On/Off switch and Kill switch protocol

Just curious, when you turn the key to on, and then turn the kill switch down, is the fuel pump the only thing that is activating? The main question, do you need to wait until the fuel pump finishes starting up (couple of seconds) or can you start the engine as soon as you flip the switch down?

Do you leave the kill switch in the run position all of the time or do you turn the switch to off and the turn the key to off?

Does it matter, is it harmful to trike or electronics, or merely a personal preference?

Turning On the Ignition Switch also starts all electrical functions like; systems checks, hand controls, deactivates security system, and provides power to starter motor and water pump.

I do my best to follow the sequence in my owners manual.

To Start Engine

• Turn Ignition Switch to on position

• Press the bottom of the OFF/RUN Switch

• Press the Engine Start/Hazard Warning Switch to start engine

To Shut off Engine

• Press the top of the OFF/RUN Switch to shut off Engine

• Turn Ignition Switch to off position

There have been times I've shut down just by using the ignition switch and restarted using the same. No ill effects so far.

I Never used the kill switch......I just turn the key off and walk away, Been doing it that way forever without any ill effects...:Shrug:...

rhino 2 said:

I Never used the kill switch......I just turn the key off and walk away, Been doing it that way forever without any ill effects...:Shrug:...

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That's what I do too. So far so good.

I use both by habit.

Probably not as critical on a trike as on a two wheeler but MSF teaches to stop motor with run/stop switch and then turn ignition switch off. By doing this both hands are still on handlebars and you have complete control of vehicle. Personally I think this is by far the better way and I always follow it.

ultrafxr said:

Probably not as critical on a trike as on a two wheeler but MSF teaches to stop motor with run/stop switch and then turn ignition switch off. By doing this both hands are still on handlebars and you have complete control of vehicle. Personally I think this is by far the better way and I always follow it.

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This !

On all my Harley's I have never used the kill switch. I was always told it was more of a safety feature, therefore by never using it would not have any ill effects on the bike.

It still messes me up sometimes when I pick it up from a dealer and try to start it. The first thing I think is my battery is dead until I remember that switch.

Probably not quite the same.......But with all my two wheelers , [Except for some strange reasoning With My Harleys and My Victory]........When you put the kick stand down [Unless in neutral]...The engine will shut off just like a kill switch....And so my SOP was to stop/park in first drop the kick stand and walk away...

rhino 2 said:

Probably not quite the same.......But with all my two wheelers , [Except for some strange reasoning With My Harleys and My Victory]........When you put the kick stand down [Unless in neutral]...The engine will shut off just like a kill switch....And so my SOP was to stop/park in first drop the kick stand and walk away...

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You never switched the ignition switch to OFF? The kill switch and kickstand switches shut the engine down - but not the electronics such as radio, dash display, etc...??

Seen many put kickstand down and not shut off ign. Also the same with the kill rocker switch. = One Dead Battery :gah:

I always used the kill switch on my Sporty, just one more impediment to someone hotwiring it. Never use it on the trike, figure it's a lot less of a theft risk.

paws said:

You never switched the ignition switch to OFF? The kill switch and kickstand switches shut the engine down - but not the electronics such as radio, dash display, etc...??

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I should have splained that better.....I did turn the key off....:blush:,,

With my Victory i made a invisible key and i never took it out of the bike..

ultrafxr said:

Probably not as critical on a trike as on a two wheeler but MSF teaches to stop motor with run/stop switch and then turn ignition switch off. By doing this both hands are still on handlebars and you have complete control of vehicle. Personally I think this is by far the better way and I always follow it.

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Me too. That's what the manual says.....and I always put the gas cap on the seat during fill ups.

ISP-FL said:

On all my Harley's I have never used the kill switch. I was always told it was more of a safety feature, therefore by never using it would not have any ill effects on the bike.

It still messes me up sometimes when I pick it up from a dealer and try to start it. The first thing I think is my battery is dead until I remember that switch.

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Or someone puts it in the kill mode when it's parked ... :Shrug: ... sometimes I wish I could go to their cages and turn their radio volume all the way up ... ticks me off when folks mess with my bike.

Used to have a Gold Wing that I installed a car alarm on. Pain in the b$tt to install because it wasn't designed for a bike, but, I was able to mod it to lock the bags and set the alarm when you used the lock button, engine disabler, and enable a motion sensor ... the big feature was a pager that would alert you when you were at up to a mile away when the alarm activated. I was on a ride one day and we stopped for fuel, rest room and a water break. I was in the convenience store and a teenage girl was looking at my Gold Wing ... Looking is fine ... not getting on it. I watched from the window as she decided she would hop aboard. The alarm went off (lights flashing, horn blaring, and the siren going nuts). The look on her face was priceless, She froze ... I couldn't help myself ... I killed the alarm and that reset it. She seemed to calm down some and tried to get off. Of course the alarm went off again. LOL ... motion activated. I killed the alarm again and went out. She was very apologetic ... pretty sure she won't do that again ... LOL.

