Engine Kill

[Smoked U]

Ditto everything on the safety issue/kill switch. Motorcycles have been wired with these things for decades. If it was a problem damaging components, I believe Honda, of all manufacturers, would have fixed it by now. Of course they still have a screwed up starter button on the handlebars.

You wreck your bike and break the key off in the ignition-kill switch.

You wreck your bike and the bike is laying on you and the ignition switch which you can't reach now (my first low side on Baby Vee)-kill switch.

You wreck your bike and break the kill switch off the handlebar-kill switch (no switch, no connection, bike dead now).

I'll be turning mine off under normal circumstances with the key (so as not to drain the battery down, yeah, I'm that blonde some days) and using the kill switch in emergencies (or flipping yours off when you are not looking just to jerk your roller chain  )

[L J VFR]

(or flipping yours off when you are not looking just to jerk your roller chain 


Wow, have you been watching me the last couple of years.  I specialize in this tactic!!!

[Smoked U]

(or flipping yours off when you are not looking just to jerk your roller chain 


Wow, have you been watching me the last couple of years.  I specialize in this tactic!!!

AH HA!!! We have been looking for you, mister.

He has confessed the crime.

Greg, I'll hold him down and you beat him with the wet Cat 'O Nine Spagetti Tails.

[dgc67]

The 1990 FZR400 I had would send a spike when you turned the key off.  I found this out because of an alarm I put on it.  I could not arm it due to that spike confusing it.  I literally had to put a 2nd keyed switch on it just to arm the alarm.

I use the switch most of the time because I like to kill the engine while I am still rolling, then quietly come to a stop.
I am sorry, but the reason of using the key so you don't forget to turn it off is pretty blonde.  I mean, come on the lights are all on still! 

[Greg Cothern]

I beleive that its the voltage spike killing the reg/rec...  We will see I gues..

[dgc67]

According to the alarm manufacturer that spike was normal and expected.  It is what was supposed to alert the alarm system that the key had been turned off and to arm after so many seconds.
If you turn the key off, back on and back off real quick the alarm detected 2 quick spikes and went into standby instead of arming.
The FZR400 sent 2 spikes when you turned the key off once, this is why mine would not arm.

My reason for boring you with that was to point out that the spike is a well known occurrence and I would hope the engineers would account for that when designing the reg/rec.  Not saying it is not the culprit, I just have my doubts.  My vote is still on heat.

[magnagregcan]

I always use the key to start and stop my motor. The kill switch is an emergency method of killing juice to the motor. Electricity does not know if you are using the kill switch or the key (dumb or what?!).All it knows is if there is a path for it to flow or not. It has no impact what-so-ever on any of the electrical components. So much for logic!
Cheers!
Greg

[MarylandMagnav45]

so what happens if ur riding down the road, u hit the kill switch, and u release the clutch...

do u

A) go flying, bike locks up, and oh ****.

B) ?

[TLRam1]

Motor just keeps turning, nothing hairy. If you are at steady throttle and flip the kill switch their is a good chance of a backfire, scare the jeebers out of your riding buddy.  I do it for the heck of it at times when I need to mix it up some.

[magnagregcan]

Hi Dan, If you do both those at once - kill switch and pull clutch - then maybe you should park the bike for a bit and consider your options. I've only been driving a bike for going on 45 years, and I've never had that experience. I bet it would not be too exciting, but you try it and let me know what happens.
thanks.
Greg

[MarylandMagnav45]

Hi Dan, If you do both those at once - kill switch and pull clutch - then maybe you should park the bike for a bit and consider your options. I've only been driving a bike for going on 45 years, and I've never had that experience. I bet it would not be too exciting, but you try it and let me know what happens.
thanks.
Greg

Not pull clutch.  Release clutch .

I'm pretty sure...engine won't turn...and bOOM....you go flying!

[magnagregcan]

Hi Dan,
If you had the clutch pulled in (in order to be able to release it) would you be going down the road?
If you hit the kill switch without releasing the clutch while going down the road, depending how fast you are going will dictate the severity of your injuries. I trust this is the answer you are (are not?) looking for.
regards,

Greg

[roboto65]

If you are going down the road lets say at 50 mph whatever and you hit the kill switch NOTHING will happen the engine will die and continue to turn now when you get slow enough it may jerk and stutter but you would not wreck!!!   Think about it this way what happens when you hit reserve no fire but you do not go flying off the bike 

[Chad in Michigan]

nothing will happen. i did this myself just the other day. i flipped my run/kill switch by accident doing about 65 mph, thought that it was my high beams for some reason. the engine will keep turning from the momentum and you will slow down. done this in a car a few times too. now if you do what terry said and give it some gas when its off, it may backfire.

terry said:  " I do it for the heck of it at times when I need to mix it up some."  Now that's funny, lol

[L J VFR]

(Reminder to self).....   Ride in front of all these people..