Do You Use Your Kill Switch?

[DirtyMrRogers]

+1 on draining oil!

and rotate the pistons to check them out via spark plug hole, or the valves via the carburater inlets.

[Brittles]

use the kill switch to drain the last bit of motor oil durring oil filter changes.

Yea, it does work good for that. I see some of the newer bikes are wired different and the engine won't turn over with the kill switch on. Guess that's a good thing when you try to start the bike and forget the switch is on!! 

[Ol School]

I always thought the kill switch was there for working on the bike at times when you wanted the engine to turn over but not start up ....like checking the starter , adjusting the valves , primeing the oil filter after an oil change ..and on older bikes setting the points .
I`m sure they teach useing it at the schools so as a newbie you won`t have to go through the dumb feeling when you dismount and your hand turns the switch to off without your knowing ...its funny how long it takes even a seasoned rider to figure out why it won`t start ..of course once you do it once , I doubt you`ll do it again ...next time the engine doesn`t start right up , thats the first place you`ll look .  
The thing that I really hate ..is that our goverment doesn`t trust us to turn our head lite on ....so the bike makers have to fix the system where the damn head lite is on when the key is on .......there are times while working on my bike I want the head lite off and I have to pull the fuse on it ..or run the battery down because of it .

[Bumblebee]

there are times while working on my bike I want the head lite off and I have to pull the fuse on it ..or run the battery down because of it

Install a switch for maintenance purposes. It's on my list of modifications to be done when I get to the wiring part of the restoration.

[windrider]

The only time I use the kill switch is when I want to park with the bike in gear, as when parking on a hill or after loading on a trailer.  I use the kill switch to kill the bike then.  Could also put the side stand down, as this will kill the engine also.  When hauling the bike is the only time I ever turn the fuel petcock to OFF also. 

[Soupskin]

I always use the kill switch and always park in gear.

[Bumblebee]

When hauling the bike is the only time I ever turn the fuel petcock to OFF also.

If you go into remote locations, you might consider shutting the fuel off when you leave the motorcycle. My fuel line came loose this summer and if it wasn't for the fuel selector in the off position, I would have been walking for a while.

[windrider]

As for the fuel petcock, I have a 2000 750 nighthawk.  Fuel wont go through the petcock unless vacuum is applied.  That's why I never turn it off unless hauling, and that is just a safety issue because I haul it in a "toy hauler"  camper.

[Option13]

I personally use the key, but have no fear of using the kill switch. It's just a preference. Park in neutral, pop it on the center stand. Set the petcock off from time to time, enough to make sure it stays functional, not enough to cause excess wear. If the bike gets stored for any length of time its set to off. Also, I sometimes run it in reserve after fill for some time to send fresh gas through the line, then switch back to the on position.

[edac]

After finally getting the bike up and running I found out that I can turn the key off and pull it and the only way to shut it down is with the switch.

[Option13]

Sounds like a problem. Didn't you buy a whole new harness? Either way, that sucks.

[9c1]

I always use the kill switch (as I was taught in the MSF course).  If I hadn't taken the course I never would have thought to use it, but I actually like using it rather than the key since I don't have to search for neutral or reach for the key.   

[Von rottes]

I use the kill switch no matter what I ride..
And coming from dirt my thumb usually stays over the kill switch and two fingers over the clutch.

When hauling the bike is the only time I ever turn the fuel petcock to OFF also.

If you go into remote locations, you might consider shutting the fuel off when you leave the motorcycle. My fuel line came loose this summer and if it wasn't for the fuel selector in the off position, I would have been walking for a while.

Thats the best thing about my Ninja its a vacuum petcock.
so no fuel flows if the engine is not running or the vacuum line is off. although it still has on-off-reserve

[Hangster]

never use the kill switch , it's there in case you have to shut down quick when you need to ...if you use it as an every ride thing you'll wear out the components to the point that when you really need it it could malfunction

[Bumblebee]

never use the kill switch , it's there in case you have to shut down quick when you need to ...if you use it as an every ride thing you'll wear out the components to the point that when you really need it it could malfunction

Debatable. If it fails, it'll likely fail by not being able to be turned back on. Switches that are not used and cleaned tend to have a higher electrical failure and loss of reliability rate than ones that are used due to muck buildup on the contacts in dirty environments.

FWIW: I've been using mine constantly for over 15 years. I had the control unit apart last year putting a new throttle grip on and took a look around inside and cleaned everything. It'll be a really loooooong time before the switch hardware wears out.

[manimoney1]

Always use it....as the MSF course instructor says "Engine Off, Key Off"

[NicholasDM]

Curious what others do.

I used to always use the key to turn off a motorcycle, but have gotten into the habit of using the kill switch first. I feel it's good to do from a safety standpoint as you can shut the bike down instinctively in a panic situation without taking your hand off the bars.   

If your not in the habit of using the kill switch do you think you could find it in a panic situation? 

I personally use mine, and on every bike I ride. No joke. And amusingly enough, I find myself hitting the killswitch anyways even when I do just use the ignition key.

It's also my opinion that not knowing immediately where it is on the vehicle that you're riding could be hazardous, though luckily I think every bike I've ever seen uses the big red see-saw button on the right-hand control cluster. Pretty hard to miss it. 

[NicholasDM]

never use the kill switch , it's there in case you have to shut down quick when you need to ...if you use it as an every ride thing you'll wear out the components to the point that when you really need it it could malfunction

I humbly disagree. The wear life on a component like this is no better or worse than the wear life for a turn signal switch, which is probably used at least a hundred times during a decent ride. Failures seem to be rare in my experience, which admittedly is not all-knowing. 

[cmbutn2]

I always use the kill switch, but I think it's just a habit from the MSF course.

[Bumblebee]

I think every bike I've ever seen uses the big red see-saw button on the right-hand control cluster. Pretty hard to miss it. 

The dirt bike I rode last week had the kill switch, actually a kill button, on the left grip where a turn signal switch would normally be. It was a little red button that wasn't really obvious. There was no key on the bike either and distinctly recall wondering for a moment on how I intended to turn it off AFTER I had it running. took all of 5 seconds to sort the button out however it did remind me to not make assumptions. And whoever came up with the choke lever position on that thing needs to be sent back to kindergarten to repeat their entire education from the very beginning.