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not to sure about that. clearly states to be used as part of both start up & shut down procedures in the owners instruction booklet.
Yes, it is clearly stated as you say--but this is a safety issue in the minds of the feds and HD. There is no functional reason to use both in the order dictated by the owners manual, at least as far as the functionality of the bike is concerned. When the ignition switch is off the power to accessories is also off, and only slight power remains to keep the TSSM, clock, etc. working. The idea is that they don't want you to remove your hands from the handlebars while the engine is running, period--and that's the reason for the kill switch.
In their minds something weird could happen as you remove your right hand from the handlebars to switch the motor off at the ignition switch. Let's say you accidentally knock it into gear, lose control, and careen into a crowd of people. Not too likely, but odd things do happen in nature.
My buddy almost hit my bike and it all could have been avoided by using the kill switch, my bike was parked and his was heading down hill into my bike, because of the ground angle it was better for him to have both feet on the ground instead of just hitting the kill switch he takes his hand off the front brake to shut it down and proceeds to roll within 4 inches of my bike in doing so. We had a conversation after that, just hit the damn kill switch with your hand on the brake, the bike in gear and there's no drama or stay away from my bike if you don't know what you're doing and my bud as been riding for 40 something years.
I have never used the kill switch on any of my bikes.
+1 - never used the kill switch - never had a problem.
Interesting - ABATE teaches folks to use the kill switch and the ignition switch. My wife took the class and started riding this year. She always uses her kill switch
On TBW bikes you should always shut the bike down with the main ignition. IF you want to use both use the kill switch AFTER the main. These bikes are like shutting down computers. In the TBW bikes their are 2 sensors (TGS and TPS), these 2 sensors work with each other and the voltages they each have always should be 5VDC (i.e. 1 at .7 and the other at 4.3). If you do a soft shut off of your bike (kill switch) it is possible that the voltages will be in transition and the bike will have a bad idle. When you shut the bike off with the ignition switch it shuts all the systems off at the same time.
On TBW bikes you should always shut the bike down with the main ignition. IF you want to use both use the kill switch AFTER the main. These bikes are like shutting down computers. In the TBW bikes their are 2 sensors (TGS and TPS), these 2 sensors work with each other and the voltages they each have always should be 5VDC (i.e. 1 at .7 and the other at 4.3). If you do a soft shut off of your bike (kill switch) it is possible that the voltages will be in transition and the bike will have a bad idle. When you shut the bike off with the ignition switch it shuts all the systems off at the same time.
thanks for the heads up. I didnt know it could still happen. I had an 08 road king that had to be shut down with the ignition switch first.
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