Engine Kill Switch Question

[vegasbuddy]

Should the kill switch be left "off" when the scoot is parked for the day or overnight? Will leaving it "on" drain the battery?

[Eazy]

Really, you should be using it to shut it off at all times. Just gets you in the habit in case you're ever in an emergency.

But no, it will not drain the battery. There is no draw on a scooters battery when the key is off.

[runtotorun121]

Really, you should be using it to shut it off at all times. Just gets you in the habit in case you're ever in an emergency.

That is interesting to see you post this. Before I first got onto my scooter and my husband was coaching me on all the "important-to-know" two wheel stuff \and with the pre-BRC class I took a couple of months ago they both told me that you always use the kill switch to turn off your scooter/bike. Sounds like a bad idea to take your hand off the brake to turn the ignition switch to "off." But I wondered what others were doing when I read about the pranksters and the kill switch issues and people forgetting that what caused their Buddy to not start was that their kill switch was off. I have just always been in the habit of turning on my switch and then starting the Buddy, but I had to ask my husband to confirm that this is the "right" thing to do after I read so many people not knowing their switch was off when they tried to start it. . .

[Eazy]

That is interesting to see you post this. Before I first got onto my scooter and my husband was coaching me on all the "important-to-know" two wheel stuff \and with the pre-BRC class I took a couple of months ago they both told me that you always use the kill switch to turn off your scooter/bike. Sounds like a bad idea to take your hand off the brake to turn the ignition switch to "off." But I wondered what others were doing when I read about the pranksters and the kill switch issues and people forgetting that what caused their Buddy to not start was that their kill switch was off. I have just always been in the habit of turning on my switch and then starting the Buddy, but I had to ask my husband to confirm that this is the "right" thing to do after I read so many people not knowing their switch was off when they tried to start it. . .

In theory it should be designed so you can hit it with your thumb, so you can hit it while you're breaking.

I've noticed more and more lately though bikes and scooters are getting away from that idea. I think it has something to do with form over function.

[BuddyLove]

Personally I like to turn it off with the key. That way I am sure that I remember to bring the key with me. Sometimes I hit the kill switch and leave the key in the bike which can drain the battery. Just what I do though...

[ericalm]

I definitely recommend using the kill switch to turn the scoot off. The idea here is to get into the habit of using the switch, to train your hand to know where it is so that it becomes second nature. In a crash, you don't want to be under a scoot that's still running, especially since the throttle could be twisted and doing who knows what. The first thing you should do is hit that kill switch and if you're not used to doing it, you'll waste time looking for it or miss it.

[louie]

if i'm remembering correctly the brc suggest to using the kill switch (don't call it that though) after you are stopped but one of the instructors encouraged us to use it while still rolling to ingrain better the habit of emergency shut off.
last week during the erc i noted the instructors used the kill switch while rolling to a stop also, but they didn't mention anything about it.

[NathanielSalzman]

Yes, from my reading and in talking to more experienced riders, you should always use the kill switch to turn off the bike. This serves a couple of purposes:

1. If your throttle sticks wide open (which does happen - it's just a cable after all and that cable can jam) - then the kill switch can get you safely stopped and quickly.

2. It's actually a little bit of a security feature. It's not immediately obvious what that switch does and I've read stories of thieves who were thwarted by just the kill switch. They'd broken the ignition and hot-wired the scooter, but couldn't figure out how to get it started because the kill switch was on.

Half of good scooter riding is developing good habits. Always being paranoid at intersections, always doing a head check before changing lanes. Just as you should go through a pre-ride check of your switches and tires, having a little routine you go through as you're parking the scooter is good too. Hit the kill switch, put the scoot up on the center stand, take off your helmet, stow your gear, lock the steering column and grab the keys, etc. If you get into that post-ride routine, you'll be a lot less likely to leave your keys in the ignition and you'll be well versed in kill switch usage.

