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[the Ferret]

I can't tell you how many times in the old days (and even in the new days still) people would complain their bike wouldn't start only to be told to check the kill switch and DOH!

An old trick to pull on someone was to walk by their bike and flip the kill switch then watch them go ballistic trying to figure out why it wouldn't start.

just out of curiosity, why would you want to turn off and turn on 2 different switches to stop or start your bike?

[Inhouse Bob]

I can't tell you how many times in the old days (and even in the new days still) people would complain their bike wouldn't start only to be told to check the kill switch and DOH!

An old trick to pull on someone was to walk by their bike and flip the kill switch then watch them go ballistic trying to figure out why it wouldn't start.

just out of curiosity, why would you want to turn off and turn on 2 different switches to stop or start your bike?

I just like buttons
I may or may not have spent a minute or two a couple of times trying to figure out what's wrong with my bike.
One problem with using the kill switch is that you can easily leave the lights on and walk away, draining the battery. Ask me how I know.
Old habits die hard.

[Juancho76_imp]

Excellent points to consider!


I have been using the kill switch myself as well. Most of the offroad/motorcross bikes i have owned do not have keys but rather switches. Just reading over the thread made me realize i'm doing this! lol

The seat comment killed me, i had to watch a youtube video to learn the secret latch!

[Stichill_imp]

I use the kill switch. The main reason I do it is that I want the engine to be off in first gear before I let go of the clutch (obviously) or the front brake (less obvious, but usually at a full stop I have both feet down, not using rear brake pedal.)

[GoldOxide_imp]

I can't tell you how many times in the old days (and even in the new days still) people would complain their bike wouldn't start only to be told to check the kill switch and DOH!

An old trick to pull on someone was to walk by their bike and flip the kill switch then watch them go ballistic trying to figure out why it wouldn't start.

just out of curiosity, why would you want to turn off and turn on 2 different switches to stop or start your bike?

I just like buttons
I may or may not have spent a minute or two a couple of times trying to figure out what's wrong with my bike.
One problem with using the kill switch is that you can easily leave the lights on and walk away, draining the battery. Ask me how I know.
Old habits die hard.

That is likely true for some riders. Individual "mileage may vary" for sure.

I guess my brain is such wired that I have never left the ignition on and just walked away.

[PowerDubs_imp]

Excellent points to consider!


I have been using the kill switch myself as well. Most of the offroad/motorcross bikes i have owned do not have keys but rather switches. Just reading over the thread made me realize i'm doing this! lol

The seat comment killed me, i had to watch a youtube video to learn the secret latch!

Most of my old dirtbikes simply had a push-to-kill button as well.

No key, no switch (as switch dictates a change in position)

Just a momentary push to kill.


Funny story though-

In my teenage years I had a lot of dirtbikes. Many bought local, spur of the moment, when a good deal arrived from some friend or person I ran into that I had cash, and cash was king- especially when I had no fear I could fix whatever was wrong with whatever I bought= even never having seen whatever before.

So- at one point I owned an old beater Kawaskai F11 250 - probably a '1972 if memory serves correctly. Odd dual plug head.

Strange bike, as when I acquired it had already been stripped of any & all street gear and had a MASSIVE rear sprocket- larger than a Frisbee...it was geared very short, so even given it's relatively low power, heavy weight, and near bald rear tire- would happily stand up given the chance to meet something solid like a root or rock!

Rode this in the woods for a while around as a beater= at some point I parked it and cannibalized something- maybe the handlebars for another bike I forget....and a neighbor kid came along at some point and wanted to buy it. He wanted a bike, and I had several, in various condition.

I told him it needed bars- he wasn't concerned- and neither was I- so I didn't pay much attention as he bolted on something from something somewhere I had in spare parts boxes- and pushed the bike down the street to get approval from his dad - who apparently would be paying.

Remember- I was probably 15-16 at this time, the kid was probably 13-14.

I walked beside him as he pushed the (heavy) bike 6-7 house down from mine.

Stood in the dirt lane next to his garage as he was in the backyard talking to his father (who was known to have a very short temper and anger with his kids ALL the time, so god only knows in retrospect adult viewpoint- and modern times what his behavoir was towards his wife)....

The kid excitedly- something along the lines of- dad I want this dirtbike...father grumble grumble...kid- BUT DAAAD.. (and at that time, I was probably selling it for $50/75 at most)...

Memory tells me that the time played out like this- dad wanted to hear the bike run... young kid- probably hard time holding the bike up, a relatively big heavy kick start bike- kicked it many many time awkwardly...at some point I walked over- still being a young teenager- wanting a sale and money, but I was still a young kid next to a big 'old man'... saw he had the kill switch off...

I walked over- flipped the kill switch- said something like try it now- walked away...

He kicked another 2-3 times- probably had flooded it a bit..and then it fired up- immediately went to WOT as apparently he had not secured the 2 screws tightly that were holding the throttle housing and it had spun on the bars during his repeated attempts- pulling all the slack out of the cable....

So the bike roared to life- immediately screaming loudly to high revs- and the kid, not familiar with bikes- and not in frame of mind to think 'push the kill button'- defaulted to 'dump the clutch to kill it'- which abruptly, and in the blink of an eye- stood the bike straight up- dumped him off the back -while it proceeded right for his father who had chose somehow to be right in front of the killer motorcycle his son had brought home.

All I remember is the bike WOT- loud noise, blue smoke- wheelie, father jumping out of the way- bike fell on it's side- wheel still spinning, dirt flinging, engine screaming...I ran over to hit the kill- his father reached out and yanked the spark plug cap...and with no hesitation instantly pivoted in the other direction, screaming and pummel his crying child.

I quickly picked up the bike and hurriedly pushed it back to my house...never to be spoken about again.

[Stichill_imp]

[Lord Popgun]

Need the Cool Starry Bra Meme

[GoldOxide_imp]

Jeez. Images of the mid-70s abound.

[hmac_imp]

Very useful thread, thank you! Newbie here.

For someone who is looking at a used 2014 Standard model with ~10,000 miles today after work, anything in particular I should be looking out for besides the standard tires/lines/battery?