Time to install an alarm. Get the loudest one possible so it hurts their ears. I wish people would just keep their hands of other people's stuff.
I try to park somewhere so I can see my bike at all times.
There's proximity alarms that start chirping when someone gets close, when they touch it it goes off. Most will also send you a notification on you phone so you can turn it on manually.
And those types end up with constant false alarms, which you then begin to ignore.
Alarms are worthless IMO. A cover makes people ignore the bike. It's a shapeless blob that their brain doesn't even acknowledge.
Years back there was some expensive sports car in the movie theater parking lot that had one of those Vipwr proximity alarms that loudly commanded, "Step away from the vehicle!"
Of course some kids were throwing the wood chips from the planter at it to get it to keep going off.
I usually park where I can see it. Saw some dude falling off it when I was at work one day. Screamed no at him. He said he wanted to see if it was too tall for him and started saying it was cool he's got a blah blah whatever.
I know the feeling OP.
I put heated grips on all of my bikes, and a couple months ago, someone turned them on while I was in hospital having a camera rammed down my throat. I didn't accidentally leave them on because it was a warm day.
So I get outside after gagging on a camera for 10 minutes (couldn't have sedation because I had to ride 40 miles home afterwards), and find that I have to push start my bike.
After that I made sure the fuse was accessible from outside of the bike and started pulling it whenever I left the bike anywhere for longer than 10 minutes. Anyway, a few weeks ago I finally got around to wiring them into a relay that comes on with the ignitions, so that won't be happening again.
I once pushed the killswitch halfway by placing my helmet over the handlebar at a reststop.
Within a minute after driving away from the reststop my bike suddenly died on the interstate.
Took ma a couple of minutes to figure out that the killswitch had been activated.
The same thing happened to me after the third time I went on a trip with my brand new bike.
I thought for a second that something broke because it shut the bike off when I was standing still after a long stretch of road.
Im confused, do you not use the kill switch to turn the bike off? Cause I leave mine in the off position till im ready to start it the next time.
Also not to be defending someone who might be a dick but I wouldnt be surprised if the person who turned it off thought they were doing you a favour and stopping something from draining the battery cause thats what i would think if I saw a kill switch left on
wow ppl are dmb.
most bikes keep fan ON after killing engine with killswitch :)
Have fn fking the engine with heat after long rides and cutting off all power with key.
... that's literally not going to happen. The engine was fine running as hot as it just was. As soon as you turn off the key, the engine will *not* get any hotter than it currently is. And running the fan won't do anything either, because if the engine isn't turning, the water pump isn't running, so hot coolant is staying against the engine, not being pumped to the radiator to be cooled by the fan. Tldr this is nonsense and It'll be fine.
The engine wont over heat because the fan aint running when its hot, if it did old engines woulda been fucked because the fan on them runs off the engines crankshaft
I guess every single air cooled bike is doomed, then? Every single car, pickup truck, and semi truck is doomed as well?
Even if the fan stays on, WTF good does that do, besides cool down the radiator itself? If the coolant isn’t circulating, you’re simply wasting battery power.
Unless you cut off your thumb, you can turn off the bike with the thumb without taking your hands off of the handlebar. And you will never be surprised by a mere killswitch that is flipped off.
I don’t need to let the engine run when I make a small break or until I reach to the key. With the killswitch off, the electronics stay on if I want them to.
The best ones use the sidestand while staying in gear or even drop the bike and wait until the engine will be switched off by the sensor for it.
I mostly just turn the key to off. Sometimes when I know that I will start the bike very soon I will use the kill switch. Atleast my bike electronics completely turn of when I put the key to off
I fucking hated the kickstand sensor on my old 125, i like to let my bike warm up as i get the chains and locks off and put my helmet on, thought lets just un plug it, noooo bike wont start without it plugged in so instead i had to move it
Mine did too, its reflex memory teaching. When you panic you operate on easily accessible memory. If you always turn the bike off with the killswitch, this is what you will do in a panic inducing situation.
New bikes have tip over detectors and will shut off automatically after a few seconds of being sideways.
This is what I do, is it right? Probably not. But this is what the Europeans do. And I feel like it. So key off. My new BMW is keyless, the power button is literally right next to the killswitch. I could smash the right hand down on the right side controls and hit off both ways easily. I'm assuming thats what I will do when the bmw goes over and doesn't shut off for some reason.
