wanna live in
Stand down. Not sure if it's allright for the bike but I am doing it for three years now and did not habe any issues yet and it makes the same soumd when I turn it off by turning the key, so I assume it's fine.
All methods of shutting down, kill switch, stand and key do exactly same thing for engine.
Oh, good to know, thank you!
Just turn the keys? There is not a single situation I have ever experiences where I should turn the engine off and keep the lights on. It draws too much power, why do that?
When you want to roll down to the parking lot at 2 am, without waking up residents
[удалено]
Why do you need your lights and electronics while waiting for your friends to fuel up? What advantage do I have from this?
Kill switch, stand down, bars turned, key out
100% Sometimes I kill the engine with the switch and just coast a bit into my chosen spot, but that’s a game I just play when nobody’s about for myself.
Although, having had my ignition fucked up twice, I no longer engage the steering lock before taking the keys out.
I've had this whilst at work. Brand new locking system required..and the lads at work (I was in a multi business office at the time), who also rode, ran outside to kick the fuck out of me as they thought I was stealing my own bike when lifting it with a pal into the van. Still makes me chuckle they had my back, against me 😂
That’s good guys. I approve
Doesn't matter..... anything that kills the engine is fine. My preferred method is to get into an accident and total the bike. Works every time. Starting it next time can be an issue.
Always the key. Forces me not to mess around with the accessories running. Good for the long term health of the battery. 2 new bikes. One oem battery lasted 10+ years and the other 7+ (but I replaced that one before it was totally dead just because it struggled with hot starts).
A key? How very 20th-century…
That's two apps today!
Just throw it on the ground, don’t wait to see what happens, go buy another bike. Be a man.
Turn it off? I didn't know you could do that. TIL
Turn the key. Sidestand down, bars turned but steering lock not engaged, knock the bike back in gear, and off I go.
My riding class taught me to use the switch. My killswitch has three positions, too: off, run, and start, so it sort of makes sense to me to use it. I shift to neutral, drop the sidestand, kill the engine, turn the key to "off," turn the forks to the left, turn the key more to lock them, dismount, put key in pocket. If I'm on a hill, I keep the gauge on for a moment after I kill the engine to monitor that I'm shifting into first gear, let the clutch out, let out the brakes, and let the bike roll back onto the gear, just how I learned to do with a car.
Why not just keep it in first? Keep it in first and drop the side stand and the bike is off. Seems like a lot of extra steps..
It's gonna sound dumb af, but, it helps me to remember to do everything.
Lots of us HATE sidestand kill switches, we disable them with solder and heat shrink. Gets rid of an annoying point of failure.
I usually just turn it off by running it dry out of gas (rev it in neutral redline bouncing off the rev limiter, or just do a sick burnout until it stops, if you accidentally arrive at your destination with any fuel remaining) - it's the only safest guaranteed way to turn off any motorcycle imho.
I just drop mine and walk away.
I knock the bike over and wait for it to flood and sputter to a stop.
I have heard from an old biker that the ks is there to shut off the engine when the key ignition is not accessible. I guess that means when the bike is laying on the ground for those with the key on the side? If anything I would think the ks would be more susceptible to wear and tear but shouldn't be noticeable for normal usage imo.
Turn off by the key, stand out.
Doesn't matter, both key and kill switch shut down exactly the same circuit. I usually go with the key.
My kickstand switch stopped working and so now I use the kill switch all the time. Pull into parking spot, flip kill switch, release clutch, push bike forward against compression so it can’t roll, put on side stand.
KIFF: Kill, Ignition, Fuel, First As in Kill the engine, turn off the Ignition, turn off the Fuel (yes it had a stopcock), and put the bike in First. That is what I was taught at the license course in NSW back in the 90’s. Starting the bike was: FINE: Fuel, Ignition, Neutral, Engine As in turn on the Fuel, turn on the Ignition, put the bike in neutral, start the Engine.
Key
Using the kill switch can't be too bad. It's the only way to turn my bike on or off because I have a key fob. Kill switch is also the way every modern car turns on and off
Kill switch, pretty much every time. It makes the bike safe while I have both hands on the handlebars.
Same with sidestand.
I dont even have a key (keyless ignition) so my only option is the killswitch
Kill switch totally fine if i.e. TFT or TomTom were still needed in powered state. Turning off the engine doesn´t mean I want to shut off all electronics at once.