[scoots4me]

Ok so with regards to using the kill switch as part of your shut off/park routine, I have what feels like an elementary question. Do you want to roll to your stop, hit the switch, and THEN turn the key/take it out or do you want to roll to your stop, turn the key/take it out and THEN hit your kill switch? I'm wondering if there are any mechanical implications for using the switch a certain way - I suppose that's my main question. Sorry - can't think straight today. Thanks in advance.

[NathanielSalzman]

Stop --> press kill switch to "off" position --> turn ignition "off" with key --> get off the scooter and put it up on its center stand --> turn the steering column to the left and lock it with the ignition key --> use ignition key to open the under seat storage compartment --> remove key from ignition and then take off all your gear.

Then do sort of the opposite coming back to the scooter.

Put key in ignition --> open under seat storage compartment --> unlock steering column --> turn key to "on" position --> press kill switch to "on" position --> start the scooter to let it warm up --> gear up, check your turn indicators, headlight, brake light, horn, and squeeze your tires to make sure you don't have a flat --> get on, check your mirrors, test your brakes --> ride away.

[illnoise]

Either way is fine, both do exactly the same thing, but Eric's advice to use the killswitch first is good, for several reasons.

You just really want to get in the habit of doing it whichever way works best for you so you end up with the killswitch engaged and the keys in your pocket rather than in the ignition or in the pet carrier.

Also, it can't be said enough, 9/10 people I've met lately with new scooters were carrying around both keys AND the brown key code tab on the keychain the dealer gave them. If you lock 'em in your pet carrier or drop them down a sewer grate, you're screwed. Keep ONE key with you, and put the other one in a safe place (where whoever you're going to call to bring it to you can get it,) and tape the brown tab to your title in your lockbox at home.

Those awesome On-Guard locks come with five keys, and a code with a toll-free number to call for replacements, and I bet they still get a couple dozen calls a day from people that managed to lose all five keys and the code at once. : )

Bb.

[/list]

[scoots4me]

AWESOME! Thanks!

[illnoise]

Nathaniel's method is what I do too (though sometimes I kill it and coast to a stop. I park at a bike rack (with permission) in a private parking lot and there are a lot of people walking past, so I like to kill it so the noise and exhaust don't bother people. Don't do that in traffic or at night, or you'll lose your lights.

I use a chain-lock through the front wheel (I know it's easy to take the wheel off, but I park in a pretty secure place and anything to slow down a potential thief helps) and that throws my routine off because I'm terrified I'm going to leave my keys in the lock when I put it in the pet carrier. I should keep my lock key on a different keychain than my scooter key maybe.

Bb.

[r0sa]

what is the purpose of the brown key code tab?
i think i might of misplaced it when i was moving, the dealer never told me what it was for or told me it was important

am i doomed?

[anndelise]

... Keep ONE key with you, and put the other one in a safe place (where whoever you're going to call to bring it to you can get it,) and tape the brown tab to your title in your lockbox at home.

****, that brown tab served a purpose??
I was separating my buddy keys and my lock keys to keep one set hanging on a hook at home and the other set with me. I saw a brown tag, a white tag, and a little white paper tag, each of them had different numbers on them. I assumed that they had to do with helping the dealer know which keys go to which bike, where it is on their inventory list, and such like that.
I just checked both keychains and see that none but the white paper tag is on them. So I must have thrown out the other two tags. Damn!! I wish the dealer would have said something!!

[7eregrine]

Probably to order replacement keys. Not sure though. Mine is number 1,3##. I wonder if that means it is the 1 thousandth, 3 hundredth xx Buddy made?

[r0sa]

i guess i wont be so doomed if i took special care of my keys and not lose them

[illnoise]

Yep, it's the code to have new keys made, IIRC.

Bb.

[siobhan]

I'm terrified I'm going to leave my keys in the lock when I put it in the pet carrier. I should keep my lock key on a different keychain than my scooter key maybe.