I used to be a European and i always do kill switch and haven't been taught anything else, also kill switch is always the easier thing with the bikes i ride cause the key isnt infront of me, now i think about it ive not owned a bike where the key is infront of me XD
Pro tip: use the kill switch to turn off your bike every time instead of the key. Then your normal start up procedure will have to include toggling the kill switch, and you will never forget it.
The killswitch thing happened to me and it took me ages to figure out wtf was wrong.
Then i felt like the dumbest mf on the planet once i figured it out.
I like the cover idea, but recognize it’s not something a lot of us would have space to carry around. My old bike doesn’t have electronics and without a key nothing will drain my battery. I go through the same stop procedure, put in neutral, turn petcock off, turn off with a key (that’s what my manual recommends, and generally check the motorcycle before walking off. I do the same check starting off, my general inspection, turn petcock on, put in neutral if not, turn ignition to on, check lights and switches and start. I have not noticed anyone having messed around with my motorcycle, but I suspect I would catch it during my check. I rarely leave it very far away or long. I’m sympathetic, it’s pretty childish of anyone to mess with a person’s vehicle. Wish there was some great advice to give you, but the best is to do a systematic check every time. Park in a visible area. I know that doesn’t discourage everyone, but perhaps it cuts down on some tampering. I’m a bit curious, is there a particular place where your motorcycle is most messed with?
When I purchased my first bike, I didn’t really want to pay for indoor parking ($200/month) so I kept it parked outside for the summer, and I had a buddy who would let me keep it in his garage over the winter. One day I found gum smeared all over my exhaust pipe and parts of my seat were melted/burned. The next day I got indoor parking. Never again.
The people messing with your bike aside, you really should learn to use the kill switch to shut down your bike. If you're ever in a situation where you need to cut the engine (stuck throttle, etc) you aren't going to want to let go of the bars to do so. Training your brain to use a quick thumb movement could save your bacon, mate.
My bike has "vibration alert" when someone even touches it sends an alert to my phone. Had it parked in the parking garage at the mall while I was inside. Got the alert so I ran out as fast as I could. There were two teenagers, one sitting on the bike and the other standing next to him. I was ready to fight two kids. People have zero respect.
I have a H D custom shovel head I have run a shop since 1988 yes I am old I ride as much as I can I go to Ocean city Maryland it’s 100 miles south of me I have tourists sit on my bike with out asking last Saturday I had a mom put her 3 year old on the seat his leg hits the rear exhaust pipe he has a scar now on his little leg forever Hay people ask permission do not touch it if you don’t own it
The only people I’ve had fuck with my bike would be my friends that ride with. Petcock closed, kill switch open, plug wire pulled…you get the idea. I rigged a friend’s bike so that he’d get shocked by the coil every time he tried to start his bike.
Good time!
Time to install an alarm. Get the loudest one possible so it hurts their ears. I wish people would just keep their hands of other people's stuff. I try to park somewhere so I can see my bike at all times.
An alarm probably won't go off from someone flipping switches. It's not enough movement to trigger it. A cover is the right choice here.
There's proximity alarms that start chirping when someone gets close, when they touch it it goes off. Most will also send you a notification on you phone so you can turn it on manually.
And those types end up with constant false alarms, which you then begin to ignore. Alarms are worthless IMO. A cover makes people ignore the bike. It's a shapeless blob that their brain doesn't even acknowledge.
Years back there was some expensive sports car in the movie theater parking lot that had one of those Vipwr proximity alarms that loudly commanded, "Step away from the vehicle!" Of course some kids were throwing the wood chips from the planter at it to get it to keep going off.
A cover is a good idea too. I do like the alarm but I've never had anyone mess with my bike anyway.
I dunno mine is pretty sensitive. Surprisingly so
I usually park where I can see it. Saw some dude falling off it when I was at work one day. Screamed no at him. He said he wanted to see if it was too tall for him and started saying it was cool he's got a blah blah whatever.
I know the feeling OP. I put heated grips on all of my bikes, and a couple months ago, someone turned them on while I was in hospital having a camera rammed down my throat. I didn't accidentally leave them on because it was a warm day. So I get outside after gagging on a camera for 10 minutes (couldn't have sedation because I had to ride 40 miles home afterwards), and find that I have to push start my bike. After that I made sure the fuse was accessible from outside of the bike and started pulling it whenever I left the bike anywhere for longer than 10 minutes. Anyway, a few weeks ago I finally got around to wiring them into a relay that comes on with the ignitions, so that won't be happening again.
