[TRIIICK]

Started off Saturday morning for New Hampshire,you couldn't have asked for a better day. Arriving at my destination after five hours of riding i shut off the engine, started gabbing to my old friends, unloaded the saddle bags and headed in for some R&R. After three hours of eating burgers and drinking beers it dawned on me that i forgot to take the key out of the ignition,i got up looked out the window didn't see the Rockets head lights glare so i assumed i was just having a senior moment. Morning came we all loaded up the saddle bags cleaned the windshields and were all ready to start off on the second leg of the trip. Looking down I see the ignition key steering me in the face and turned all the way to the right,i knew then i had screwed up. Hitting the switch , the battery was dead as a door nail it was wishful thinking on part that after eight hours of leaving the key in the igniton that it would start. I figured no big deal i'll just get my buddies jumper cables and be on my way. Looking at the weather i knew we were going to be in for a wet one. After three or four minutes on the cables she started right up and we were on the road again.
This is where it gets interesting,i knew all i had in the gas tank was about a gallon of gas if that.As we left for the closest gas station/ general store two miles away,the rain was pouring down on us. I pulled up to the pumps,not wanting to shut down the bike it dawned on me the only way to get the tank filled was to pull the key. I pulled the key out to open the gas tank big mistake,after filling up i turned the key and nothing dead in the water. After an hour and a half an old timer drove in with a pair off jumper cables and gave me another jump.If i had carried a spare key with me i could have avoided a long wait and a major rain storm. Live and learn

 

[CTCruiser]

WoW

I have to admit ive locked my key's in the car a few time over the years but NEVER NEVER in my bike I'm glad it all worked out however.


Walt

 

[justinrhenry]

i accidentally leave my key in the ignition all the time, but i've never left it in the "on" position. how did you turn the engine off when you parked? did you let it stall out?

 

[T-Rex]

To Key or not to Key - That is the Question

Yup, I admit I did the key thing too! I thought I locked my handlebars but only left my parking lights on. Battery went dead. Pulled the battery from the beast and went to the nearest bike shop, not Triumph. The folks were real nice, they threw the battery on the charger and said it would take about an hour. Not being mechanical myself, I asked what would cause the battery to go dead.? (I didn't realize I had put the key in the parking light position) The mechanic told me the charging system could be on the fritz? He suggested that they could pickup my bike with their tow vehicle and they could check out the charging system. Seems like the thing to do. They picked up the bike (2 to 3 miles from their shop) and checked it out. I almost passed out when I got the bill, $26.40 Total. I had tipped the kid that drove the tow truck $10.00 bucks and didn't understand why he had such a grin. Again, the folks in the Kawasaki Motorcycle shop in Decorah, Iowa were the greatest folks I met on my last trip out to Sturgess, SD. I always carry an extra key, and I now make sure the handlebars are locked and no lights on. I laugh about it now, but it did cost me a couple hours of daylight riding time
T-Rex

 

[TRIIICK]

i accidentally leave my key in the ignition all the time, but i've never left it in the "on" position. how did you turn the engine off when you parked? did you let it stall out?

This is a TRIIICK question right...lol. What happen was, i pulled in put it in nuetral and hit the engine stop switch. My buddies were in the back yard and all came around to greet us. The sun was shining bright so much so i could'nt tell if my head lights were on or not. My old girlfriend was there asking me a million questions and i just got side tracked. I have a tool bag attached to the windshield that pretty much covers the key location . I always thought who ever designed the key location must have been side tracked too..

 

[Diego]

One of several reasons for the manual's caution against using the kill switch...

 

[T-Rex]

Expose That Key

Install a pair of Rivco Risers and you'll be able to access the ignition mucho easy. Also, I though turning the motor off on a Rocket with the kill switch screwed up the bike's computer? Knowledgeable folks let us know!
Thanks,
T-Rex

 

[Diego]

No, it won't mess up the computer merely to cut off the engine once in a while with that switch. It interrupts the same power line that the ignition switch does.

What can sometimes cause glitches is that (unlike the ignition switch) the emergency kill switch isn't designed for everyday use. If you start using it that way, you may eventually get the contacts making poor or intermittent connection, resulting in voltage fluctuations during operation which then confuse the computer. So, it's best not to routinely cut off the engine with the kill switch.

 

[justinrhenry]

didn't think of the kill switch.