Ok it was my fault. As I got pieces of information from my wife and the gang after they took the MSF class I tried to glean some useful stuff from what they had learned. One of the things they were taught is that when you stop and are getting off the bike is to use the kill switch and then the key. Well Marty is going to chastise me for this but I'll have to give that one a big fat King of Queens raspberry, (hmmm I did spell check and I didn't realize raspberry had a p in it.......) Any way, I have always used the key to shut off the bike, and I have never had a problem, but yesterday after I got back to work from lunch, it was stuck in my mind about the kill switch, and as I rolled into the loading dock I pulled in the clutch and hit the switch. Then I proceeded to get off the bike and walk into the shop and then to my office. Well 4 hours later I went to go home, and I could see what I had done. The key switch was still in the "on" position. So I had to jump it with the work truck, and of course to get it to charge a little I just had to take the bike behind the DNR gate by where I work and ride for a while (hour) then I headed home. "But honey I had to ride at least an hour to charge the battery" Anyway I will not be using the kill switch anymore. That was the first time I have left the key on. Now the bike sits at home on the battery tender so it can get a proper charge.........OK it was raining really hard today and I didn't want to melt.

 

My experience goes the opposite of yours, Deej, but with the same result. When I first got my bike, I used the kill switch exclusively. I bet I left the key in the "on" position four or five times before a co-worker suggested that I leave the kill switch alone and use the key. I have not run the battery dead since.

I do like the "hour long battery charge" story, though. I might just need to start using the kill switch again to get in a little more riding time.

Chris

 

So what's the reasoning behind the kill switch/key switch combo? Would it be to get you used to using the kill switch so that in an emergency situation you're not fumbling around to shut it down? Or does the instructor have a sideline selling motorcycle batteries?

 

So he was saying to hit the kill switch and leave it in the kill position? and shut the key off? whats the advantage to that?

 

I could be mistaken, but I think it says in the KLX owners manual to use the key to shut the engine off not the kill switch. I think the kill switch is for emergency use only so you don't have to take your hand off the bar.

 

Deej is correct, that is the way that the manufactures and instructors tell you to shut your bike off. I haven't yet heard a compelling argument for this proceedure. I have been told something about turning the key off doesn't sut down the electronics properly (which I think is BS) and also something about the safety of using the control at your thumb rather than reaching for the key, (which is also BS, since we operate this bike while it's running!!)
So untill someone gives me that compeling argument, I will continue to shut my bikes off with the key switch!

 

Come on Marty, what's is the reasoning behind this? Not that we are going to listen to you Well maybe because you are older and wiser.

 

This is what the manual says.

 

Oh and I never shut off my gas.....EVER!!! If you forget it can get you into trouble a few hundred yards down the road. No thanks.

 

I don't like the fact that your crankcase could fill up with gas, that is if the needle and seat is a little off.
I always turn it off when I stop and turn it on when I start.