I can't believe I did that.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:13 am

My scoot wouldn't start this afternoon after work. I'm bummed. 3000 miles without a hitch, not one, and now it won't start. I can't believe it.

I know it's got gas, because I filled up this morning. But I filled it more than I ever have in the past. Maybe it has something to do with that. It kinda sounded like it was firing, so I figure it's got to be fuel. Or air maybe. It rained on me on the way to work (rain in Phx, yippee!), so maybe I hit a puddle and something happened in the air filter box.

Sheesh, I'm bummed.

Fortunately, I'm only about 5 miles from home, so I called my better half and got a ride home. Then after dinner I put the Moto Tote on the truck, and drove down to pick the scoot up. As I rolled it up the ramp I said to myself, "You are such an idiot. A twit. A dummy, doofus, and an ass. I can't believe you didn't think of that. What a dolt."

I never used the kill switch before, but I might start now, just so that I remember it.

Syd

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:04 am

Ha. You're not the only person who's done that, I'm sure.

The reason I was taught to always shut the scoot off with the kill switch is to get used to it so you can do it without thinking if you ever really need to. Worked for me!

Also, I've heard stories about would-be scooterjackers foiled because they didn't know about the kill switch. Haw!

Sunil · Post by **Sunil** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:52 pm

When I bought mine I was all set to drive away from the dealer and I couldnt get the thing started. I had to get the woman who sold it to me to come back out. Same thing, forgot about the switch. I felt pretty lame. I flip it when I park to foil thieves too. While we are on this topic, I heard that its better for the scooter to shut it off using the key instead of the switch. is that true?

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:11 pm

Sunil wrote: I heard that its better for the scooter to shut it off using the key instead of the switch. is that true?

It's possible, but I doubt it. Both do the same thing, they just disconnect the ignition circuit. I use the kill switch.

I rode vintage for ten years and none of my bikes had keys or flip-killswitches (all just had kickstarters and push-and-hold killswitches) so even when I borrowed someone's 1973 Vespa, I end up doing dumb stuff like forgetting to turn the key, or leaving the killswitch flipped on. It's even more embarassing when you have to kick it over sixty times before you realize your mistake, and you're in the middle of a muddy field full of drunk scooterists looking for someone to make fun of.

I'm finally used to my Blur, because it has a red warning light and the electric start won't even turn over if the kill switch is on. But I'm still having problems if I've been riding a Vespa for a while, on the Blur I'll try to clutch-in to shift as I accelerate and skid to a stop because that's a brake, not a clutch, dummy. That's WAY more embarassing and WAY more dangerous. : )

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:44 pm

illnoise wrote:... I'm still having problems if I've been riding a Vespa for a while, on the Blur I'll try to clutch-in to shift as I accelerate and skid to a stop because that's a brake, not a clutch, dummy. That's WAY more embarassing and WAY more dangerous.

Man, I hate it when I do that.

louie · Post by **louie** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:27 pm

i'm the queen of doing the dumb thing.
so i'm happy i took the motorcycle safety course as my first incounter with riding a bike. they teach you the safest way of doing things. that way i didn't have a chance to get into bad habits before stumbling across the right way. anyway, they taught us to turn off the bikes using the kill switch, except they didn't use the term "kill", i don't remember what they called it.

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:42 pm

jrsjr wrote: Man, I hate it when I do that. :shock:

Then you panic and try to step on the footbrake... Grrr.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:08 am

Thanks everyone for sharing. I suspected as much, but it's still nice to know that I'm not the only one. And the next time, when I do something even stoopider, I'll be sure to post it here for your collective entertainment.

Syd

louie · Post by **louie** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:17 am

that's what we're here for.

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:34 pm

Done that my self as well.......... Felt like a fool in front of people when I accidantly flipped the kill switch not knowing I had I wanted to make a speedy get away and couldn't!
Worse yet I thought was shortly after getting the Scoot, I Squeezed TOO hard on the right brake handle, remember bicycles that's the REAR, Tore up the fromt leg shield and my arm pretty good when I laied it over on the gravel because of that!

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:32 am

I use my kill switch with impunity! So much so, that I have accidentally hit it while stopped at a toll booth and stoplight. Ugh....

chadseld · Post by **chadseld** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:56 am

My MSF course trained us to always use the thumb switch. It's not a 'kill' switch, it's the preferred way to turn the bike off without removing your hand from the front brake.

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:46 pm

chadseld wrote:My MSF course trained us to always use the thumb switch. It's not a 'kill' switch, it's the preferred way to turn the bike off without removing your hand from the front brake.

My MSF course drilled the same idea--it was a baaaad thing if any of us took our hand off the right grip with the engine still running.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 2:58 am

redcass wrote:
chadseld wrote:My MSF course trained us to always use the thumb switch....
My MSF course drilled the same idea--it was a baaaad thing if any of us took our hand off the right grip with the engine still running.

The MSF Basic Rider Class I attended stressed the same point, so that looks like it's the official - and probably safest method, but then, the Owner's Manual of the first scoot I owned said:

Move the [Engine Stop] switch to the OFF position to shut down power to the electrical system. Use this feature only
when other attempts to stop the scooter have failed.

Also, when talking about parking the scoot:

• Turn the ignition key to the OFF position. Remove the key.
• Move the engine stop switch to the OFF position.

So since I'd been riding that scoot for quite a while before I took the Basic Rider Class, I had at least one bad habit engrained in me

.

Syd