...is a complete & total engineering failure.

If you are in the wet at all. And maybe even not just then.

I know I've read about it on here before, and maybe even read someone saying the same thing, but read this: get rid of it, tie the wires together, tuck them away, and forget about it. It is only a matter of time before it will bite you. Mine bit me today right in the middle of a 100 ft long 2 ft deep water/mud hole. Was doing just hunkey dorey purring right thru it when the big kaput happened. What a drag pushing out of that - then trying to figure out what the heck happened. I wasn't exactly close to home either. After a bit of humming & hawing (and lots of gasping & panting), I remembered this place & reading about that - was I ever some glad when it fired up after cutting & crossing those wires.

So you've been warned (likely again) - don't let it bite you at the worst time. (Or at least remember this when it does quit).

[I've never had mud caked onto my bare legs under my socks before. It was ugly...]

 

That, and the clutch safety switch are the first two things I do to an off-road motorcycle. I actually solder the wires together and shrink-wrap them, then tape them. Others do some creative connectors, so they can put them back to use when the sell the bike.

I take full responsibility for the risks associated with disabling these devices on my bikes.

 

OK, that reminds me. I was going to ask the first time if there are other 'safety' devices on this thing that could do the same thing and should also be garbaged - but forgot. So I guess there's a clutch switch - I'll have to check that out.

Any others?

Way to go Big Brother for pushing this stuff on us to save ourselves from ourselves - think I'm even more frustrated after sleeping on it & wondering how it would have ended if I hadn't remembered reading about it before.

 

Only other one is the kill switch. Some people put in a "bypass the kill switch" switch...but, that seems like adding complexity to me. Then again, I've never had a kill switch fail me...if it ever does, I'll think about putting a bypass on it, OR, get a better quality kill switch.

 

ns503, I bet most people wouldn't have figured that out / remembered to check that. Your situation sucked, but imagine if you hadnt figured it out. LOL
I have both switches disabled, and have since "outsmarted" the bike and ridden off with the kickstand down (distracted talking to coworker in the bike parking lot after work) and started to start the bike while in gear (bike barely moves ahead while turning over, easy catch). Neither oversight caused me to drop the bike.
Dan

 

Killed my stand switch a couple weeks ago. Never gave me any trouble, but didn't want to give it the chance to either.

You'd think the liability of *having* the switch would be worse than not having it! What's the worst that can happen without it??? (Drive off with kickstand down... big deal). What's the worst that can happen with it? (Bike dies in the middle of traffic and rider gets squished by a semi truck). If I were Kawi, I'd re-think the whole kickstand switch decision. Engineers must have been taking a double dose of their stupid pills the day they decided to include that switch.

 

I've read horror stories of guys riding off with the kickstand down, making a turn, and pogo-sticking off the stand. There is a risk there that needs to be understood when disconnecting this SAFETY mechanism.

 

Maybe on some other bike... My '09 stand is angled back. Dragging it on the ground would only force it to snap into the up position. Now, if you removed the spring, I might see it being a concern.

 

This is the first bike I've ever had (not that I've had a whole lot, but anyway) that had a stand switch. 'Back in the day', you were taught to put the stand up as soon as you got on the bike - it became automatic. I've never come close to driving away with the stand down. That's not saying it won't happen to someone though, I guess...

 

thats the first thing i do when i get on a bike is put the kickstand up