How do you turn off your motorcycle?

iTrek · 06-10-2009, 01:41 AM

I use the kill switch.But I have heard you shouldn't use it because it could wear it out, or drain the battery somehow.

MS_Steve · 06-10-2009, 02:05 AM

My bike has a key... I usually turn the key to the OFF position.

But I've been known to flip the Kill Switch, if my hands are pre-occupied doing something else.
I'd think a kill switch would be rated for several thousand flicks, I've never heard of one wearing out, from over-use.

AngryHatter · 06-10-2009, 02:46 AM

I put the kickstand down.

SuperSherpa197 · 06-10-2009, 05:45 AM

stop, take bike out of gear, turn off key.

inb4 lulzparkyourbikeingear

that always comes up at bike night. i guess i'm just backwards, i park my manual car in gear yet i park the bike in neutral. i figure if it's gonna fall over it's not gonna be likely due to it not being in gear

Dodsfall · 06-10-2009, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSherpa197

stop, take bike out of gear, turn off key.

inb4 lulzparkyourbikeingear

that always comes up at bike night. i guess i'm just backwards, i park my manual car in gear yet i park the bike in neutral. i figure if it's gonna fall over it's not gonna be likely due to it not being in gear

I do the same thing.

Dan631 · 06-10-2009, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iTrek

I use the kill switch.But I have heard you shouldn't use it because it could wear it out, or drain the battery somehow.

If the kill switch wears out, replace it like you would any other part on the bike that has come to the end of it's life. The kill switch isn't going to drain your battery. Using it to cut spark to the motor and leaving the ignition switch on is what is going to drain the battery.

Dodger · 06-10-2009, 08:50 AM

I generally put the bike in neutral and use the key. I rarely use the kill switch.
Putting the kick stand down while in gear will kill the bike too.

cdillon23 · 06-10-2009, 09:01 AM

I stop the bike, put it in neutral, hit the kill switch and turn off the key. I have small kids so I always use the kill switch in case they ever find the key and get mischievous.

cbdallas · 06-10-2009, 09:09 AM

I make it a point to never use the kill switch, because at 6:40 in the morning when I stumble out to the garage to ride to work and the bike refuses to start, I spend 3-4 minutes cussing under my breath while looking for the problem, and find the kill switch is off.

ILoveWookiees · 06-10-2009, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbdallas

I make it a point to never use the kill switch, because at 6:40 in the morning when I stumble out to the garage to ride to work and the bike refuses to start, I spend 3-4 minutes cussing under my breath while looking for the problem, and find the kill switch is off.

Lol yeah I've done that loads and then my mates like check the killswitch...... ohhhhh lol. It's like when I did my test 3 years ago I'm so used to my bike not being able to move if you've got the stand down. So on my test I was on a different bike and it didn't do the same thing so I went straight off with my stand down and only realised cause my training instructor that brought me there pointed it out. Luckily the test guy didn't see and I get back and the training instructor I've been with for 2 days previous says to me you do that every time and you never learn lol.

Just some things like the killswitch I never get into my head.

pdksh · 06-10-2009, 09:23 AM

I, generally, use the kill switch.

YamahaFan · 06-10-2009, 09:29 AM

Bike is stopped, I leave it in gear if it's on a slope otherwise neutral it is. Hit the killswitch, turn off key and lock it and put the kick stand down.
When I turn it on I always do the opposite: turn on the key, turn on the killswitch (or is it turn off since it said "kill"?), look at the neutral light and start the bike.

japac1 · 06-10-2009, 09:33 AM

I always use the kill switch

ILoveWookiees · 06-10-2009, 09:40 AM

Isn't the Killswitch bad for the electrics? When doing my training upto my test a few years ago I was taught that it's only there for emergencies, if used too much it can bugger up the electrics and you should always turn it off via the key.

LethalThreat · 06-10-2009, 10:31 AM

I typically just turn the key off. I leave the bike in gear on hills with the kickstand down. On level ground, I leave it in neutral and put it on the center stand.

YamahaFan · 06-10-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILoveWookiees

Isn't the Killswitch bad for the electrics? When doing my training upto my test a few years ago I was taught that it's only there for emergencies, if used too much it can bugger up the electrics and you should always turn it off via the key.

I believe the killswitch is just to cut off the electric power to the engine, nothing more, so, basically it's just a switch, it can wear out. Can someone prove me wrong so I can do it right next time?

Tdubb · 06-10-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdillon23

I have small kids so I always use the kill switch in case they ever find the key and get mischievous.

