Engine died While Doing 80MPH+…
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 601
Likes: 109
From: San Diego
Engine died While Doing 80MPH+…
on a busy los Angeles freeway on a dark moonless at night in the HOV lanes with no road shoulder…Could not figure out what happened, I kept rolling on the throttle thinking it went into limp mode, but to no avail, engine coasted in six gear until it came to a full stop with cars on my tail swerving right, avoiding to hit me & bike…
Panicked stricken, I kept pushing the start button and but to no avail, pushed both turn signals to enable emergency flash but would not turn on, finally remembered, ’14 and up touring are now a one push rocker switch located with the starter button…shifted tranny down finding neutral and walla “green” neutral came on push down on engine run/kill switch, hit starter button, engine came to life, shifted to first, looked behind, saw a distant car headlight closing in, rev engine, release clutch and got out there like a scalded cat…
Lessons learned if sudden loss of power happens:
1. Hit run switch to run
2. Pull clutch in
3. Hit start button and go…
I guess easy for me to say now in in retrospect, but on a dark night and seeing near misses happening before my eyes, & unable to see the handle bar switches to see the state of the switches; I had no clue that I accidentally hit the engine run/kill switch, & that was the root cause…man I have a new lease on life and just extended bike riding days…& nights…
Panicked stricken, I kept pushing the start button and but to no avail, pushed both turn signals to enable emergency flash but would not turn on, finally remembered, ’14 and up touring are now a one push rocker switch located with the starter button…shifted tranny down finding neutral and walla “green” neutral came on push down on engine run/kill switch, hit starter button, engine came to life, shifted to first, looked behind, saw a distant car headlight closing in, rev engine, release clutch and got out there like a scalded cat…
Lessons learned if sudden loss of power happens:
1. Hit run switch to run
2. Pull clutch in
3. Hit start button and go…
I guess easy for me to say now in in retrospect, but on a dark night and seeing near misses happening before my eyes, & unable to see the handle bar switches to see the state of the switches; I had no clue that I accidentally hit the engine run/kill switch, & that was the root cause…man I have a new lease on life and just extended bike riding days…& nights…
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,035
Likes: 39
From: Olive & Oak
I think the order below might be better:
1. Pull clutch in
2. Hit run switch to run
3. Hit start button and go…
Coasting, in gear, with the clutch engaged and then turning the switch back on could be as exciting as turning it off accidentally.
1. Pull clutch in
2. Hit run switch to run
3. Hit start button and go…
Coasting, in gear, with the clutch engaged and then turning the switch back on could be as exciting as turning it off accidentally.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 16,271
Likes: 15,108
From: Somewhere SW
Yep, that's what he's saying, he accidentally hit the kill switch.
Tourer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 312
Likes: 4
Sounds similar to what happened when I ran out of gas once on the highway on an old bike. Pull in clutch, reach down to switch to reserve fuel, let out clutch and engine starts back up. Exciting, though, for sure...
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,414
Likes: 374
From: Southern NY, known as Florida
Back in the late 70's I had an ignition kill device on my van. On the Cross Bronx Expressway, fast lane the van died. My and my GF. Back then and given the time of the morning, the traffic was flying. Luckily I realized the kill device had come loose. Pushed it in and went!!!!!!!!!
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 1,324
From: DeLand, Florida
I have never actually used my kill switch. If I ever pushed it by accident I would probably tear the bike apart before I would look at that switch. Never really knew why it is there anyway.