Using kickstand as the kill switch...

[NorthernPete]

Hmm, could be that, Ive only used it once, and it shut off, but I didnt like it...

did a bit of a brain fart there I guess.....

[jonnythan]

the whole kickstand idea doesnt appeal to me, in that I have to keep the bike in gear and release the clutch for it to kill, and that just leaves to many things to go wrong and me to go roaring up on the sidewalk or bink of the curb and fall over.

Eh? Do you have a Polish motorcycle or something? Why must you release the clutch for it to shut off? Mine simply will not run if it's in gear with the stand down. I use the kickstand 95% of the time.

Mine is the same. If I'm in gear, clutch pulled in, and I toss the kickstand down, engine dies immediately.

[Gadjet]

I think I've used my killswitch twice, and both of those times were after a drop.

I have a set routine when I park my bike, and I always do it the same way, so it's ingrained and I never forget any of the steps, even when I'm tired after riding for 20 hours.

1. bike in 1st gear, clutch pulled in, walk bike into parking spot (if I'm backing it in)

2. shift transmission to neutral, release clutch lever

3. put down sidestand, give it an extra tap to ensure it is fully extended.

4. turn off key

5. get off bike, remove key

Bike will not run with the key out, and key cannot be removed unless the switch is in the 'off' position.

I have a similar routine when starting out.

1. open choke (omit this step if bike is already warm)

2. turn on key, start bike

3. finish putting on gear (helmet, gloves)

4. Get on bike

5. put up sidestand, double check to ensure it's all the way up

6. pull in clutch lever, apply front brake, shift to first, check traffic, release front brake and go

[jonnythan]

I think I've used my killswitch twice, and both of those times were after a drop.

I have a set routine when I park my bike, and I always do it the same way, so it's ingrained and I never forget any of the steps, even when I'm tired after riding for 20 hours.

1. bike in 1st gear, clutch pulled in, walk bike into parking spot (if I'm backing it in)

2. shift transmission to neutral, release clutch lever

You leave it parked in neutral?

[Skier]

I've always wondered why all my riding buddies turn their bikes off with the key. I was taught TKV (thumb, key, valve) at my MSF course and it's stuck. I like using the kill switch because I can have both feet on the ground and both hands on the handlebars. It vastly reduces the number of things that can go wrong, in my opinion. But to each their own and all that.

[jmillheiser]

You leave it parked in neutral?

I park mine in neutral too, only time I park in gear is if im on an incline.

I use the killswitch to turn off my bike. As a matter of fact I just disabled (you heard it right) my kickstand kill switch, it started acting up causing the bike to die while moving so I just clipped the wires off it and spliced em together, then zip tied em to an inconspicuous spot on the bike.

When I turn off my bike I just hit the killswitch and then turn off the key, only time I ever touch the fuel valve is if I need to hit reserve (its a vacum valve, no off position). I have never forgotten to put my stand down, plus I always set the bike gently onto the stand anyway (dont want to find out that I didn't put it all the way down the hard way). cranking with the killswitch off is a non-issue on my bandit, it wont crank if the killswitch is off (my CX500 would crank with the killswitch off, I only made that mistake once LOL).

[Gadjet]

I think I've used my killswitch twice, and both of those times were after a drop.

I have a set routine when I park my bike, and I always do it the same way, so it's ingrained and I never forget any of the steps, even when I'm tired after riding for 20 hours.

1. bike in 1st gear, clutch pulled in, walk bike into parking spot (if I'm backing it in)

2. shift transmission to neutral, release clutch lever

You leave it parked in neutral?

Always. Makes it a hell of a lot easier to move the bike into the garage when I get home (roll it back in), and I never have to worry about the bike lurching when I push the starter. I'm always careful how I park my bike, so I never worry about it rolling around and falling off the sidestand.

Easier to let the bike warm up on the cooler mornings as well. I can fire the bike up and let it warm up without having to stand there and hold the clutch in while I try to put my helmet and gloves on, then get on the bike. I've seen a few people park their bikes in gear, then have it lurch away and fall over when they're standing beside it hitting the starter button.

[Mintbread]

Hey, I was just listing the reasons given in response to Mintbread's smartass post.

Smartass?

[KarateChick]

What Gadjet said...sounds about what I like to stick to doing.

Our msf instructors also said to leave the bike in neutral when parked except on an incline. And they told us to use the kill switch for emergencies when you needed the bike off for whatever reason, like a drop, but not to shut the bike off with the kill switch but use the key/ignition.

[shane-o]

Since some bikes turn off when you have the kickstand down, would it be alright to use that as a kill switch? So that yolu never forget to put down the kickstand (and ya'll know that it happens).

Do you think it'd do any damage to the bike to not use the kill switch?

I always use the kick stand to stop