Kill switches

CTripps

CTripps

Active Member
Hey folks, this is something I've thought about since I opened the first kit box, but was just reminded of yesterday when I had a wipeout. As I went into a curve a cager rode my back left corner and ran me out of room and I ran up against the curb, dumping me on my right side on the sidewalk with the motor laying on it's side going nuts at idle.

The kill switch on the throttle is.. well, I won't call it garbage since it does work much of the time. What I'm thinking about is either something like the powersports toys like jet skis etc have, a key attached to the rider that completes the circuit that will come out and kill the motor of you're knocked off the bike, or some other form of deadman switch.

Maybe a rocker switch (like the old household thermostats used) that could be mounted to the stem of the handlebars that would break the circuit if the angle of the bike to the road exceeds (x) degrees.. Something that would still allow you to lean into a turn but would break connection if you fall over.

Any ideas?
 
CTripps said:
Hey folks, this is something I've thought about since I opened the first kit box, but was just reminded of yesterday when I had a wipeout. As I went into a curve a cager rode my back left corner and ran me out of room and I ran up against the curb, dumping me on my right side on the sidewalk with the motor laying on it's side going nuts at idle.

The kill switch on the throttle is.. well, I won't call it garbage since it does work much of the time. What I'm thinking about is either something like the powersports toys like jet skis etc have, a key attached to the rider that completes the circuit that will come out and kill the motor of you're knocked off the bike, or some other form of deadman switch.

Maybe a rocker switch (like the old household thermostats used) that could be mounted to the stem of the handlebars that would break the circuit if the angle of the bike to the road exceeds (x) degrees.. Something that would still allow you to lean into a turn but would break connection if you fall over.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I have no clue how to come up with something like this, but I love the idea. Would definitely come in handy for 'newer' riders.
 
Probably the easiest is to get a 3.5 mm plug and jack from an old Walkman or MP3 player or whatever and wire the jack so that the NC contacts of the jack are across the kill switch leads. When you have the plug inserted into the jack the contacts will be open and everything will work normally. If the plug is removed from the jack, the contacts will close, and will act like the kill switch does when you press it.
 
rohmell, Stellar idea! The car people have some kind of key chip that works for them. I have a disc on my key ring that keeps my motorcycle from starting unless I'm within 10' feet of it. Works in a battery. I think Ranco, Rayco,? made it. Back then it was 300.00. I'm sure it's way cheaper now. (c)
 
rohmell.. great idea.. the resistance on it to pull out should be minimal, yet it should stay in place.. I'll try to look into that.
 
CTripps said:
rohmell.. great idea.. the resistance on it to pull out should be minimal, yet it should stay in place.. I'll try to look into that.
Click to expand...

SILLY ! K,I,S,S, !

Just get a mercury bulb like what was in the thermostat and mount it horizontally on your bar (perpendicular to normal axis of travel) run the blue wire to the CDI on the way to the CDI

Bike dead every time it tilts too much

ANYTIME the bike goes off vertical axis,there is no spark.

The lower down on the bike you mount this mercury level switch the less sensitive it ill be.




yodar
 
Rohmell's idea is a good one. I've used the same concept in reverse as an anti-theft device in cars for years. I use a 1/4" mono phone jack and recepticle wiring it into the electric fuel pump circuit. With the plug in, the circuit is made but pull the jack out and the engine will start and run for as long as there's fuel in the carburetor but then, that's all she wrote. That would probably get a would-be thief just into traffic before the engine died and left him very obvious and dead in the water.
I mount the recepticle in a hidden, out-of-the-way place so it's not obvious and carry the phone jack in my pocket with my keys.

Tom
 
yodar said:
SILLY ! K,I,S,S, !

Just get a mercury bulb like what was in the thermostat and mount it horizontally on your bar (perpendicular to normal axis of travel) run the blue wire to the CDI on the way to the CDI

Bike dead every time it tilts too much

ANYTIME the bike goes off vertical axis,there is no spark.

The lower down on the bike you mount this mercury level switch the less sensitive it ill be.




yodar
Click to expand...
What about bumps and vibration?
Tom
 
Yeah I was thinking along the lines of mercury switch, or the modern equivalent (a small ball bearing in a track).. Not a lot of actual mercury switches around anymore. The vibration might be a problem there, and if the contact between the ball and track are loose there's a chance of a lot of sparking and power loss.
 
Here's a boat kill switch with a lanyard for ~$10.

killswitch_2.gif


Universal Kill Switch SeaDog Line 420488-1 - iboats.com

Erich
 
Tom got my rider when one could afford one now have to take out a seven year loan lol. Seen magnets on treadmills that would make them stop if removed. Cutting corners now huh. Like the SeaDog kill switch though, that would work.
 
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