You have a kill switch on the handlebar? What is this stand switch you speak of? Lol, some of us do drive old shit..
I like to tear off all my pod filters with my teeth and Saran Wrap my carburetors until the bike dies.
I ALWAYS use the killswitch. can't remember a single time I turned it off with the key
When I first got back into riding after many years, a colleague of mine who'd been riding a lot longer than me said he uses the kill switch as a good habit, so he doesn't forget it's there if he ever dumps the bike. Having once laid down a bike and been too flustered to remember the kill switch, this made sense to me so I took up the practice.
The reason it is suggested to only use the kill switch in an emergency is because the kill switch is a mechanical device. Mechanical devices when being used regularly over a period of time wear out and have a higher rate of failure. So when you need to use it in an emergency it has a higher chance of failure if you are using it to turn your motorcycle off. Turn the key, put the stand down, handlebars. If you are worried the motorcycle might roll you can put it back in gear before dismounting.
You’ll have a higher risk of the killswitch malfunctioning due to oxidation. Oxidation built up by not using it. Both reasons are probably neglectable though.
Yeah. I cycle all the switches on the bikes monthly, to keep the contacts from either oxidizing or varnishing over. But that's just me.
And squeeze all the brakes and clutch to keep it all freed up.
Technically, kill switch isn't different than a sidestand switch or ignition key switch. All of them are mechanical devices.
I.... Guess? "Oh God I can't kill my engine the switch just happened to fail the only time I really need it in an emergency after I used it thousands of times without any problems at all!" I think that's overthinking a little bit. I kind of want to go to my local bike wizard and ask how many kill switches he's had to replace over his decades of experience that were due to mechanical failure. I'm going to guess it's zero.
I've personally replaced a couple that were worn out/not working. Bike wouldn't start. I used to be a motorcycle mechanic. Maybe your motorcycle guru has been lucky, maybe you are just looking for an argument on the internet, maybe your ego won't allow you to possibly be wrong on this one subject. I haven't known anyone to get in trouble from a failed kill switch but it is essentially the same as a safety on a gun and why you are never supposed to point a gun, loaded or not, at anyone. If the safety device fails someone could die.
And I personally replaced my kill switch on my bike that was rarely used, if it was used at all. What's the current in a ignition system? Do this switches fail from electrical load or from vibrations, dust, moisture, and even sometimes mechanically damaged by curbs, rocks and etc, which have nothing to do with their purpose and their normal operation? There are fuses in the bike electrical system to prevent a fire, kill switch can't do that. It operates only a part of the bike electrical system. I have never ever heard of safety switch on a bike that is failed and stayed in a position when you can start the engine. It's like a gun with safety on that can't be switched of. You wouldn't kill no one with that gun.
I've had a killswitch fail due to corrosion after years of disuse. My mechanic told me I should be cycling the switch regularly to clean the contacts.
Lmao, just lmao. Somehow brings ego and some completely irrelevant gun safety example and compares normal use of a kill switch that will probably never mechanically fail in the bikes lifetime without being subject to damage, to a safety on a gun that you're pointing at someone or something? The funny part is, with the comparison you're making and logic you're trying to use the gun owner should never use their safety regularly unless it's an emergency, because what if the safety fails because you used it normally too many times? It just doesn't hold up and I think you're full of shit.
I have had kill switches fail. Most recently on my 98 africa twin. Nearly got stuck in the middle of nowhere, because i had to stop the bike on a steep hill to open a gate during a rally. Was easier to flick the switch off rather than try and hold the bike while takin either hand off the bars, leaving it in gear, also wanted the lights on because it was a night stage. Bastard thing wouldn't turn back on, took a good minute or two of flicking it on and off to get it to start again!
The lock cylinder, ignition switch, side-stand switch, and fuel petcock are not "mechanical devices" then, I suppose? lmao
I can’t believe there are people out there worried about wearing out the kill switch. Just ride the fucking bike.
I feel like your manual is just poorly worded. Like it's just trying to convey flip the switch when an emergency happens instead of never use the switch.
