kill switch

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gtbigup01

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Hey Guys/gals

Any know issues with hitting the kill switch and coasting in my driveway? I read on another forum someone suggested not to do it, but frankly I see no harm in it, as long the bike's in neutral of course. I just recently started doing this a lot (IDK why) and just wanted to clarify.
 
Waaaaay back in the day, in the beginner riding course they teach you to turn the bike off with the kill switch, and later on when I started instructing the course I taught it as well. Don't know if they still do or not. Dunno about the coasting part though.. :)
 
Shouldn't be a problem.

I've done it on every bike I've owned, hit the killswitch and coast up to the garden gate otherwise the bike can upset the neighbours.

I don't see why it wold be an issue at all.
 
Missyl1713 said:
Waaaaay back in the day, in the beginner riding course they teach you to turn the bike off with the kill switch, and later on when I started instructing the course I taught it as well. Don't know if they still do or not. Dunno about the coasting part though.. :)
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Yes they still teach it. I took the ERC in April and they were having us do it, just like they did during the BRC
 
Rusty said:
Shouldn't be a problem.

I've done it on every bike I've owned, hit the killswitch and coast up to the garden gate otherwise the bike can upset the neighbours.

I don't see why it wold be an issue at all.
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That's what I was thinking but just wanted input from folks with more knowledge than myself.

Thanks
 
FZ1riderNY said:
I've never used the kill switch on my bike, ever. I always just turn the key off.
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So you have no idea if the thing works. Its purpose "by the books" is to shut the bike off in an emergency, I guess if you wreck and fuel is spilling and engine is still running etc.

I however, have found other uses for it, like coasting up my driveway, sneaking up on the wife to make sure no other man is there :confused0024:
 
There is no harm in using it at all. And actually it's pretty handy for shutting off the bike w/o taking your hands off the grips.

Oh and I also do the same with my car sometimes by shutting it off and just coasting a short distance in neutral (it's a 5-speed manual).
 
NJFZ1 said:
There is no harm in using it at all. And actually it's pretty handy for shutting off the bike w/o taking your hands off the grips.

Oh and I also do the same with my car sometimes by shutting it off and just coasting a short distance in neutral (it's a 5-speed manual).
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I do this all the time. Why? Because it pisses the wife off for some reason. :-D
 
NJFZ1 said:
There is no harm in using it at all. And actually it's pretty handy for shutting off the bike w/o taking your hands off the grips.

Oh and I also do the same with my car sometimes by shutting it off and just coasting a short distance in neutral (it's a 5-speed manual).
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I don't know about that one since you'll loose power steering and maybe brakes.

I've always had manual cars until last year (Yukon), couldn't do that in my 2002 Nissan Maxima since you'd loose PS and Brakes. With the bike it's different since ur not shutting off power to the bike, you're just shutting down the engine. Totally different.
 
gtbigup01 said:
I don't know about that one since you'll loose power steering and maybe brakes.

I've always had manual cars until last year (Yukon), couldn't do that in my 2002 Nissan Maxima since you'd loose PS and Brakes. With the bike it's different since ur not shutting off power to the bike, you're just shutting down the engine. Totally different.
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True, but by the time I do this I am just traveling a short distance in a straight line so no need for power steering and the brakes always have enough reserve vacuum for at least one more application. It doesn't take much pedal effort to stop a car going less than 5 MPH anyway. All that being said I don't recommend this to anyone that doesn't feel comfortable doing it or understands how the car is going to react.
 
I do this all the time with my little pickup (5 speed). Loss of power steering isn't much of a problem, since my little pickup doesn't have it anyways. I have also done it in my car with an automatic before. Just pop it into neutral and turn the key off.

As far as the bike goes, there isn't anything mechanically different between shutting it off and coasting in neutral/clutch in or pushing your bike around with it turned off. It should make no difference at all, unless you accidentally slip and let the clutch out with it still in gear. That could cause problems.
 
gtbigup01 said:
So you have no idea if the thing works. Its purpose "by the books" is to shut the bike off in an emergency, I guess if you wreck and fuel is spilling and engine is still running etc.

I however, have found other uses for it, like coasting up my driveway, sneaking up on the wife to make sure no other man is there :confused0024:
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I do agree that it is good to test the kill switch just to make sure it works... but the tilt sensor in the FZ1 (2nd gen anyway, I'm not sure if the 1st gen has one) will shut the bike off in the event of a wreck.
That being said, hitting the kill switch and coasting a short distance at low speed shouldn't be a problem. The problem with doing this at higher speeds or for longer distances is that the transmission isn't being properly lubricated with the engine shut off (per the manual).
 
RavenFZ1 said:
I do agree that it is good to test the kill switch just to make sure it works... but the tilt sensor in the FZ1 (2nd gen anyway, I'm not sure if the 1st gen has one) will shut the bike off in the event of a wreck.
That being said, hitting the kill switch and coasting a short distance at low speed shouldn't be a problem. The problem with doing this at higher speeds or for longer distances is that the transmission isn't being properly lubricated with the engine shut off (per the manual).
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Hmmm didn't know of the tilt switch. Maybe I need to it the books and do some more reading
 
the issue is that turning the transmission without the engine running doesn't allow for oil to flow through the transmission..... for short little rolls, it shouldn't be a problem... but I wouldn't recommend doing it for any more than a few feet .... you wouldn't push your bike with it shut off for a half mile...
 
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