I'm so paranoid that I keep the chainlock key on one keychain, the scoot key and the Xena lock key on another keychain, and the key to my garage (imagine that, a garage door that you have to lock with a giant padlock) on a third keychain (and my house keys on still another keychain). Mind you, my boyfriend and I still managed to lock ourselves out of the house on the weekend and the neighbor who has keys to our house was taking a nap!

[illnoise]

Mind you, my boyfriend and I still managed to lock ourselves out of the house on the weekend and the neighbor who has keys to our house was taking a nap!

Exactly, however many precautions you take, you're still gonna do it, so take more, ha.

I just KNOW i'm gonna slam that seat shut with the key in there sooner or later, when my wife's out of town, and I'm nowhere near public transportation, and my cell phone is dead. That's when it's time for "Plan G," where I walk to the hardware store and buy tools to remove the front panel and trip the seat lock from behind the ignition panel.

It's good to know that's doable, and as long as you have a key somewhere, you're never really doomed, but if you manage to lose all of them and you don't have the code, you're looking at a pretty expensive lock replacement.

Bb.

[runtotorun121]

and tape the brown tab to your title in your lockbox at home.
[/list]

Okay, can someone tell me if these little brown tabs you are talking about are new to the '08s because when I bought my '07 Buddy last year they just handed me the two keys. No white tags and no brown tag. Just two keys. My dad is a locksmith so I know about key codes, and I sure hope I would never need to use them, but if they are suppose to be available for my Buddy then I should try to figure this out. . .

[anndelise]

about the brown key tag...
I called the dealer I bought my Buddy50 from to see if I could upgrade (I bought it two weeks ago) to a 125. He asked about scratches and such..nothing. Oh, but i threw away the brown key tag. The what? The brown key tag. What's that. The tag with numbers on it that was on the key chain...? Oh, I don't care about that.

whew.

Needless to say, if I get a brown key tag with the next set of keys, I WON'T be throwing it away.

[gt1000]

I received a brown key code tab with my 06 but really, Buddy keys shouldn't be difficult to duplicate. A lot of bikes with built in immobilizers have key codes because there's a chip installed in the key. As far as I know, the Buddy key is just a key.

As far as kill switch vs. key, the answer is not universal. Some new bikes with fuel injection, programmable ECU's, anti-theft systems and CANBUS electrical systems prefer you to always cycle through all ignition functions with the key. So, if you're out riding your new BMW, park it and hit the kill switch before turning off the key, you could be asking for trouble. This is a documented issue with some new bikes.

Fact: it's important to know where your kill switch is in the unlikely event you'll need to use it. Get in the habit of using it at some point. I use the kill switch after I cycle the ignition off with the key on all my bikes, even though many riders now feel that the kill switch is redundant (many modern bikes have a built in kill function should the bike wind up off it's wheels).

Honestly, with the Buddy, it doesn't matter how you turn off your bike. However, if you leave the key in the "on" position, you will slowly drain your battery.

[runtotorun121]

I just realized that I am becoming insane with trying to "plan" ahead. Really, the time I know that key codes are the best is either when you have dropped your keys in the lake so there is nothing to copy and it is infinitely cheaper to have a key cut than pull the ignition to make a key. No, pray tell, when in the world would I have myself and my Buddy far from home and drop my keys in a lake. . .? I guess it is good that when we ride we take the scooter and the motorcycle, and then dear darling husband can retrieve the spare key at home for me.

Hmmm. . .but I am still wondering if anyone can give me the key codes from Genuine. . .

[MarsR]

Okay, can someone tell me if these little brown tabs you are talking about are new to the '08s because when I bought my '07 Buddy last year they just handed me the two keys. No white tags and no brown tag. Just two keys. My dad is a locksmith so I know about key codes, and I sure hope I would never need to use them, but if they are suppose to be available for my Buddy then I should try to figure this out. . .

I got the little brown tab last year with my '07 Buddy.

[Roose Hurro]

I save everything that comes with my vehicles... I still have the Mulroney sticker that came with my 2000 Toyota Echo, as well as all my purchase paperwork, tucked in the nice fancy zipped pouch my owner's manual came in.


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