Some idiot turned my petcock off at work. Killed the battery trying to get the rhing started.
Don't you turn it off every time anyway? Shouldn't leave it open.
Never touched a petcock in my life (40 years of riding, 10+ bikes).
Oh dude.. your poor carburetors.. risking an engine flood every time in those 40 years must have been exhausting..
Never had any trouble whatsoever. Nada, zilch, nothing. 80’s jap bikes, a sportster and a W650. Current bike is fuel injected. Myth busted.
If you have vacuum operated petcocks.
That's straight evil but also, you gotta admit, pretty funny
TCLOCS bro. every single time you go to ride, stand there for 15 minutes and run that check.....
Nah. I just fire up and ride.
*Le Sighe: /s*
I once pushed the killswitch halfway by placing my helmet over the handlebar at a reststop. Within a minute after driving away from the reststop my bike suddenly died on the interstate. Took ma a couple of minutes to figure out that the killswitch had been activated.
The same thing happened to me after the third time I went on a trip with my brand new bike. I thought for a second that something broke because it shut the bike off when I was standing still after a long stretch of road.
A bike cover would stop stupid people from touching it.
I'll go nuts if someone else touches my baby besides me.
Im confused, do you not use the kill switch to turn the bike off? Cause I leave mine in the off position till im ready to start it the next time. Also not to be defending someone who might be a dick but I wouldnt be surprised if the person who turned it off thought they were doing you a favour and stopping something from draining the battery cause thats what i would think if I saw a kill switch left on
I have a feeling this comment section just keys off the bike in first and calls it a day
I mean yeah, it's the simplest way to park the bike, leave it in gear to not roll and key off and out.
wow ppl are dmb. most bikes keep fan ON after killing engine with killswitch :) Have fn fking the engine with heat after long rides and cutting off all power with key.
... that's literally not going to happen. The engine was fine running as hot as it just was. As soon as you turn off the key, the engine will *not* get any hotter than it currently is. And running the fan won't do anything either, because if the engine isn't turning, the water pump isn't running, so hot coolant is staying against the engine, not being pumped to the radiator to be cooled by the fan. Tldr this is nonsense and It'll be fine.
I have done this since 11 years. Never been a problem
The engine wont over heat because the fan aint running when its hot, if it did old engines woulda been fucked because the fan on them runs off the engines crankshaft
Wow maybe think before commenting next time
I guess every single air cooled bike is doomed, then? Every single car, pickup truck, and semi truck is doomed as well? Even if the fan stays on, WTF good does that do, besides cool down the radiator itself? If the coolant isn’t circulating, you’re simply wasting battery power.
wow ppl are dmb.
I've very rarely ever used the killswitch to turn off my bikes. Why would I when I can just turn the key?
Unless you cut off your thumb, you can turn off the bike with the thumb without taking your hands off of the handlebar. And you will never be surprised by a mere killswitch that is flipped off. I don’t need to let the engine run when I make a small break or until I reach to the key. With the killswitch off, the electronics stay on if I want them to. The best ones use the sidestand while staying in gear or even drop the bike and wait until the engine will be switched off by the sensor for it.
I mostly just turn the key to off. Sometimes when I know that I will start the bike very soon I will use the kill switch. Atleast my bike electronics completely turn of when I put the key to off
Ironically you're more likely to drain the battery by using the killswitch. Key is always the best option.
Personally I use the kickstand sensor /s
I fucking hated the kickstand sensor on my old 125, i like to let my bike warm up as i get the chains and locks off and put my helmet on, thought lets just un plug it, noooo bike wont start without it plugged in so instead i had to move it
Any bike I rode let you run it in neutral with the stand down but putting it in gear with the stand down would kill it.
Nope. Key/button only. Killswitch is for emergency when you can't access normal shutoff.
All the riding instructors I know teach killswitch off, then ignition off, when shutting down the bike.