Oh, man, I never thought about that. I always use the key, and park it in the garage in neutral. And leave the key in it. I think I will start using the kill switch.

Although they know, if they mess with my baby, they might just draw back a nub.

InfiniteMiles · 06-10-2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbdallas

I make it a point to never use the kill switch, because at 6:40 in the morning when I stumble out to the garage to ride to work and the bike refuses to start, I spend 3-4 minutes cussing under my breath while looking for the problem, and find the kill switch is off.

Well I make it a point to always use the killswitch, leave the bike in gear and turn off the fuel. So when I'm gone for a week or exhausted in the morning it's second nature to go through the motions.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tdubb
Oh, man, I never thought about that. I always use the key, and park it in the garage in neutral. And leave the key in it. I think I will start using the kill switch.

Although they know, if they mess with my baby, they might just draw back a nub.

You must live in a great neighborhood, I would never do that where I live.

Rich22 · 06-10-2009, 11:00 AM

The kill switch is no different than turning the key off, or putting the kick stand down with the bike in gear. As far as the bike is concerned, all of those actions create an open circuit. As others have said, it is just an electrical switch.

In my BRC, we were told that using the "engine cut off switch" (they didn't like the term "kill switch") was the proper way to stop the engine.

I don't really buy into that being the "proper" way to shut down the bike but it is the way I do it. Since I always shut down the bike with the kill switch, it is a habit to flip it to the run position before I start the bike so I really don't have to worry about the bike not starting due to the switch being off.

skooter Bum · 06-10-2009, 11:32 AM

Turn the ignition switch off, turn the fuel off, then the kill switch. If that doesn't work,...then I shoot it!

iamjustifyd · 06-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Bike in nuetral, switch, key to off and lock handlebars. In class we were taught to always!! use the switch.

InfiniteMiles · 06-10-2009, 12:06 PM

I leave my bike in gear,so it won't roll away. It won't start with the clutch out or the stand down in gear so I have no worries of launching in to the back of my garage.

NoRegrets78 · 06-10-2009, 12:29 PM

Bike in neutral, kill switch, then key.

Just the way I was taught in the MSF.

Goliath616 · 06-10-2009, 01:37 PM

I leave it in gear, hit the kill switch, then reach up to the neck of the bike and turn off the key

Sed8Me · 06-10-2009, 02:37 PM

The dealership and the owners manual say to use the key and not the kill switch... I dont know why, and cant figure the logic... but I do it that way because, "they told me to"

rexmitchell · 06-10-2009, 02:44 PM

I use the key, I never bother with my kill switch.

Dan631 · 06-10-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILoveWookiees

Isn't the Killswitch bad for the electrics? When doing my training upto my test a few years ago I was taught that it's only there for emergencies, if used too much it can bugger up the electrics and you should always turn it off via the key.

All the killswitch does is redirect the current going to the coils and sends it to ground to put it simply. Knowing what I know about motorcycle electrical sytems I don't see a killswitch buggering up anything. Nor have I experienced any electrical problems directly related to the use of a killswitch.

bajakirch · 06-10-2009, 03:25 PM

I just reverse the start-up steps (FINE-C) taught in the MSF/BRC:

C = Clutch in
E = Engine Shut-Off Switch
N = Neutral
I = Ignition
F= Fuel Supply Valve

Tdubb · 06-10-2009, 03:31 PM

So basically you turn the bike off, put it in neutral, start it back up, and then turn off the fuel valve?

rexmitchell · 06-10-2009, 03:34 PM

I never use my fuel cut off valve

primalmu · 06-10-2009, 05:11 PM

I park, hit the kill switch, then release the clutch, roll the bike forward a bit, and put down the kickstand. Might seem odd, but the kickstand on the Katana isn't of the greatest design. I keep the bike in gear and pushed forward so no on accidentally moves the bike forward and collapses the kickstand.

InfiniteMiles · 06-10-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sed8Me

The dealership and the owners manual say to use the key and not the kill switch... I dont know why, and cant figure the logic... but I do it that way because, "they told me to"

It's because the kill switch wears out much faster than the Ignition. A kill switch is not designed to be switched nearly as many times as they are and will wear out long before an ignition, however they are much easier and cheaper to replace.

louturks · 06-10-2009, 06:37 PM

I use kill switch

piranha2 · 06-10-2009, 07:33 PM

In my MSF course, they told us that it doesn't matter how you shut your bike off. They said the kill switch should be off when you turn on the key to start the bike. Something like a "soft start" for the computer and electronics. I always use it after that.

