I had a dunderhead incident early this morning...

[TheAxeman]

I used to ride with a smart ass in Germany that would ride up next to you and hit you kill switch. He also liked to do it when you were parked and not looking

His name wasn't Jack was it? :glare:

 

[Patriot]

And, in Mississippi, it's a statewide tradition to lock up them folks who show up at a funeral to protest for 24 hours, then drop all charges and let them go to return to Kansas where they came from.

That's good. Even better you figured out what was wrong... I'll take the 'work the problem' mantra right next to 'just ride the bike' that I use when in tight spots.

Yep, in my pilot days - big sign in red prominently displayed on the instrument panel was:

"When the shit hits the fan, FIRST, fly the airplane"

another rule to apply to motorcycling

Mike

 

[Harald]

Yep, in my pilot days - big sign in red prominently displayed on the instrument panel was:
"When the shit hits the fan, FIRST, fly the airplane"

another rule to apply to motorcycling

Mike

A couple years ago, I was taking off in a Boeing 737-400. Just after rotation, one of my engines caught on fire! :dribble: Both the co-pilot and myself were so busy trying to figure out what to do with the burning engine that we forgot about flying the airplane. Needless to say, we crashed that puppy! Oh, did I mention that this was in a simulator and I'm not really a pilot? We should have had that sign on our instrument panel!

But back on topic, I've done the inadvertant kill switching before. Last time was when a guy at work had bought a bike and was trying to rent a truck to get it home because he didn't know how to ride yet. I told him I'd be glad to run it home for him as long as he took me back to work so I could retrieve my bike. I started out by almost slamming my boots into the ground when expecting pegs to be in the "normal" position and not waaay up front as I rode out of the driveway. Then I also did the kill switch while in traffic. Luckily I figured it out real quick and before getting run over. Now I could really appreciate why he wanted to start riding his "new" bike on his residential street and not in major traffic on the way home. Even with many many years riding experience, riding that new bike threw me some curve-balls.

 

[Khunajawdge]

I use my Kill switch every time I shut the bike down! It did take years to train myself but now, people ask "Why is your headlight still on?" after I have turned off the engine.

My "Doh" moment comes when I walk away from the bike, ignition key still in the ignition in the ON position, and... all the lights are on. But, the kill switch IS off.

 

[wfooshee]

My same shutdown, using the kill switch. As learned in my MSF course. Only took one time to train myself to verify key off and in pocket. One morning late for work because I stopped at BK for a chicken biscuit, ate it inside, took my time, and on getting back outside to the bike finding the lights still on, yet kinda dim. Sure enough, coupla turns of the starter and nothing more. No hills, no brawny dudes waiting to be asked to push the bike, had to call my brother-in-law and wait for him to get there and jump it.

Mike, if you're really gripping that thing hard enough to disengage the cruise, I suggest you might lighten up a little. :huh: Maybe let your fingers hang over the bar instead of actually holding on for dear life. With all that stuff you carry behind you, the bike's not leaving you anywhere!

When you were on them 15-hour ASW patrols, did the yoke get smashed in your hand from that grip?

 

[Patriot]

My same shutdown, using the kill switch. As learned in my MSF course. Only took one time to train myself to verify key off and in pocket. One morning late for work because I stopped at BK for a chicken biscuit, ate it inside, took my time, and on getting back outside to the bike finding the lights still on, yet kinda dim. Sure enough, coupla turns of the starter and nothing more. No hills, no brawny dudes waiting to be asked to push the bike, had to call my brother-in-law and wait for him to get there and jump it.
Mike, if you're really gripping that thing hard enough to disengage the cruise, I suggest you might lighten up a little. :huh: Maybe let your fingers hang over the bar instead of actually holding on for dear life. With all that stuff you carry behind you, the bike's not leaving you anywhere!

When you were on them 15-hour ASW patrols, did the yoke get smashed in your hand from that grip?

It's the grip puppies high friction against my leather glove (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it)

15 hour ASW: nahhh, auto pilot (might even been an Audiovox cruise, who knows), co pilot while I was in the head, napping on the cot, fixing coffee, yappin' on the radio, fusin' and defusin' torpedos; writing messages and nose art on sonar buoys; reading Playboy

when PIC (pilot in command), rarely touched the yoke

BTW, with a run down battery so the starter won't turn, but have lights and some voltage, can you push start a 1300cc fuel injected bike. I wondered how the fuel pump and fuel injection works and would still allow a push start to get the engine running.

I've puzzled about that.

It's easy and can actually be done alone (slight down hill helps alot) on my carb Vtwin Vulcan 750.

 

[wfooshee]

See, it's that downhill part that's a problem, even slight. You've been here! You remember! And my driveway is not enough (voice of experience.)

