Turning Your Bike Off

[Motu]

I can turn women off with just one glance - with road bikes I use the key....why on earth leave the ignition on? Off road bikes have a kill swith,or just stall from no set idle.

[gamgee]

On the CReaMe 250 I should use the key, but tend to just stall it (not intentional).

As for the kill switch, all mine does is turn off the lights. It has not effect on the engine what so ever. Don't know why.

probably because it's not the killswitch

[Big Dave]

Best the remove the kill switch then... or perhaps add the same functionlity to it. It seems daft to give a rider a control that knowingly harms part of the bike in it's normal operation.

It's a safety requirement.
I don't think it harms - just not as efficient.

[Big Dave]

Just a question (me, being a noob and all) - if one is in motion on bike and switch is hit, you end up with an interesting dilemma?

Nah - not really - but it's a good way to get a really loud backfire when you flick it on again.

[The_Dover]

Pushes bike off the main road in to a decidely dodgy looking area of Leeds,

DOH!

as long as it wasn't chapel town.

I nearly got shot at walking home from Roundhay park pissed when I was 16.

should have taken the long way or at least got some shoe polish and a pimp strut on.

[Ghost Lemur]

probably because it's not the killswitch

Thought about that. But it's freakin labeled. The side stand thing is wierd and doesn't always happen.

As for backfiring my baby don't need no excuse. Still very much getting to know the bike. Everything is new to me and the paranoia is strong.

[poorbastard]

I use the key. Stops me leaving my keys in the ignition which I have done before using the kill switch and also looking like a dick wondering why my bike wont start forgeting to turn the bloody thing back on.

[Quartida]

Thought about that. But it's freakin labeled.

So what does your "lights" switch do?

[imdying]

It would be a pretty crappy bike that was damaged by use of the kill switch. If you use your kill switch all the time, it'll become instinct, and you'll be able to quickly use it when you really do need it (which is why it's there in the first place). Using the kill switch also means the bike has stopped running before you need to take a hand off of the bar.

[Ghost Lemur]

So what does your "lights" switch do?

high beam, low beam.

[Mr. Peanut]

You guys must be really bored...

[Wonko]

I wait until it runs out of gas, works every time

I use the switch that way I can coast into the driveway without waking the neighbours up at 3 in the morning. Using the switch means that if anything goes wrong(foot slips etc) I still have both hands on the handle bars.

[Macktheknife]

sidestand.

pull up in gear and kick it down.

or key, sometimes killswitch.

I'm not fussy.

Or perhaps a fence or a conveniently positioned field?
Always used both over the years myself, usually get off the bike turn the key off and hit the switch too. You would not believe the number of people who are too stupid to check the kill switch position when trying to hotwire a bike. lol

[Deano]

I've always used the key. Having hard wired low beams means you will be draining the battery every time the key is on without the engine running. Maybe not much but ......

And you have to turn the key off eventually, don't you ?

[Fat Tony]

as long as it wasn't chapel town.

I nearly got shot at walking home from Roundhay park pissed when I was 16.

should have taken the long way or at least got some shoe polish and a pimp strut on.

PMSL, yeah that sounds about right. Nah it was in the slightly more upmarket Harehills, where most of the residents at least attempt to keep their guns out of sight