The "Stupidity" Award

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Having the kill switch is a DOT regulation I believe, most countries including the USA require it to be there. The main reason it is on the bike is so if the throttle, for whatever reason, gets stuck, you can kill the motor without taking your hands off the grips.

 

I always kill the bike with the kill switch, then reach over and turn off the key. But sometimes people will kill the bike that way, then forget to turn off the ignition, and leave the ignition and lights on....weve all seen or done THAT!

 

 

[Buzzard1]

Put in a ceiling fan for a friend. Used the switch tha operated th old attic fan he no longer used but was still in the attic. Just 2 wires--how could anything go wrong. Got it all hooked up -=--hit the switch------NOTHING. checked the switch--checked the wires--(it was only 2 wires).

stood around scrached my head for a while. One of the kid was watching everything that was going on. He said "Whats that little chain hanging on the side of the fan for????":lightbulb:.(he was about 9 years old.) I told him "go outside and play kid--this stuff is too complicated for a 9 year old.":whistling: When he left the room I pulled the chain and enjoyed the cool breeze.----Buzzard

[georgew48]

Did something similar years ago when I went to pickup a new V-STAR 1100. Had a young teenager from the delear showing me all the controls on the new bike. I told him I didn't need any instructios as I had been rideing bikes longer then he had been alive. Went to start the bike and nothing when I hit the start switch. Tried numerous times and then told the kid something was wrong with the bike. He reached over and turned the kill switch and hit the starter and the bike started right up as advertised. Talke about feeling stupid.

[Venturous Randy]

I probably kill my bike 90% of the time by putting the side stand down with it in gear. The only drawback I have had on doing this is to remember to turn the ignition switch off before I walk away from it.

RandyA

[Moakster]

I have seen two instances where the kill switch saved someone or their bike from damage. One was at a motorcycle rally where they were doing bike games. One of the bikes fell over on a slow ride contest and the throttle was stuck open on the handle bar from contact with the ground. Luckily someone got to the bike and hit the kill switch before the back wheel came down and made contact with the pavement. That would have been ugly. The second was during some motorcycle training. The person was attempting to navigate a course of traffic cones and lost control of his bike. It was getting away from him and he was heading for a high curb when he hit the kill switch and cut the motor. Saved him and the bike a whole lot of damage. As far as accidental hitting my kill switch..........never happens:whistling:

[Rip]

I will ALWAYS use the kill switch to turn off my bike, so it will be the FIRST thing I check after turning on the key switch when I want to go for a ride...

 

 

ha ha, the next thread will be about the dumbest thing I did, draining the battery because I used the kill switch to shut down, and then forgot to turn the key off. :rotf:

[wild hair 39]

been there done that.... only took me 2 days to catch it..

ditto

[cortalan]

I did this once while "checking" my top end. I was buzzing along at about 110 - give or take - and suddenly the bike just lunged fwd, and I lost all power. Put the fear of God into me.......thinking I had just blown my engine. I rode for the next 30 seconds or so with a sick feeling in my stomach.....was about to start cussing myself.....when I noticed the kill switch had been bumped. I don't know HOW it happened.......but I sure felt alot better once I noticed it.

[fixit3546]

yEP, I TOO BELONG TO THAT CLUB (DAMN CAPS LOCK) and the "why did it die riding down the road at night" club. I did find it before i had to stop though.

 

The worst one is when i was a youth, my bike quit and i pushed it about a mile home, then proceded to pull the motor down cause i just knew that timing chain had jumped again. Turns out that the gas tank was empty.

 

Live and learn.