Kill switch or console switch
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 8
From: Detroit, the asshole of America
That explains my decel popping issue!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,241
Likes: 7
From: Daytona, Fla.
Would you care to explain what "in-rush currents" are, & which part of that sequence does the reducing, or are you just starting a new Urban Myth?
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,598
Likes: 421
From: Lansing mi
On all my Harley's I have always used the ignition only, never had a problem. When I took delivery of my new RK the service guy made a big deal about doing it just like 'blkfalc4' said, and for the same reasons. So I think I will do it the new way... but I got to say it don't make a lot of sense to me.
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Orange County CA
Sorry for the resurrection but i didnt hear ANYONE mention this in any of the multiple discusions on the board.
I grew up riding dirt bikes since i was 3 yrs old. We never had an ignition switch, we didnt even have a battery or lights! All we had was a kill switch. It killed the power to the coil. It always left gas in the heads and it would seep into the oil. Then when i got into race cars i had all kinds of switches, first i would turn on the power then my fuel pump, then the power on, all separate switches. When shutting off the vehicle we "killed" the fuel first to starve the engine so the leftover gasoline wouldn't seep past the rings into the oil and fill your oil with gas ruining the oil after time. Then we turned off the power. We had all the switches labeled 1-2-3. Till this day i use the "kill" switch first out of habit from my race car, then i shut off the power after i starved the engine of fuel and also to keep the gas out of the jets. I do the same thing with my weed eater before i store it for the winter, i run it dry, saves my jets.
I grew up riding dirt bikes since i was 3 yrs old. We never had an ignition switch, we didnt even have a battery or lights! All we had was a kill switch. It killed the power to the coil. It always left gas in the heads and it would seep into the oil. Then when i got into race cars i had all kinds of switches, first i would turn on the power then my fuel pump, then the power on, all separate switches. When shutting off the vehicle we "killed" the fuel first to starve the engine so the leftover gasoline wouldn't seep past the rings into the oil and fill your oil with gas ruining the oil after time. Then we turned off the power. We had all the switches labeled 1-2-3. Till this day i use the "kill" switch first out of habit from my race car, then i shut off the power after i starved the engine of fuel and also to keep the gas out of the jets. I do the same thing with my weed eater before i store it for the winter, i run it dry, saves my jets.
Last edited by Haides; Mar 23, 2012 at 04:53 PM. Reason: made a correction.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 759
Likes: 7
From: Western KY
put 20k on my old 06 sporty killin it with the key never had a problem and my flhtci has close to 40k on it and i turn it off with the console....never touch the lil black switch...once again never a problem.... backfires in the airP breather occassionally but thats only when its 110 outside and the bike had been running and only go into a gas station for a minute and come back out to restart
Banned
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,323
Likes: 1
From: Arizona
After you use the kill switch do you then turn your ignition switch off or do you leave it on all the time?
Banned
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,323
Likes: 1
From: Arizona
**** I just realized this thread was over a year old. Considering the logic the poster who resurrected it is using it isnt surprising he brought it back.
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 974
Likes: 13
From: Chesapeake Virginia
I saw this last year and am surprised at some of the answers.
I guess if you don't ever use your kill switch you wuold not notice that if it is off the fuel pump does not cycle and pressure up the fuel rail or power up the ECM (check engine light) when you cycle the ignition switch to the start position. As I cycle the ignition switch sometimes to "ON" or the "ACCESSORY" position not intending to start the bike I prefer to be in the habit of having the kill switch in the off position to keep these cycles from taking place. I also like to start the bike after the radio powers up but before the check engine light goes out. Per iclick's suggestion on this forum with the PC it seems to start more consistently and with less cranking if started before the CE light goes out. I don't go back as far as no factory installed kill switch on my older bikes but there is a lot of cht on these newer bikes that just arent the same amd can not be compared. BTW my shovel's coil was hot with the KS on and those coils got too hot to touch after about 15 min. powered up. JMO
I guess if you don't ever use your kill switch you wuold not notice that if it is off the fuel pump does not cycle and pressure up the fuel rail or power up the ECM (check engine light) when you cycle the ignition switch to the start position. As I cycle the ignition switch sometimes to "ON" or the "ACCESSORY" position not intending to start the bike I prefer to be in the habit of having the kill switch in the off position to keep these cycles from taking place. I also like to start the bike after the radio powers up but before the check engine light goes out. Per iclick's suggestion on this forum with the PC it seems to start more consistently and with less cranking if started before the CE light goes out. I don't go back as far as no factory installed kill switch on my older bikes but there is a lot of cht on these newer bikes that just arent the same amd can not be compared. BTW my shovel's coil was hot with the KS on and those coils got too hot to touch after about 15 min. powered up. JMO
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
Using the kill switch is the number one cause of a dead battery for guys in my age group. One guy in particular. If I had a nickel for every time I have said, “Hay, Danny you left your lights on!” I would have a 124 built motor.
Seriously though, I think kill switches are a throw back to the days before bikes had tilt switches that kill the motor in the event of accident or dropping the bike. All of the motorcycle courses still teach using the kill switch, I believe, to establish muscle memory — whatever you normally do you will do in an emergency without even thinking about it.
I think that if I had a run-on condition, a stuck open throttle, my dominant muscle memory would be to pull the clutch in — something that riders do many multiple times over using a kill switch. If the bike was down and the concern was the rear tire rubbing against flesh I trust the tilt switch to kill the motor.
Then there is the potential problem of resetting the idle with FI bikes.
This is, of course, my observation / opinion only.
EDIT: Oh jezz I just noticed that I replied to this thread 04-08-2011.
Seriously though, I think kill switches are a throw back to the days before bikes had tilt switches that kill the motor in the event of accident or dropping the bike. All of the motorcycle courses still teach using the kill switch, I believe, to establish muscle memory — whatever you normally do you will do in an emergency without even thinking about it.
I think that if I had a run-on condition, a stuck open throttle, my dominant muscle memory would be to pull the clutch in — something that riders do many multiple times over using a kill switch. If the bike was down and the concern was the rear tire rubbing against flesh I trust the tilt switch to kill the motor.
Then there is the potential problem of resetting the idle with FI bikes.
This is, of course, my observation / opinion only.
EDIT: Oh jezz I just noticed that I replied to this thread 04-08-2011.
Last edited by Potato_Potato; Mar 23, 2012 at 11:29 PM.