Kill switch

[cota95]

I'm going on an extended cross country trip next spring and will be hoteling it. Has anyone hooked up a kill switch? Location?

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

There are two freebies built right in:

1) the kill switch on the right handle bar;

2) additionally, you can put the bike in gear and leave the side-stand down

Both inhibit the ignition.

A third hidden switch could totally inhibit all electrical power. Switch should be located such that it is not obvious it is being activated.

Also recommend a bike cover and a wheel or brake disc lock.

 

[Silent]

I'm going on an extended cross country trip next spring and will be hoteling it. Has anyone hooked up a kill switch? Location?

A good alarm and a cover are alot better IMO. And park as close to your window as possible.

 

[Bounce]

Any type master switch to main power would need to be able to manage the load. Plan accordingly. Also, hacking the OEM harness is asking for a failure at 3am in the rain along the middle of the road in BFE.

 

[cota95]

I do cover the bike and use a disk lock. Just looking for belt and suspenders approach.

 

[bramfrank]

Gunny on the alarm.

I have a Phantom-X alarm that uses a proximity fob (which is the way that Kawasaki should have gone). The bike won't start unless the fob is within about 8 feet, but it WILL sound off if the bike is moved or the lean angle changed. The fob is also a pager - so it beeps when the alarm sounds.

The benefit is that if the fob ever goes kaput there is a way (though various on-off-on turnings of the key) to bypass it - only a fellow Phantom-X user would know how - and he isn;t likely to be stealing your bike.

 

[3dogs]

A simple way to keep the engine from starting is to locate the wire at the ECU that controls the electric fuel pump relay. By placing a small switch/button in line with this wire the fuel pump will not run when the switch is open and so the engine won't start. The switch can be a micro-switch as there is very little amperage in the trigger wire from the ECU to the FP relay. I've done this on several bikes and all worked well. Tracy...

 

[radman]

I have reverse wired the kill switch on several bikes, when it's a pain or takes a while most thieves walk. Have seen more bikes stolen by simply picking up and loading than any hot wire approach, so an alarm would be best.

 

[kenporider]

Mine came installed with LoJack but since it doesn't work in all areas and somebody would actually have to make off with my bike for it to be useful, I think a kill switch would be nice. Thinking about it, couldn't you disconnect the start swich and rewire it to a new switch elsewhere? I'm not much of a tech guy so I don't know how feasable that would be, but it seems it would yield the same result and nobody could start it but you.

 

[twowheelnut]

Alarms? A complete waste of money, IMO. Most people don't even acknowledge alarms and if you do hear yours, what are you gonna do about it at 3 am when the bad guy might be packing? If someone wants your ride bad enough, ain't nothing you're gonna do to stop it. It's gone.

Make sure you have adequate insurance to cover your loss(es), make sure the bike is locked and covered and leave it at that.

 

[cota95]

Alarms? A complete waste of money, IMO. Most people don't even acknowledge alarms and if you do hear yours, what are you gonna do about it at 3 am when the bad guy might be packing? If someone wants your ride bad enough, ain't nothing you're gonna do to stop it. It's gone.
Make sure you have adequate insurance to cover your loss(es), make sure the bike is locked and covered and leave it at that.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.