I'm going to risk wading in a bit deeper. I shut off using the kill switch first, because I always park in gear (unless in the garage on the Condor) and I always hold the bike with my front brake as I shut down and prepare to dismount. I would not want only my left hand on the bars, pulling the clutch with the motor running, the bike in gear, and no brake applied, which would be required were I to reach for the switch. Seems better to shut the motor off and get the heavy *** bike settled before releasing the bars.

 

Exactly, ask yourself why the MoCo made it that way? Because they want a hard shut down on the bikes. Pretty soon they will all be like that.

 

 

Me 3.

A lot of guys tell me this looks like paranoia because "no-one ever steals your bike". For the sake of my insurance claim, if my bike does go missing, when the cops ask if it was locked I want to be able to say yes. Like giving an enema to a dead man, this might not do any good but it can't hurt.

 

85 posts and nothing has changed since the beginning of time. Everyone will do it the way they want to, problem (or if there was ever one) solved.

 

Actually, this isn't a stupid question, as shown by the eleventy-three different answers.

The Owner's Manual for my '14 says to stop the engine with the Run/Off switch. (No, it's not a Touring, but I assume the logic is the same.)

I'm going to be stopping by my dealership today, so I'll ask the PhD Tech, who not only understands current HD ignition systems, he's an old fart who actually does go all the way back to rotary dial bikes. And he'll tell me the truth.

Stay tuned.

 

The only thing a kill switch is good for imo is to shut the engine off in an emergency like when the bike goes down. That's all I can think off because thats the only time Ive used one on a dirt or street bike. my .002 wait a minute I always used them on dirt bikes...

 

Current model HDs have a Lean Angle Sensor, and if it detects a lean of more than 45 degrees for a period of longer than onethousandandone, it completely kills the ignition.

So, you don't need to worry about hitting the kill switch. Unless you have an older bike, of course.

 

I do remember once in south dakota getting on the bike after we ate and unlocking the forks etc and it wouldn't crank. humm so I finally figured out some asshat had flipped the switch off probaly laffed his azz off watching me live and learn I guess.

 

Ok thanks I didnt know that but makes sense. I dumped my ultra a few months ago but it went down slow because I just couldnt hold it up once it got so far over. So let it down as slow as I could but it started revving up on the way down and I hit the switch quick and killed it. But it wouldn't crank once I picked it back up must have been that lean detector?