If you've got any voltage to speak of, once the motor is turning the ignition will fire with at least 8 or 9 volts present. if the battery is powering the starter, those volts aren't there, but if the motors turning from a push start, the battery is free to power the ECU and coils.

 

[fjrb0]

For what it's worth, I've pushed started mine several times, and it will fire right off once you get enough forward momentum. I use second gear to start it in, seems to turn the engine over better than first. My battery was weak on the IBA ride in 2007, and I pushed started it about three times, most times it would start on it's on, but if you left the key on for more than 15 seconds, you had to push start it.

 

[FuzzyRider]

BTW, my sidestand switch is broken and by passed. When I'm extremely tired, I've been know to take off from the gas pump with it still down, turn left, and either head the scrape of it retracting, or feel the bike pivot on the thing and go hay wire. I priced it on the web, and can't seem to justify the $40 replacement cost. I guess if I come real close to dropping the bike and doo doo ing up the expensive tupperware, I might quickly change my mind.

Uhhhh...Mike - you're kidding here right?!?!?! I've heard horror stories about and have met one person who left their kickstand down while pulling away from a gas station. As described to me by the person I met who did this, the thought that crossed his mind as he leaned in for a left hand turn at 65 MPH and had the kickstand dig in and high-side him - "Dear God, if you left me survive this I promise I'll never ride a motorcycle again." And of course after recovering from a few broken bones he was back on a bike a few years later.

In all seriousness - get the sidestand switch fixed!

 

[Patriot]

BTW, my sidestand switch is broken and by passed. When I'm extremely tired, I've been know to take off from the gas pump with it still down, turn left, and either head the scrape of it retracting, or feel the bike pivot on the thing and go hay wire. I priced it on the web, and can't seem to justify the $40 replacement cost. I guess if I come real close to dropping the bike and doo doo ing up the expensive tupperware, I might quickly change my mind.

Uhhhh...Mike - you're kidding here right?!?!?! I've heard horror stories about and have met one person who left their kickstand down while pulling away from a gas station. As described to me by the person I met who did this, the thought that crossed his mind as he leaned in for a left hand turn at 65 MPH and had the kickstand dig in and high-side him - "Dear God, if you left me survive this I promise I'll never ride a motorcycle again." And of course after recovering from a few broken bones he was back on a bike a few years later.

In all seriousness - get the sidestand switch fixed!

ya right...thanx

'course on my Ole Goldwing, there's a piece of rubber that's mounted to stick below the bottom of the kickstand. No safety switches in 1983. When you pull away, the rubber drags the ground with the bike upright and the kickstand retracts on it's own, every time with no problem. I've done it this way numerous times.

Tempted to hose clamp a piece of rubber hose to the kickstand with 1-2" sticking below the bottom. Ought to work the same way, don't ya think ???

 

[big_smile_2u]

LMAO ... it could have been me. Noticed thereply made about MSF teaching to always use kill switch to shut down. I also run with my high beam during the day. Now my story..

Mid- January weather warm on a Thursday. No work assigned so I call friend and we go for a ride. Get to a destination and he is hungry so we go to a resturant for a bite. I pull in shut down using kill switch. We are parked on a slight slope so I concenrate on my dismount and watch that the FJR doesn't tip over. It doesn't and we go in. We haven't seen each other for a while so we talk for quite awhile. We come out and I see my key in the ignition and it is ON... ohhhhhhhhh. Dash has power but she won't turn over... damn. Battery weak??? So we roll the bike back and I coast down a veery small hill in the parking lot and try to "push" start it... it purrs but doesn't start. Waiter comes out and offers to jump start me. We hook up the cables and ... nothing. Check cables ... looks good. At that point I notice.... KILL SWITCH engaed.... Dumb..s!!! Flip switch ... varrrrrom!

 

[Patriot]

BTW, my sidestand switch is broken and by passed. When I'm extremely tired, I've been know to take off from the gas pump with it still down, turn left, and either head the scrape of it retracting, or feel the bike pivot on the thing and go hay wire. I priced it on the web, and can't seem to justify the $40 replacement cost. I guess if I come real close to dropping the bike and doo doo ing up the expensive tupperware, I might quickly change my mind.

Uhhhh...Mike - you're kidding here right?!?!?! I've heard horror stories about and have met one person who left their kickstand down while pulling away from a gas station. As described to me by the person I met who did this, the thought that crossed his mind as he leaned in for a left hand turn at 65 MPH and had the kickstand dig in and high-side him - "Dear God, if you left me survive this I promise I'll never ride a motorcycle again." And of course after recovering from a few broken bones he was back on a bike a few years later.

In all seriousness - get the sidestand switch fixed!