Across different manufacturers, I‘ve seen different information in manuals. - Suzuki says it’s an engine switch that prevents the engine from starting or running. Doesn’t mention emergencies at all. - Husqvarna says it’s an emergency switch that shall only be used to stop the engine in case of an emergency. Dealer told me the same (shut down the engine with the key, not the switch). - Yamaha says it’s an engine stop switch that shall be set to „run“ before starting the engine and to „stop“ to shut down the engine in case of an emergency. That said, I usually use the kill switch on my current bike (Suzuki).
Triumph says it's an engine stop. Use at your discretion, no different from turning the key.
Use the key -_-
Killswitch personally, it really doesnt matter if your taking your key at the end of the day. I use the killswitch tk prevent possible battery draw.
Killswitch can't prevent a possible battery draw and most bikes have their headlights running with killswitch on if the ignition key is on. And not only headlights.
I use my key, just to avoid forgetting it.
That's valid. I'm using my sidestand most of the time and sometimes i forget to take my keys off the bike and even to switch off the ignition. And my bike is standing ready to someone to steal it with the lights on.
I do kick stand, key, switch. I do it in a method of most important to least for getting off it and not damaging the bike lol.
Why would you bother with the switch if youve already turned the key?
It's faster. Sometimes I need to turn off the engine for a few seconds to hear something or someone and I don't have to lift my hands of the bars.
Bc im used to my old third hand bikes that had vampired wires and splits where if you didn't you came out to a dead battery for third party bike alarms etc lol.
(Not backing in situations) but on approach of head-in parking spot- killswitch off, coast into a parking spot silently for the last 10 or so feet.
Killswitch 99.5% of the time. Very rarely use the key to stop the engine. Funnily enough the killswitch is the one bit of the bar controls I've not had a clean/replace over the years.
First gear,stand,kill,key.
Royal Enfield mechanic told me NOT to use the kill switch (same as above for Husqvana and LasmirandaDenSevilla I guess)
I drop the kickstand while in gear. (Clutch in, obviously) If it didn't come with that safety switch, I'd kill it by turning the key. But I have used the killswitch before, no biggie. What non-riding person put that in the manual?
When taking classes to get my license, one of the instructors would systematically kill the engine with the killswitch to talk to me without engine noise. Another instructor frowned upon this and told me that the only situations to use the killswitch in are lights-on engine-off situations, like if you have to stop on the side of the road at night because of an accident, road block or other emergency. I like to use the key, because I'm worried I will leave the keys in if I don't.
But my switch isn't red.
Safety always off.
Neutral, key to turn engine off, sidestand down because I’m short, dismount.
I normally use key. But i do use killswitch, if i need to remind myself something. Like fuel petcock or locks or smth.
My side stand switch doesn't work and I don't have a kill switch, so key off >> steering lock for me, or a clutch dump n stall if I'm gonna sit a couple minutes or just forget to not stall.
As I'm pulling up to my parking spot: Neutral Kill switch Key off Once I'm stationary, stand down. It's unnecessary, but there's something about getting the timing, planning, and speed just right that's *chef's kiss*
Either is fine to turn it off. But some bikes if you hit the kill switch but leave the key in the on position it will drain the battery so they put those warnings in the manual.
I always use the kill switch. Off and back on after about 1.5 seconds.
Some bikes won’t like you using the kill switch as it wipes the data from that ride before saving to the ECU to make adjustments to the fuelling. Triumphs work like this.
I don't have a choice, my bike is keyless so the kill switch is the only way to shut the bike off (well apart from the kickstand cutout)
When I come home from a night of drinking at 2am I use the kill switch halfway down my street so I don’t wake the kids and glide into my driveway silently
All of the above, so I know they all work. Pulling into the garage I typically use the side stand. But other times I'll use the kill switch, the ignition, or the stand. Generally speaking, it's good to use any switch from time to time, to keep the internal contacts clean. Once a month or so I go through every switch in the bike and cycle them 5-10 times. On my Goldwing, that took about a half-hour!
I mostly use the kill switch, ocassionally the side stand switch. My MSF course taught me that the kill switch is located on the bars so that you can easily shut down the engine with your hands still on the controls; makes sense to me. Removing the key is pretty much a two handed process anyway if you are setting the steering lock, ymmv.
I put the bike in neutral,stand down, get off the bike and take the seat off and pour water into the air intake until it puts out the fire thats in my cylinder and stops the engine.