HKshooter · 06-10-2009, 08:02 PM

I never use the kill switch. My car doesn't have one, truck don't have one. I personally think the obsession with the thing is silly. Seems some folks just have to use it because it's there.
I don't turn off my fuel either. Never had a problem. I was taught the kill switch is there to give the rider an easy and quick way to kill the engine in the event it goes down with him on it and in gear. Been said that a bike in gear on the ground can grind a guy into the pavement.

bajakirch · 06-10-2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tdubb

So basically you turn the bike off, put it in neutral, start it back up, and then turn off the fuel valve?

I = (Turn Off) Ignition

Chuck A · 06-10-2009, 08:35 PM

Kill Switch

primalmu · 06-10-2009, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKshooter

I don't turn off my fuel either.

Until the float valves in your carbs stop seating well and you end up flooding your crankcase with gasoline...

ocyshp · 06-10-2009, 09:12 PM

Was told in the motorcycle safety course to use the kill switch.

bikejockey · 06-10-2009, 10:29 PM

use the key that is what it is for just like in your cage. The kill switch is for an emergency. I do use it though if i don't want to get the key back out of my pocket to turn the bike back on you know like if i stop to talk to someone for a min. or so.

06-10-2009, 01:41 AM	#1
iTrek Master At Arms Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 148	How do you turn off your motorcycle? I use the kill switch.But I have heard you shouldn't use it because it could wear it out, or drain the battery somehow.

06-10-2009, 02:05 AM	#2
MS_Steve Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mid-Mississippi Posts: 460	To Kill or Not to Kill... switch My bike has a key... I usually turn the key to the OFF position. But I've been known to flip the Kill Switch, if my hands are pre-occupied doing something else. I'd think a kill switch would be rated for several thousand flicks, I've never heard of one wearing out, from over-use.

06-10-2009, 05:45 AM	#4
SuperSherpa197 The Cool Joker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Statesboro, GA Posts: 1,465	stop, take bike out of gear, turn off key. inb4 lulzparkyourbikeingear that always comes up at bike night. i guess i'm just backwards, i park my manual car in gear yet i park the bike in neutral. i figure if it's gonna fall over it's not gonna be likely due to it not being in gear __________________ '03 YZF600R, 61k miles To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-10-2009, 09:01 AM	#8
cdillon23 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 346	I stop the bike, put it in neutral, hit the kill switch and turn off the key. I have small kids so I always use the kill switch in case they ever find the key and get mischievous. __________________ My Ride--None To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-10-2009, 09:23 AM	#11
pdksh Master At Arms Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 185	I, generally, use the kill switch. __________________ pdksh 2000 Suzuki Intruder VS800

06-10-2009, 02:46 AM	#3
AngryHatter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: SoCal Posts: 297	I put the kickstand down.

06-10-2009, 08:50 AM	#7
Dodger Bald Headed Fat Man Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 874	I generally put the bike in neutral and use the key. I rarely use the kill switch. Putting the kick stand down while in gear will kill the bike too.

06-10-2009, 09:09 AM	#9
cbdallas Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Wylie, TX Posts: 1,786	I make it a point to never use the kill switch, because at 6:40 in the morning when I stumble out to the garage to ride to work and the bike refuses to start, I spend 3-4 minutes cussing under my breath while looking for the problem, and find the kill switch is off.

06-10-2009, 09:29 AM	#12
YamahaFan Certified Homeless Biker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: MA, US Posts: 2,560	Bike is stopped, I leave it in gear if it's on a slope otherwise neutral it is. Hit the killswitch, turn off key and lock it and put the kick stand down. When I turn it on I always do the opposite: turn on the key, turn on the killswitch (or is it turn off since it said "kill"?), look at the neutral light and start the bike. __________________ 1996 Yamaha FZR600, first and current bike, and loving it. RIP Pat Taylor aka iamgumby I'm into women in leather. No whip please. It's not my style.

06-10-2009, 09:33 AM	#13
japac1 Motorcyclist Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: East Texas Posts: 13	I always use the kill switch

06-10-2009, 09:40 AM	#14
ILoveWookiees Verified Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 15	Isn't the Killswitch bad for the electrics? When doing my training upto my test a few years ago I was taught that it's only there for emergencies, if used too much it can bugger up the electrics and you should always turn it off via the key.

