I never use the kill switch. I've seen a lot of riders with dead batteries who use that switch. Emergency only. That alarm system sounds like a problem which I would probably get rid of. Best of luck. Go to the Evo Forum for better responses (especially mine).

 

Let me ask, is using the kill switch to shut off the bike bad for the bike? I use it all the time. Should I use the ignition instead?

 

I've never heard that it's bad for the bike; I don't think it would be designed that way. The reasons I recall that keep people from using it are:

1. The kill switch isn't designed to be used all the time, you can wear it out;

2. If you use the kill switch, you can forget to turn the ignition switch off, and run your battery down.

I'm not sure that 1 is true. As for 2, it's not a problem for me, because I've always got the stereo going, so if nothing else, that will remind me to turn off the ignition.

 

Don't use it then or maybe pull it apart and see if it needs cleaning. The contacts may take some time to make a circuit due to being full of crud. I had my 1999 Lowrider for 6 years and never once used the kill switch.

 

That alarm is aftermarket. Remove it.

 

You have an electrical problem which needs to be fixed, so don't ignore the darned thing! Many electrical problems are actually mechanical, so take Spanner's suggestion seriously. You may simply have a dirty or corroded kill switch, or there may be damage to a wire related to it. That may be down to a simple thing like a trapped wire, or a PO has made a mess of changing the bars in the past. Carefully remove the right-hand switches and check the condition of the wiring.

In any event, don't do nothing!

I have aftermarket alarms on two of my bikes, they are just fine - as long as you know what you've got!

 

An FSM will help as well....

 

Remove the alarm, it more than likely has a built in kill switch and you're shutdown method is activating it.

 

Or find out what kind of alarm it is, and get the directions to correctly operate it...

 

That's a better suggestion. And don't get distracted by something that doesn't seem to be involved in the underlying problem. Sort the kill switch first!