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Either I'm getting old or I'm an idiot.

SoonerSoftail

SoonerSoftail

Active Member
I've stopped the bike, hit the kill switch and forgot to turn off the ignition three times in the last couple of months. I've caught it soon enough that the bike cranked slowly but did fire up. Until I did it again Saturday. I did it this time at the staging for a PGR mission. We were there awhile so she was dead by the time I got on to ride the mission. I caught a ride in a cage and afterward we jumped her and got her started. I was thankful that I killed the battery while in a group but embarrassed as you know what that I can't remember simple things anymore. Like TURN OFF THE IGNITION DUMMY. Anyone know of a fountain of youth?

Oh yeah. The kicker. We staged in the state capital parking lot. While we were gone the road crews prepped the lot for the ice/snow we were supposed to get. So the bike had a nice film of salt dust all over her. That took a while to clean off. And the weather never got here anyway.:(
 
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What works for me: I take 20 steps to where ever I am going and then turn around and walk back to the bike. There, I check "ingnition/electrical" stuff.
A little OCD.... but it works for me. I got stuck one time at work, late at night and no one around....
 
I'd Suggest a STRING around your finger to your wallet...:D

This type of Problem WILL cost money down the road and the wallet handy will Help..

Starting on a Dead battery is VERY hard on the charging system on a Harley Stator and Voltage-regulator...(.)

The HD's are-not meant to Charge the Battery from a DEAD condition.

JUST to KEEP the charge of the battery UP when IN good-normal condition.

Good Luck on NOT doing this again in the future, MeMoRy Laps happens to the BeSt Of US.

signed....BUBBIE
 
In the safety class we had lots of tips and acronyms for things like this. When you stopped the bike you went from right to left: 1)hit the kill switch, 2)ignition, then 3)kick stand. I'm so use to doing it now that I don't remember the tips but this one may have been "kiss". (K)ill switch, (I)gnition, (S)tand.

We all forget. I've been walking back to check things fro twenty years.
 
This takes us back to the question of using the kill switch or turning the bike off with the ignition switch. An argument can be made for either, but if you're constantly forgetting to turn off the ignition, that might tilt the scales towards not using the kill switch. Just sayin'.
 
My saying is as we age we just have more important things to remember like, food water and wheres the bathroom....:59:
 
Some one will tell me it's not the proper way to turn the bike off, but I always use the ignition switch, and I've never had a problem on the '94 FLSTC or the '05 FLTRI. I also always lock the ignition.
 
Get out of the habit of using the kill switch and use the ignition switch . I use the ignition switch almost all of the time , I got in the habit because of the TBW on my bike . I don't see any adverse affects by using the ignition .
 
I always use the ignition switch to kill the bike but wife always uses the kill switch and then forgets the ignition but most of the time she is with me and i usually notice and i always lock the bikes if we are going to walk away from them

Brian
 
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