06-10-2009, 10:31 AM	#15
LethalThreat Riding For Relaxation Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Litchfield Hills, Connecticut Posts: 273	I typically just turn the key off. I leave the bike in gear on hills with the kickstand down. On level ground, I leave it in neutral and put it on the center stand. __________________ 1982 Honda CB750SC Nighthawk CTRiders.org

06-10-2009, 11:00 AM	#19
Rich22 Verified Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CT Posts: 59	The kill switch is no different than turning the key off, or putting the kick stand down with the bike in gear. As far as the bike is concerned, all of those actions create an open circuit. As others have said, it is just an electrical switch. In my BRC, we were told that using the "engine cut off switch" (they didn't like the term "kill switch") was the proper way to stop the engine. I don't really buy into that being the "proper" way to shut down the bike but it is the way I do it. Since I always shut down the bike with the kill switch, it is a habit to flip it to the run position before I start the bike so I really don't have to worry about the bike not starting due to the switch being off.

06-10-2009, 11:32 AM	#20
skooter Bum Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Warren, Michigan Posts: 1,280	Turn the ignition switch off, turn the fuel off, then the kill switch. If that doesn't work,...then I shoot it!

06-10-2009, 11:53 AM	#21
iamjustifyd Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Orleans Posts: 4,350	Bike in nuetral, switch, key to off and lock handlebars. In class we were taught to always!! use the switch. __________________ Sherry 2005 Honda Spirit 750 DC To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-10-2009, 12:06 PM	#22
InfiniteMiles Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 495	I leave my bike in gear,so it won't roll away. It won't start with the clutch out or the stand down in gear so I have no worries of launching in to the back of my garage.

06-10-2009, 12:29 PM	#23
NoRegrets78 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 285	Bike in neutral, kill switch, then key. Just the way I was taught in the MSF. __________________ 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom

06-10-2009, 01:37 PM	#24
Goliath616 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Over here Posts: 4,199	I leave it in gear, hit the kill switch, then reach up to the neck of the bike and turn off the key __________________ '08 Yamaha Road Star To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-10-2009, 02:37 PM	#25
Sed8Me Comfortably Numb Join Date: May 2009 Location: Inland Empire, California Posts: 258	The dealership and the owners manual say to use the key and not the kill switch... I dont know why, and cant figure the logic... but I do it that way because, "they told me to"

06-10-2009, 02:44 PM	#26
rexmitchell Administrator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: THE ATX Posts: 14,675	I use the key, I never bother with my kill switch. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas. - Davy Crockett

06-10-2009, 03:25 PM	#28
bajakirch Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 307	I just reverse the start-up steps (FINE-C) taught in the MSF/BRC: C = Clutch in E = Engine Shut-Off Switch N = Neutral I = Ignition F= Fuel Supply Valve

06-10-2009, 03:31 PM	#29
Tdubb Super Moderator Join Date: May 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,189	So basically you turn the bike off, put it in neutral, start it back up, and then turn off the fuel valve? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-10-2009, 03:34 PM	#30
rexmitchell Administrator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: THE ATX Posts: 14,675	I never use my fuel cut off valve __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas. - Davy Crockett

06-10-2009, 05:11 PM	#31
primalmu 2005 Bandit 1200S Join Date: May 2008 Location: Starkville, MS Posts: 4,303	I park, hit the kill switch, then release the clutch, roll the bike forward a bit, and put down the kickstand. Might seem odd, but the kickstand on the Katana isn't of the greatest design. I keep the bike in gear and pushed forward so no on accidentally moves the bike forward and collapses the kickstand. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-10-2009, 06:37 PM	#33
louturks Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: VA Posts: 1,367	I use kill switch

06-10-2009, 07:33 PM	#34
piranha2 Master At Arms Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 164	In my MSF course, they told us that it doesn't matter how you shut your bike off. They said the kill switch should be off when you turn on the key to start the bike. Something like a "soft start" for the computer and electronics. I always use it after that.

06-10-2009, 08:02 PM	#35
HKshooter Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 675	I never use the kill switch. My car doesn't have one, truck don't have one. I personally think the obsession with the thing is silly. Seems some folks just have to use it because it's there. I don't turn off my fuel either. Never had a problem. I was taught the kill switch is there to give the rider an easy and quick way to kill the engine in the event it goes down with him on it and in gear. Been said that a bike in gear on the ground can grind a guy into the pavement.

06-10-2009, 08:35 PM	#37
Chuck A bikes and corvette Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,359	Kill Switch __________________ I enjoy nice, and fast , women and vehicles, LOL

06-10-2009, 09:12 PM	#39
ocyshp Master At Arms Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 109	Was told in the motorcycle safety course to use the kill switch. __________________ Some people live, some exist and others........

06-10-2009, 10:29 PM	#40
bikejockey Verified Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 30	use the key that is what it is for just like in your cage. The kill switch is for an emergency. I do use it though if i don't want to get the key back out of my pocket to turn the bike back on you know like if i stop to talk to someone for a min. or so.

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