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Iron Butt
Posts: 935
Rockford, IL | A post in another thread triggered me to wonder this.... Years ago a bike mechanic that I respect for his knowledge told me that with fuel injected bikes its much better to use the kill switch instead of the ignition switch to shut the bike off. Said that its better for the fuel electrical system and that the engineers design the bikes to be shut off this way. So since then I've always used the kill switch. To be honest I've never really paid attention but I think everyone I ride with also uses thier kill switch. But anyways I know there are quite a few of us "old-time-riders" around here, many of whom have more wisdom than I. So I guess I'm asking....is there any difference between using the two switches? Is it better overall to use one versus the other? |
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | I use the kill switch, out of habit, it's just easier. In some way I guess it might be safer to have the kill switch as "second nature." I do recall from years ago when I laid my Kawasaki down that I was surprised to find that when I stopped, somewhere in the midst of things, I had already killed the engine with the kill switch. I have been on-scene when others have dropped their bike and while they were fussing with trying to get to the key to shut it down, I or someone else just hit the kill switch for them.
As far as better one way or the other?? good question. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | Interesting, I never gave it a second thought until you mentioned it. I always use the kill switch as well. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | honestly, I don't see it making any difference in not using your kill switch to turn off your motor. I do agree it should be a habit to use and I might start using it. The concern is not being able to reach your ignition, which is much harder to turn or to get to to shut the motor off than flipping the switch. Also, some bikes have the ignition switch on the side and the bike could be laying on it, so to get to you have to pick it up, and if the motor is still running and it is in gear...so the kill switch is ideal.
I agree, habit, habit, habit can save your life. I was a paratrooper and our landing technique is to rotate our arms in front of our face with hands at the top of head level, elbows together. Well, the only time I've put my bike down in nearly 30 years was way back then. When I went down, going about 35mph, out of habit I rotated my arms in front of my face as I went down and landed with road rashed across my forearms.
I don't think I hit the kill switch at that time, but I may have as I recall it was hard getting it started as it was still in gear and cars where coming up and I was trying to get going again. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 249
Montreal, QC Canada | I switched to a keyless ingnition system, Guard Dawg, so I have to use the kill switch.
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | The "kill switch" is a safety device. Its purpose is to easily and rapidly "kill" the engine in case of emergency. Getting in the habit of always using it to shut your engine down will make it second nature should you ever need to rapidly kill your engine, and may not have the presence of mind under the circumstances of an emergency to think about and/or grope for the key. Also, what happens if your bike gets twisted and your key gets stuck??
If you go down on a bike (or are going down on a bike, or any one of a number of other potential emergency situations) and need to shut the engine down rapidly, you'll be glad you have a quick and easy way to do it without thinking about it, especially if you find yourself under 8 or 900 pounds of bike with the engine still running and the bike still in gear. (Granted, being "under" a Vision with the tip over protection may not be as likely, but even if you should drop it in a parking lot and it keeps running, you will want to get it shut down as quickly as possible, and may not always have easy access to the key.)
I have been riding over 40 years, and always use the kill switch to shut my bike down. As I said, its a safety device, and using it every time you shut down your engine will make it second nature when (and if) you should ever need it. Trust me, it works! And hopefully you will never have to find out.
Ride safe.
Edited by Wizard523 2009-07-30 4:05 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 600
Linwood, MI | Lotzafun - 2009-07-30 3:00 PM
...with fuel injected bikes its much better to use the kill switch instead of the ignition switch to shut the bike off. Said that its better for the fuel electrical system and that the engineers design the bikes to be shut off this way.
Cars have had fuel injection for many years and don't have a "kill switch"... |
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Tourer
Posts: 447
Cleveland, GA | Don't know about the mechanical pros or cons, but in MSF we teach to use the engine cutoff switch (kill switch) every time, to ingrain the habit of using it in an emergency. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Agree the ONLY reason to use the "kill swt verses the key would be ingraining. I personally use the key to shut down unless there is some reason I need to keep my hands on the bars when killing the motor. To each his own I guess........ |
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Cruiser
Posts: 208
Wichita, Kansas | I looked over the wiring diagram (for the 08) in the service manual and the kill switch is in line with the ignition switch. Electrically it really makes no difference which you use since they break the same line, although you would save a bit of ignition switch point wear. However, the emergency habit is a very strong argument for using the kill switch first. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Back when motorcycles had points I was told to use the kill switch. Back then motorcycle ignition systems were fragile. Turn the ignition switch on and the points closed, good chance the coil would fry. Now I think its just a safety feature. Considering the diffrent places they put it on diffrent makes. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 271
Belding Michigan | Interesting the differences in people. I have riding for 38 years and have more than 1,000,000 miles on motorcycles. I would guess that I have not used the kill switch more than 10 times in my entire life and that was when I was on a hill or something of that nature and had to hold the front brake to keep the bike from rolling, I think in retrospect the kill switch is a good thing but I am reasonably sure teaching an old dog a new trick is tougher than it looks. Just the other night I was putting the bike in the garage and thought how glad I am that Victory believes that I have the intellegence to determine when to shut off the bike as my Goldwings thought I was to stupid to realize that my kickstand was down so they shut the bike off for me God I hated that. I like being responsible for my own actions right or wrong I have only myself to blame for a screwup. Arch |
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Cruiser
Posts: 297
VA | The reason I don't use the kill switch is because I know that if I use this, I will get off the bike, leave the key sitting in the ignition, and walk away. At best I'll have a dead battery when I get back. Worst, I won't have a bike to come back to. |
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Kill switch? Ignition switch? Or no difference?