Mine did too, its reflex memory teaching. When you panic you operate on easily accessible memory. If you always turn the bike off with the killswitch, this is what you will do in a panic inducing situation. New bikes have tip over detectors and will shut off automatically after a few seconds of being sideways. This is what I do, is it right? Probably not. But this is what the Europeans do. And I feel like it. So key off. My new BMW is keyless, the power button is literally right next to the killswitch. I could smash the right hand down on the right side controls and hit off both ways easily. I'm assuming thats what I will do when the bmw goes over and doesn't shut off for some reason.
I used to be a European and i always do kill switch and haven't been taught anything else, also kill switch is always the easier thing with the bikes i ride cause the key isnt infront of me, now i think about it ive not owned a bike where the key is infront of me XD
thx to yamaha that the newer Killswitchs are also the starter button :D
same on BMW, Royal Enfield. Maybe its a new standard. or, its 1 less button taking up space.
It took five minutes??? lol That’s embarrassing for you
Definitely
I wonder if this is why my bikes start button is integrated with the kill switch.
Pro tip: use the kill switch to turn off your bike every time instead of the key. Then your normal start up procedure will have to include toggling the kill switch, and you will never forget it.
This^ But for those who keep their bikes parked in 1st remember to kick up to N before hitting the ignition.
I have never shifted to N to start my bike, but I do use my killswitch every time.
Same here. Correct me if I'm wrong, it's okay to start with the killswitch on the first gear right
Beginner tip lol Pro my foot That’s basic riding.
All the kids know the kill switch.
they prolly just helping, dont want you to accidentally run out of battery. smh
Weird.. never had that happen to me in my 5 years of riding lol
The killswitch thing happened to me and it took me ages to figure out wtf was wrong. Then i felt like the dumbest mf on the planet once i figured it out.
They just need a little maintenance of a concussive nature.
People are probably sitting on it. Get a cover.
I like the cover idea, but recognize it’s not something a lot of us would have space to carry around. My old bike doesn’t have electronics and without a key nothing will drain my battery. I go through the same stop procedure, put in neutral, turn petcock off, turn off with a key (that’s what my manual recommends, and generally check the motorcycle before walking off. I do the same check starting off, my general inspection, turn petcock on, put in neutral if not, turn ignition to on, check lights and switches and start. I have not noticed anyone having messed around with my motorcycle, but I suspect I would catch it during my check. I rarely leave it very far away or long. I’m sympathetic, it’s pretty childish of anyone to mess with a person’s vehicle. Wish there was some great advice to give you, but the best is to do a systematic check every time. Park in a visible area. I know that doesn’t discourage everyone, but perhaps it cuts down on some tampering. I’m a bit curious, is there a particular place where your motorcycle is most messed with?
When I purchased my first bike, I didn’t really want to pay for indoor parking ($200/month) so I kept it parked outside for the summer, and I had a buddy who would let me keep it in his garage over the winter. One day I found gum smeared all over my exhaust pipe and parts of my seat were melted/burned. The next day I got indoor parking. Never again.
People are always turning my mirrors
Not cool
I'm a fan of the policy "watch but don't touch"
Even worse is when your friends do this at a stop.. That vid where the one guy put in in gear and the other tried to rev it but pulled away
The people messing with your bike aside, you really should learn to use the kill switch to shut down your bike. If you're ever in a situation where you need to cut the engine (stuck throttle, etc) you aren't going to want to let go of the bars to do so. Training your brain to use a quick thumb movement could save your bacon, mate.
Plus you look cool as fuck coasting it up to your mates.
A cover and disc alarm
My bike has "vibration alert" when someone even touches it sends an alert to my phone. Had it parked in the parking garage at the mall while I was inside. Got the alert so I ran out as fast as I could. There were two teenagers, one sitting on the bike and the other standing next to him. I was ready to fight two kids. People have zero respect.
I have a H D custom shovel head I have run a shop since 1988 yes I am old I ride as much as I can I go to Ocean city Maryland it’s 100 miles south of me I have tourists sit on my bike with out asking last Saturday I had a mom put her 3 year old on the seat his leg hits the rear exhaust pipe he has a scar now on his little leg forever Hay people ask permission do not touch it if you don’t own it
Maybe try the electric fence thing
ya, the people that are touching your kill switch are doing you a favor. USE IT DUMBASS.
The only people I’ve had fuck with my bike would be my friends that ride with. Petcock closed, kill switch open, plug wire pulled…you get the idea. I rigged a friend’s bike so that he’d get shocked by the coil every time he tried to start his bike. Good time!