Anyway ... I was always told that the kill switch was a safety thing as well ... I also have been told by several sales men when asking about the "procedure" that Harley came up with, for the reasons stated above ... and to protect them from liability when someone isn't paying attention and drops their bike when they took their hand off the bar to turn off the ignition.

Like everything else in this litigious society, we need to be "protected" from ourselves. I have used the kill switch on a bike just once in my life that I can remember .... after hitting a chipmunk on my 65 sportster hard tail and going down ... the bike was on my leg and running ... I "killed" it and pushed it off me.

It's like all the other "safety systems" on bikes today. Lean angles sensors, neutral switches, brake switch that links to the starter ... heck no wonder the people don't pay attention to what they're doing when they drive ... the dang bike does everything for you. My "favorite" is the switches on kick stands ... that kill the engine when you put it down ... always hated that one ... I get it ... safety is important ... but ... so is personal responsibility. :Shrug:

Sorry for the rant ... back to our regularly scheduled program.

ShapeShifter said:

Turning On the Ignition Switch also starts all electrical functions like; systems checks, hand controls, deactivates security system, and provides power to starter motor and water pump.

I do my best to follow the sequence in my owners manual.

To Start Engine

• Turn Ignition Switch to on position

• Press the bottom of the OFF/RUN Switch

• Press the Engine Start/Hazard Warning Switch to start engine

To Shut off Engine

• Press the top of the OFF/RUN Switch to shut off Engine

• Turn Ignition Switch to off position

There have been times I've shut down just by using the ignition switch and restarted using the same. No ill effects so far.

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Me too.

Thanks for the replies. I learned from my MSF class to use both switches so that is what I have done. My neighbor who has ridden 2 wheelers only for the past 20 yrs only uses the "ignition" switch. I just wanted more opinions from other riders. Seems like it does not matter either way.

After reading through your replies, I better understand about using just one switch and it seems logical. But, so does using both as 1 more step in the safety chain.

One time (had just gotten the trike) I had the switch on and flipped the kill switch and immediately started the engine (while the fuel pump was still making it's noise) and he told not to ever do that - to allow time for the electronics etc to start. Now, I am not sure he knows all about the more involved electronic bikes but at the time I knew nothing.

So, my method, I turn on the switch, flip the kill switch and wait a few moments. During this wait, I do final adjustments, putting on gloves, disengaging the foot brake etc, just giving the trike time to do its thing before I start the engine.

Do you think it hurts to start the engine WHILE the fuel pump etc is starting up, or would it even actually start? I know that we are only talking a few seconds here, maybe 5 seconds. Just curious, in case I would need to make a quick get away in case I am being chased my zombies or such.

Again, thanks in advance for your replies.

kodiak198 said:

Thanks for the replies. I learned from my MSF class to use both switches so that is what I have done. My neighbor who has ridden 2 wheelers only for the past 20 yrs only uses the "ignition" switch. I just wanted more opinions from other riders. Seems like it does not matter either way.

After reading through your replies, I better understand about using just one switch and it seems logical. But, so does using both as 1 more step in the safety chain.

One time (had just gotten the trike) I had the switch on and flipped the kill switch and immediately started the engine (while the fuel pump was still making it's noise) and he told not to ever do that - to allow time for the electronics etc to start. Now, I am not sure he knows all about the more involved electronic bikes but at the time I knew nothing.

So, my method, I turn on the switch, flip the kill switch and wait a few moments. During this wait, I do final adjustments, putting on gloves, disengaging the foot brake etc, just giving the trike time to do its thing before I start the engine.

Do you think it hurts to start the engine WHILE the fuel pump etc is starting up, or would it even actually start? I know that we are only talking a few seconds here, maybe 5 seconds. Just curious, in case I would need to make a quick get away in case I am being chased my zombies or such.

Again, thanks in advance for your replies.

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I rarely use the kill switch, only if I want to shut it off while keeping both hands on the handlebars.

However, I never start the engine while the pump is still going. Not that I think it would cause any damage, but I'm not that quick.

Seriously, it is probably best practice to let the pressure fully build before starting.

Kevin

I have always used the run switch

I think now with all the new electronics on board it is more important to let the computer go thru its start up diagnostics before starting the bike. ( I never attempt a start until I hear the fuel pump stop its prime) JMO

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