When I bought my Harley 12 years ago, the salesman always told me to turn off the bike via the kill switch on the handlebars. I did not give it any thought until I filled up the tank last week.
What is the purpose of a motorcycle kill switch? The function of a kill switch is to cut off power to the motorcycle engine in case of an emergency so you do not have to take your hand off the handlebars. Some riders use it to try to save fuel by shutting off the motorcycle at stop lights.
There is more to this short answer. Here are the other things you need to know.
Different Emergencies To Use The Kill Switch
So I listed the main purpose of the kill switch as shutting off your motorcycle in case of an emergency. You may wonder about the different emergencies.
| EMERGENCY | HOW THE KILL SWITCH HELPS |
| Stuck Throttle | Lets you keep hands on the bars. |
| In wreck | No need to hunt for ignition switch. |
| Stranger Helping in a wreck | Kill switch is easiest to find. |
Throttle Stuck Wide Open
Let us imagine (or reflect if this has happened to you) you are going down the road at 65 mph and a sign tells you about a sharp turn ahead in the road. You roll off the throttle only to find out the RPM’s will not drop and the bike keeps moving at a high rate of speed. You then realize the throttle is stuck.
You have two choices to make at this point. One of them is lightly press on the back brake to slow the bike down. If there is a sharp curve ahead, you will not scrub enough speed.
Your second option is to shut off the bike. Here again you have two options: a. take your hand off the handlebars and turn the ignition off. b. flip the kill switch to the off position.
We know what you should do (shut the bike off via the kill switch) but if you do not have the right habit; you may end up taking a hand off the bars to turn the ignition. This choice could cause an accident.
You Are in Wreck
For the second example, let’s assume you ended up in a wreck somehow and you have little mobility of your arm. Maybe you are in a position where the bike cannot move and letting it run makes little sense.
You can shut the bike off via the ignition switch or by using the kill switch. It is safer to use the kill switch so you don’t have to take your hands off the bars.
Stranger Helping In A Wreck:
Continuing with the example of a wreck, this time let’s assume it knocked you out and someone nearby comes over to turn the motorcycle off.
Will they know how to turn it off via the ignition? They may not be able too. I will talk more about this in the next section of the post.
A kill switch is much easier to find than an ignition switch. Many motorcycles have the button in red on the handlebars. The bright color catches the helpers eye to shut off the motorcycle.
Differences Between A Motorcycle
Kill Switch and Ignition Switch
If you’re new to street motorcycles, you may wonder about the difference between a kill switch and ignition switch. There are important differences and they can affect your safety.
Location Of Kill And Ignition Switches
You probably picked up by now that each switch is located in a different spot. What makes this topic so interesting is we can find the ignition switch just about anywhere on the motorcycle.
On my Harley for example, we locate the ignition switch right in the middle of the tank with a big chrome knob. I use my key to lock the ignition.
I have had other motorcycles where the ignition uses the key and found right in the middle of the handlebars.
Even a third motorcycle I placed the ignition right below the seat on the left-hand side of the bike. Imagine reaching below your left butt cheek if you were sitting on the bike.
My sister’s Sportster has it on the right-hand side of the bike in front of the tank.
We find the kill switch for these motorcycles on the band bars within a thumb’s reach.
You can see the location of each switch makes a difference in how quickly you shut off the motorcycle.
What Do Motorcycle
Kill and Ignition Switches Do
Aside from shutting off the motorcycle, the kill switch does not do much else. It can keep the bike from starting which can be helpful in a few scenarios.
Have you ever seen a kid trying and start a motorcycle after being told to not mess with anything? If you have been around motorcycles for any length of time, you will see it. If they know little about bikes, they cannot start it.
Perhaps you’re letting a child get used to the motorcycle and letting them sit on it (it is cool.) I do this with my daughter as a way to let her get familiar with things. Like all little ones, she gets curious and starts poking buttons. When the kill switch is off, it significantly reduces the chance she will start it. I am never far away.
Going to the extreme with the kill switch
Would do you think would happen if the kill switch shut off all power to the bike? You could not turn on the blinkers and 4 ways. Sometimes it would stop ABS or other important functions of the computer.
Overall, it would be a complete disaster, more so modern bikes. Still with older bikes, you need to be seen at night which means using your blinkers.
This is exactly why the kill switch shuts off the motor. It does this by killing the spark to the engine.
Ignition Switch And Accessories
Riders still need to turn the accessories, turn signals, and other electrical features on and off. Therefore, the ignition still has a place on the motorcycle.
Most manufactures have a locking mechanism associated with the accessories on the bike.
How To Properly Turn Off Your Motorcycle: The Kill or Ignition Switch?
As dumb as it sounds, the habit of turning your bike off just may save your life one day. Let’s talk about why.
If you have read my other posts, you know we are creatures of habit. In emergency situations we automatically use the habits we develop. It is not a conscious but the sub-conscience reaction to the situation.
Turning your bike off using the kill switch first allows you to create the conditioning for the correct sub-conscience reaction in an emergency. We already talked about a few scenarios where this might come in handy.
Using The Kill Switch To Save Fuel
While doing a little investigating I came across information stating the main purpose of the kill switch was to help riders save fuel. At first, I thought this was a ridiculous article, but I kept reading.
The reasoning was similar to how newer cars shut off at stop lights and start back up when you let off the brake and accelerate away from the stop.
It makes sense, but I find this hard to believe it is the main reason they introduced the kill switch to motorcycles. The safety features make the most sense, riders just might use the kill switch for this function.
I, however, will not be doing this.
Do All Motorcycles Have Kill Switches?
I cannot speak for every rider or manufacture, but all the motorcycles I’ve owned had some kind of kill switch.
Some have had the location on the left handlebar and some on the right. They were all within a thumb’s reach away and all were used at least once for some kind of emergency.
Different Kill Switches
Even though each bike has as a kill switch, there are differences that many apply to the style of bike being ridden. Here is a table to help.
You will note for the kid ATV/ dirt bike the parent holds a rope and can trigger the switch (shut off the engine.) Here is an article that talks more about this and general ATV safety for kids.
| Type of Motorcycle | Location | Special Feature |
| Street Bike | Usually Right Bar | Switch flips to on or off |
| Off-Road | Left bar | Red Button to stop the engine |
| Body Attachment | Left Bar | Cord attaching to body-Engine stops when disconnected |
| Kid ATV/Dirt Bike | Back of Bike | Attached to a rope so parents can shut off the bike |