#&%* Stupid Kill Switch

[Iplayfarmer]

Alright as long as we are telling funny stories about "scooters" I will fess up too. A long time ago, I was in a store, and noticed the time and wanted to get home in a hurry, so I go out and jump on my old Honda 450, which has the ignition key under your left butt cheek, but also has a fork lock up on the forks, Well I had locked the forks but the handlebars were pointing at the angle I wanted to take off in as I wanted to do a 180 turn. So I fire her up, kicked it in gear and took off smartly, when I went to right her up, she went one way and I went the other. I got up to my feet quickly, and watched the bike slide to a nice stop on its side. I picked it up, unlocked the forks this time, and looked around sheepishly to make sure no one had seen this fiasco, and took off for home, a little wiser.

James K0UA

I wish I had seen that. I'd have smiled for days with that image playing through my head. That's one of those "Humor is what happens to someone else" kind of stories. Thanks for sharing.

 

[oldballs]

Exactly the same thing happened to my XL250 motorcycle! I had it at school, a kid was looking it over closely (with permission)...when I went to leave, it wouldn't start. Mind you, this is kick-start ONLY, no electric.

After working up a good sweat in our parking lot, then rolling it down a hill and dumping the clutch, borrowing a pick-up to load it up and haul it home, going through.... well, you get the idea.

The next day I was whining to a friend, still scratching my head, as he went through the littany of possibilities. "Yep, did that. Yep, checked that. Nope, that's not the problem." Finally he says, "Kill switch?"

:ashamed::ashamed: Yep. Started up on the first kick after it was turned back on. First bike I ever had with a kill switch, never use it, never thought about it.

Learned that lesson well!:laughing::laughing:

I heard of a guy who did the above and actually started twisting the wrenches when he got home. .... then realized it was out of gas. :ashamed:

 

[NormL]

"self, it's odd you can't even hear the solenoid clicking in". At which point I reach down and turn the mower drive clutch switch/ignition interlock off.....Mike

Reminds me of running out of gas with our Swisher zero turn. This thing has two tanks but we were only using the one and ran it to empty. These situations only ever happen farthest away from where I store the gas!:laughing: Put some in and went to start it - - nothing.. I don't remember anymore how I finally figured it out but I learned two lessons: 1): the safety switch, 2): keep a little gas in the second tank, even if you're mostly running off the other. Saves a long walk to get the can of gas and the walk back carrying that heavy thing, AND trying to keep the fool thing from falling off the platform as you finish mowing cause you don't want to drive back to the shed to drop it off!!!

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Reminds me of running out of gas with our Swisher zero turn. This thing has two tanks but we were only using the one and ran it to empty. These situations only ever happen farthest away from where I store the gas!:laughing: Put some in and went to start it - - nothing.. I don't remember anymore how I finally figured it out but I learned two lessons: 1): the safety switch, 2): keep a little gas in the second tank, even if you're mostly running off the other. Saves a long walk to get the can of gas and the walk back carrying that heavy thing, AND trying to keep the fool thing from falling off the platform as you finish mowing cause you don't want to drive back to the shed to drop it off!!!

It's just like when you run a motorcycle out of gas and move the petcock to reserve to get you to the gas station. Don't forget to move the petcock back to "run" or you won't have anything next time to get you to the gas station.

 

[PoorMansCat]

have one for ya'll. My B.I.L. brought his mower over cause it wasn't cutting right. He said he had recently put new blades on it, and afterwards, it was cutting funny down the middle of the mowing deck. He then went and bought ANOTHER set of new blades and after installing them, same issue!!!..
I picked up the front end of the mower with my service truck and stood there in amazement!!!!!.. He had mounted the middle blade upside down... not once, but twice!!!.. Didn't have the heart to tell him what I really found, I just turned the blade over and told him I had to tighten the belt!!!..