Fact or Fiction ????

[Kazushi]

Hi all,

Every so ofter I have someone tell me to turn my engine off from the key switch and not from the kill switch or from using the kick stand switch...

They tell me that it's bad for the electronics of the bike, but can't tell me why...

Is there any truth in this ? or is this just fiction ???

I've been using the kill switch on all my bikes for years, no damage to any electronic or electrival part ever experianced !!

[frevrod]

I can't see how it would make any difference at all. Personally I never use the kill-switch, always the key -you have to use that anyway, but if the other ways caused damage they wouldn't be designed that way.

[ekiM]

This way you ensure that the kickstand kill switch is working. I read that on this board, and I think it's good advice--I like the fact that when the kickstand is down the engine cuts out (if it is in gear).

-Mike

[drevil]

personally i use the kickstand as my kill.

i have read on this and other boards numerous times not to use the actual kill switch since it is apparently fragile and tends to break with use. Not sure how true that is, but it does seem awfully fragile for such an otherwise well built bike. i did use it the otyher day when i spilled and the bike was still running on it's side!

[Boxer]

Ruh-Roh! A kill switch thread!

[rdsmith3]

There have been some very pleasant conversations on this topic.


As I recall, the argument for using only the key to turn off your bike is that when you use the kill switch, you are not shutting off your lights and other electronics. So you still have to use the key anyway to shut everything off. More importantly, if you forget to do that, you will end up with a dead battery.

So the arguments for using only the key are:

1) efficiency -- fewer steps
2) avoid potential dead battery
3) avoid using fragile kill switch

[wncbmw]

What Bob said!

Although I occationally try to ride off with the side stand down, just to test the function of that safety feature!

[Beemeridian]

56

[DJ Downunder]

Is there any truth in this ? or is this just fiction ???

I say fiction...

DJ

[AlbertJohnson]

One reason to OCCASIONALLY use the kill switch is so you'll automatically know HOW to use it in an emergency, and to know where it is, and just to THINK of it in an emergency.
I used key for many years, never using the kill switch...then one day on the 650GS i went down and couldn't get to the key... i didn't even consider the kill switch, because i wasn't used to it...finally i thought of it, and killed the engine.

[rdsmith3]

Yes, the other side of the friendly, good-natured discussion is that you should use the kill switch so that you can instinctively use it in an emergency.

I never use the kill switch myself. Just habit.

About a year ago, I had my bike serviced at the dealer. The last thing they did was road test it. The service manager returned, got off the bike, and came over to me and said everything was fine and I was good to go.

So I got on the bike, pushed the button to start it, and ... nothing. I checked that the side stand was up, pushed the button, and ... nothing. Hmmm. what is going on here.

DOH! the guy had used the kill switch to turn off my bike. It was still in the off position. I felt stupid, considering all the people standing around on a Saturday.

[ride1150r]

what Bob said!

[israel]

I use the stand usually.
Twice coming home in a hurry to get to the restroom
or some other foolish distraction I left the ignition key
ON.
I was checking to make sure that if I left the ignition
key ON all night I would have a dead battery by mornig...

[yjleesvrr]

I use the sidestand to kill the motor when I'm parking on a hilly street. That way, with one fell swoop I'm turning the motor off, putting the engine in first gear to insure that the bike won't roll downhill when I let go of the clutch, as well as deploying the sidestand. I then turn the key to remove it.

If the terrain is flat, I prefer to turn the key while the bike is in first gear, then let go of the clutch, and then deploy the sidestand.

I like leaving the bike in gear in case someone bumps against it in a manner that would shove it forward whereby the bike will retract the sidestand and fall over.

[MikeCam]

As far as I can tell, it has been nearly two years (22+ months) since the previous 'kill switch' threats, uhhhhmmm, I mean threads.

Popcorn, anyone?

[munchmeister]

One reason to OCCASIONALLY use the kill switch is so you'll automatically know HOW to use it in an emergency, and to know where it is, and just to THINK of it in an emergency.
I used key for many years, never using the kill switch...then one day on the 650GS i went down and couldn't get to the key... i didn't even consider the kill switch, because i wasn't used to it...finally i thought of it, and killed the engine.

I'm with you, Al. I always use the kill switch, always use it on my F650GS, and learned it that way in the MSF BRC as well as from some mild emergencies (tip overs). And, I always use the key. 2 step process. I don't want to get into any habit that would allow for either leaving the key in, or running down the battery or any of that. Getting on a motorcycle as well as getting off should take some thought and using the kill switch is the way to go for me. If it breaks, I'll fix it.

[Airman]

I never use the kill switch. Well, I try it once in a while to see that it still works, but for me it's the side stand. Beats me how you walk away witn the key still on. Because;
(1) You check your pocket and no key is there.
(2) You see the light blaring on the garage wall

Or some variation of those.

Now there might be some set of events that would conspire to make me forget, and then the kill swich guys are right. I do wonder though how often they walk away from the bike having left the key in it.

[iowabeakster]

We are very, very strange people.

[denverchuck]

I’m a key purist!

[CycleRob]

I never use the kill switch. It's what the key is for. I consider using the killswitch a bad habit that unnecessarily traumatizes the expensive battery. The MSF instructors in building their training course took the advice of lawyers, not mechanics. Twice in 50K miles I intentionally used the sidestand to stop the motor, as I dumped the clutch in gear, on a STEEP incline.

The killswitch seems well made, but it's not in a user friendly or ergonomic position, like it is on all other brand bikes. I suspect that a BMW engineer intentionally made it so, to discourage it's routine use.

To answer the original question . . . no, using the killswitch or the sidestand will not damage the electronics. BMW wouldn't install such a system on their bikes.