Thanx Fuzzy...I didn't forget you and your kind and direct advice on replacing the sidestand switch...

the bike has plastic panels laying on the bench with the tank propped up

(am doing some rewiring and hookup of my two horn systems with two horn buttons)

new switch came last week and is installed (not tested yet...that'll be tomorrow)

Murphy's kicked my ass again...I gave myself an hour to replace it; took 3.5

the mounting bolts were blue locktited in, no lock washers, etc. They are sandwhiched between the lower header/exhaust pipes and the frame pointing to the inside and kinda soft philips heads. Both were either previously stripped or I stripped them. Could get my small vice grips on the lower head and get it started and removed, but the top one was impossible. Got out the ole dremel and tried to grind a slot across it for a right angle screwdriver. Just kept breaking off the edges of the slot trying to strongarm it loose with the screwdriver till there was not enough metal to continue that approach. Then just grinded off the head to the switch and hammered the switch away. Was then able to turn the stub with the lil vice grips and remove the rest. Luckily had two bolts (slotted) in my JC Whitney purchased metric bolt set and added flat and lock washers and now am good to go.

Will let ya know how the real world test goes tomorrow

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[Patriot]

Well, since it's on the centerstand, I cranked it up with the sidestand down and put it in gear

The engine died immediately. Raised the sidestand, and all was normal again.

Works like a charm and ya'll might have saved my life or at least some real pain with this suggestion to fix

thanx and let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[hammer]

I to have done the same thing with the kill switch during the winter because of large gloves. :dribble: I received a call from my dad last year when he was on a trip to Denver (from Wichita Ks.). He has a 2003 Goldwing & had pulled into a burger joint to get something to eat. When he was ready to leave his bike would not start. The lights all came on the kick stand was up & the bike was in Neutral but no cranking after a few questions I figured out the bike was still in reverse. He was happy but felt stupid for leaving the reverse switch on. In the end you learn something. :yahoo:

 

[Checkswrecks]

So, that red button to kill the engine in an emergency really works. Even for a dunderhead...
Mike in Nawlins' <head down in shame and embarassment, sigh>

No need to hang your head in shame, darlin'... we've all had our dunderhead moments... well, except me, of course.

Was yours a blonde moment? or redhead?

 

[motorgod]

Wow....glad you figured that out. I was afraid the same thing could happen at high speed and it scares the beegeezuz out of me.....it there any way to bypass the switch?

 

[Patriot]

Wow....glad you figured that out. I was afraid the same thing could happen at high speed and it scares the beegeezuz out of me.....it there any way to bypass the switch?

Sure, cut either wire going to it, but, gawd forbid, the bike catches fire some day for example, ya want that big ole red button there to punch ASAP. Fumbling for the key might take awhile. It's a good thing for it to be there.

Realize also, that the bike has a tilt sensor that kills the engine if it lays down (don't ask me how I know), but in the "ole" days, the kill switch was there to stop the engine if the bike went down without fumbling for the key.

I thought about putting one of those hinged covers over the kill switch to protect it and only add a bit of hesitation time to getting to it, but now I've learned to live with it there even though, at times (hilly places) I hold onto the clamp to let the cruise control float the throttle without my impeding it.

The answer is to know it's there, what it does, and have experience & knowledge with it. On this particular bike, I did not before, but do now in the school of hard knocks. Now that you've read my story, you are enlightened grasshopper, and won't repeat my experience.

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[RadioHowie]

Wow....glad you figured that out. I was afraid the same thing could happen at high speed and it scares the beegeezuz out of me.....it there any way to bypass the switch?

Despite the fear you've imparted upon yourself, if you DID hit the killswitch at high speed, the only thing you'd notice is the bike slowing down, same as if you'd rolled off the throttle while the bike's in gear.

What Mike said, besides, you WANT that switch to work if you ever need to go into Diagnostic Mode to check out ECU problems, or to test functions like coil firing, sidestand switch, headlight relays.

FIGHT THE FEAR!

 

[rfespinosa]

Patriot,

The same thing happened to me today. Hit a big bump and the engine died.

The first thought that came to my mind is "what the hell happened".

The second thought was "what's in the FJR Forum about this?" No kidding, that's the second thing that came to my mind.

And the third was that I remembered reading this thread, I checked out the kill switch, and sure enough I had bumped it to off.

If not for this site, there is no telling how long I would have cursed!

Thanks,

Ron

 

[FuzzyRider]

Well, since it's on the centerstand, I cranked it up with the sidestand down and put it in gear
The engine died immediately. Raised the sidestand, and all was normal again.

Sorry I didn't catch this when you first posted it, but GOOD JOB! I hate it when jobs take 5x the time I estimated because of hidden/difficult fasteners. I guess that's one of the differences between good mechanics and me - the good ones recognize a difficult situation before spending 2 hours on it.