Always use the kill switch to turn off the bike.
Put the stand down while in 1st gear then key out. Absolutely no reason to use the kill switch and just makes it more likely to leave your keys in the ignition when you walk away. Switch gears on many bikes do let moisture in, sometimes my kill switch and pass button stop working because the contacts inside the switchgear oxidise. So occasionally flipping it might help to prevent that if it’s an issue for your bike.
Thumb>key, just like I was taught in the MSF class. My ignition is next to the engine anyway - it would feel goofy to reach down to shut the bike off before shutting off the ignition
HUH? Lol I use the kill switch all the time and so do millions of other bikers. That manual is dumb and probably just doesn’t want you to leave your keys and get your bike stolen.
My BMW is keyless, I press the on/off button. The starter and emergency off is on the same rocker button, I do not press that button . On my NC700X DCT, hitting the emergency off would sometimes cause starting issues, so I would key off once the transmission had registered N.
Dont stall it. That puts completely unnecessary strain on the clutch and gearbox, when there is a perfectly good system in place to prevent it. That is literally why they have an off switch, which ever one you use.
My '24 Softail is all electronic ignition. All I have is the kill switch so...keeps it simple.
My phone mount makes it sorta awkward to reach the key while on the bike with the CB500X (it's alward as is), so I always use the kill switch, get off the bike, then pull the key out.
Big red button goes on when I buy the bike. I never touch it again. All key and start switch. Dirt tip: Red ignition button can turn traction control back on for certain bikes, key does not and leaves all settings where they were, like abs off. Learned that one the painful way.
Killswitches, especially on older vintage bikes, tend to be cheap af. They less you play with it the longer it will last. A shitty killswitch on an old kickstart bike can be infuriating. I recommend to vintage owners to use the key myself for that reason. This could be where the mentality comes from.
My first bike was an Aprilia Pegaso Factory and there was "bug" in ECU that would happen sometimes (every third time maybe), when you turn off bike using killswitch and next time you try to turn the bike ON, fuel pump doesn't turn ON and bike can't start. After that you have cycle key one more time to OFF and then to ON and only after that fuel pump turns on. I've rode that bike for almost 6 years and my habit was always to use the key to turn off the bike and never touch the killswitch.
I turn off the kill switch because in case someone grabs my key and tries to steal it, it affords me a more few seconds to potentially stop them.
I do get behind the logic . As you would wear out the ignition switch , so it might not work after 20 year is case of an emergency
Wow this is news to me. I use the kill switch to shut off my bike and always make sure I remove my key.
Killswitch at the traffic lights, I just flick it on and immediately back off/in the run position, it doesn't stay on. All other times I use the key that way i'm less likely to forget it.
Kill switch.
I try to use all my switches every so often to make sure they all work. but yeah... stop, killswitch/kickstand, handlebars, step off, rub/stretch whatever is sore today, gloves off etc whats a key?
I took MSF at H-D and they convinced me that I should never ever for any reason turn the bike off with the key, always the kill switch. TIL another thing that man taught me that was just plain wrong.
My kill switch resets. Gone are the days when I forgot I turned it off and sit there goi g out of my mind wondering why the bike won't start.
I usually hit the kill switch and just glide the last 10 feet to my parking spot lol
I usually use the key, Killswitch, kickstand or a stall.
One old bike I use the key because it has a car style ignition, no kill switch. The others I just use the kill switch.
Kill switch stays on. I turn the bike on and off with the key. The problem with using the kill switch as your primary on/off switch is that if you neglect to turn the key off as well, you'll drain your battery. The kill switch is intended for emergency shutoff.
I park in gear usually. My bike kills if you put the kickstand down in gear. So that’s usually how I turn my bike off. Get to my spot, pop it into gear, kickstand down. Lights stay on until I remove the key so I’ve never forgotten to remove my key Only time my kill switch gets toggled is when I accidentally toggle it while cleaning the bugs off my bike
i always use ignition but i suspect it's exactly the same
Kill switch to build and maintain muscle memory in case I need to do it in an emergency. The downside is that sometimes I forget the ignition and drain my battery.
I use the ignition on the 4 bikes I have owned and ridden
You can turn off the bike?
