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Kill Switch at high speed.

4K views 15 replies 14 participants last post by  fragile_this_side_up 
#1 ·
Just thinking through an Emergency scenario and I'm wondering if any of you have ever hit the kill switch without disengaging the clutch at a high or moderate rate of speed? How does the bike behave? Will the bike just slow to a stop or is it more of a survival situation? Thanks, A
 
#5 ·
Yes I have done that. Hit the kill switch accidently trying to adjust my mirror. Wondered what the hell was happening when the motor stopped :yikes:. Then noticed the switch was in the off position. Flicked it back on while still rolling, It kicked back into life with no problems and it carried on as if nothing happened.
 
#6 ·
For some reason my 81 GS1100E was really easy to accidentally tap the kill switch. Probably a result of my low dollar cruise control technique of putting my thumb right near there to steady my throttle hand.

I probably have done it 5 times over the years. The first couple of times it took me a bit to realize it was the kill switch. I immediately thought that there must have been some major failure of something, because it's so sudden. Now it would be the first thing that I check. The only negative that I know of is that you might get a buildup of fuel in the exhaust that will ignite when you turn it back on. It doesn't happen every time.
 
#7 ·
It reacts exactly the same as letting off the gas.

When you let off the gas on a warm engine and are over a certain RPM the engine management system turns off the fuel to the engine. It comes back on at a minimum RPM. From a riders point of view it would react the same except it wouldn't turn the fuel back on at the low revs or with throttle application.

..Tom
 
#8 ·
kill switch at highway speed

I accidentally bumped the switch while adjusting my throttle lock at highway speed. The bike lost power and slowed smoothly so I pulled in the clutch and coasted to the side of the road.
So there I am on the side of the road out in the middle of the great plains in the US with what I thought was a dead Vee. Bummer. I turned off the ignition wondering what I would do next, but didn't suffer more than a few seconds of embarrassment before I realized what caused my problem. It started up and ran fine.
 
#10 ·
did that once (on my CBR not the V-Strom) was going around 20km/h in my apartment building parking, engine stumbled for a bit before i realized i hit the kill switch, pulled the clutch, flipped it back on and released the clutch and the bike was rolling fast enough to give the engine enough speed to fire the engine again.
pretty much the same is push start the engine
 
#12 ·
Not so fast. You need more anecdotal evidence. I hit the kill switch against the tank bag on a BMW R90S in 1980. The bike exploded instantly and I was killed.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Loads of fun

Most people rarely use the actual kill switch and typically turn off their bike with the key. This goes for most all bikes. From my understanding, the actual kill switch is only there because of government regulations..........

Anyway, in the group I ride with, it's common practice to turn off someone's kill switch without their seeing it. Then when it's time to roll, everyone laughs as the unsuspecting victim squirms around for 2 minutes wondering why his starter button isn't working! Quite entertaining.

Back in the day, we would turn off the fuel petcock on our victims. Quite hilarious to watch them ride down the road 100 yards only to have their bike stumble and die.

Yea, we're a pretty juvenile bunch.....
 
#16 ·
MSF teaches you to use the kill switch every time. it's emblazoned in my brain. not so much my dads.. kinda funny when we swap bikes. i always have to yell "kill switch"..
 
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