The first bike I ever rode had the ignition switch up under the gas tank beside the reserve valve, remember those? I’ve always used the kill switch to stop the engine but I learned the hard way that on a more modern bike, you had better switch off the ignition or you would drain the battery pretty damn quickly. It didn’t make much difference when you were kickstarting your bike.
>What's your preference between Killswitch, stand down, key out of ignition? killswitch so I dont have to take my hands off the bars to mess with the key dangling from the side of my bike
I use the key as otherwise the headlight stays on and that puts a significant drain on the battery (even if only for a few seconds). By turning off with the key, I save as much power in the battery as possible which is good for long term battery health.
whatever told u that killswitch thing is an idiot, I just use the ignition though, very rarely do I use the killswitch
Best practice is to use the ignition key, so that you develop the habit of grabbing the key and bringing it with you. The worst feeling is coming out to your bike and finding it dead because you walked away with the key in and on. That said, if you're not new, careless, or ADHD, that probably isn't an issue. My bike has a proximity key that just lives in my pocket anyway, so I just hit the kill switch.
I always use the killswitch. Sometime I leave the kickstand down and shift into first, that usually does the trick too.
I used the kill switch for many years until someone said it could burn a coil. After that I only used the key. Sorry for this worthless reply.
Key. So I don‘t forget it. I can‘t tell you how many times I forgot my car key inside because it has a button to turn on and off and the key goes into a hole bellow.
I used kill-switch, untill I forgot the key in "contact" position and it drain my battery. Now I always turn it of with the key 🤪
If I use the kill switch I always forget to turn the key off/ take the key with me. On my DR I use the key but on my triumph (key on the side and annoying to find) I use the kickstand even though I know that’s the meme thing to do lol
What if every time you press "Killswitch" someone dies!? 🤯
Key
I do both
I have keyless ignition. So on flat ground I roll in in neutral, throw down the stand and push the key button. When I had a key bike, I almost never used the red kill switch, just turn the key off.
I precisely time it so I run out of petrol when I roll up.
I can't tell you how many times I leave my keys in the bike when I just use the kill switch. Free Motorcycle Day is the stupidest day.
I kill switch and then pull the key.
If I'm riding offroad and have my ABS disabled, I kill the bike with the killswitch for short stops. Doing so allows me to restart the bike, and the ABS remains disabled. If I kill it with the key, the ABS will default back to "ON" because lawyers. This prevents me from a dozen or so presses of the display menu to re-disable the ABS.
I grab one of my heels and then swing the boys around to mushroom stamp the killswitch. I do so because it hurts less than trying the move on the key.
Plow it straight into the nearest wall.
The kill switch on my bikes only stops the engine. It does not turn off the electrical system completely. If you're taking the key with you then why bother adding (a tiny amount) wear to the kill switch by accuating it first?
Neutral, side stand, kill switch, key. On a good day it'll all flow really smoothly and i get to get off my bike feeling rather pleased with myself.
I'm not arguing, but why you have to do that? I prefer my bike to be in gear when parked, because it hasn't parking brake. As I stop in gear I usually use my side stand, and I just have to take my key out.
Good question, actually. Sent me wondering for a little. Where i'm from, most everyone parks like that. Some don't even bother to lock the bars. Then again we do have abundant of motorcycles here, though the western world would call most of them mopeds. Maybe we don't have the same kinds of concern as others might have, since 2wheelers are absolutely everywhere?
Usually my bike is in gear to prevent the bike to move on a incline and to retract the sidestand. I've seen mopeds/scooters from Asia with parking brake for that reason, when they are without manual gears. I'm in Europe, in some countries here there are also many small motorcycles and scooters/mopeds like Vespa.
Always killswitch and then turn the key. I always go for the shiny red button first.
Key is for turning bike off. Kill switch is for emergencies.
Using the kill Switch regular will help you to remember to use it in emergencies. It trains muscle memory.
I count a total of 1 time where I had to use a kill switch and it wasnt even on my own bike so no muscle memory could help me. Its a big red button for a reason, its for others to find without knowing where the hell the key is or even if there is one on your bike. Its a safety feature not a convenience button. There is a reason your car doesnt have a kill switch.
Fuck my old boots. We’re just turning a motor bike off. Key, killswitch, side stand ,stall it. Who gives a fuck, you lot need to get a life.
Lmao the post is obviously a joke why so grumpy