Modern Vespa

I have a 2008 GTI250 that cut out on me yesterday it did restart. I replaced the kill switch a few months ago because it was acting up. When I push the kill switch when it is in the on position and the bike is running the bike cuts out is this normal?

Yes. That's the point of the kill switch. To kill the engine.

Jess when the switch is in the on position and I push while in the on position the bike shuts off I am not moving it to the off position.

Loose wiring?

Yes, the famous Kill Switch. Many a tale to tell.

When I got back into two wheeling 22 years ago, my Scarabeo 150 would not start and was totally dead. I rented a pickup and hauled it back to the dealer.

The nice service guy, at the dealer, helped me balance the scoot as we rolled it on a ramp off the back of the pickup. He looked at the scooter, then looked sideways at me, flipped the kill switch off and started the scooter straight up.

Over that same period of time, I have helped at least 4 riders in my group who could not start their scoots after a rest stop. Flipped the switch, and off they went.

Ba dee, ba da - Giddy Up!

Bob Copeland
Happy Halloween Everybody

Yes. If you push it enough to break the electrical connection, the engine will cut off, even if you aren't moving it all the way to the off position. Yes, they can be finicky.

My standard advice is to roughly jab it on and off a dozen times to make sure the contacts are relatively clear.

Nowadays, I turn the kill switch off and on again whenever I start the GTS in the morning. That way, I don't forget to check that it isn't OFF.

Okay thanks everyone I guess as long as it restarts after shutting down all by itself. Unless I am going 75MPH on the highway or on a group ride with my wife on the back. After all these years why can't I attach a Video? Without having to go thru Youtube bullshit!

I just cut the wires and join em together. On, off, rusty, clean, falling apart - makes no difference and guaranteed to work for the life of the bike!

Because managing video uploads (and video formats) is nontrivial, and uses more storage space than we can afford.

YouTube does an excellent job of managing videos. So does Vimeo. And both seem to be able to afford the storage space, generally by selling advertising.

Notably, Modern Vespa has no advertising to speak of. And generally, that's a good thing.

Call me weird, but I almost never use the kill switch to shut down my bikes after riding them....in fact, I can't remember the last time I did it. In an emergency, yes, I would use it, but I just use the key...assuming it has a key, that is.

I must be normal then 'cause I always use the "kill switch" to shut-off the "bike"(s). I believe doing this has a few advantages.....

To use the kill switch to customarily turn off one's machine is certainly fine, and I can think of no serious argument against it, I just don't do it that way...you know, being an old fuddy-duddy and all that.

Either way, the result is a room temperature bike.

In my mind, as long as I have to turn the ignition keys to 'off' to shut down the engine anyway, also flipping the kill switch just seems unnecessarily redundant.

I have always viewed a bike's kill switch as more of an emergency shut-down device.

My Triumph Rocket is our only bike, of four, that uses a keyless fob to start it, and is 'lighted up' by a combination kill/start rocker switch on the right bar housing, so, unfortunately (to me), I am required by it's 'Big-Time-Super-Space-Technology' to shut it down with a.....kill switch.

I own/ride more than one "bike" and the kill-switch is in a slightly different position. By always using the kill-switch this Old Fart develops muscle memory because I can't rely on my grey matter to react fast enough in the event when the kill-switch is actually needed. (Holy cow that was a run on sentence )

The MSF course encourages using Kill Switch, then key, but it didn't stick, so when my bike doesn't start, I'll spend an inordinate amount of time figuring it out before realizing what really happened.

Another never use the kill switch to shut down a bike guy here. Kill switch is for emergencies.

Been riding a very long time, so long I don't remember if there is a reason.

I suspect that it was this: Why use two switches to shut the bike down when one will do?

If I started using the kill switch for any reason, I would probably exit a store to a missing bike or drained battery. Not using the kill switch is one less step for my BB to remember.

The general philosophy of always using the kill switch is so that it becomes automatic in an emergency, when you might otherwise be panicking or even partially incapacitated.

I have experienced this on a number of occasions, where I had an actual emergency and needed to shut the engine off right now (example). My muscle memory took over and I flipped the switch without hesitation.

Would I have been able to react as fast had I not always used the kill switch to shut the bike off? Maybe. Maybe not. But the habit costs me nothing, and as a bonus it keeps the switch contacts clean.

I understand and don't debate the logic. I am not suggesting that riders not use their kill switch.

I choose not to and been riding for 50 plus years. At this point in my life, I am ok with what I do. I have had to use mine a couple times in emergencies and managed to get it done.

One area where using a kill switch to stop the bike is with the new new keyless Vespa's RST 22's . Ive already seen on here and fbuk, where folk have pushed the bike into the garage, hit the kill switch before removing gloves lid etc, then walked away.

With a physical key you would shut down the ignition system with keyless, it just sits there flattening the battery

Completely reasonable.

So!.....the question remains.

It really depends on what kind of motor oil you're running.

Not again please, not again

I use 90 weight gear oil in my engine. Is that too thin???

Being an Italian machine, I only use extra virgin olive oil in it.

When I picked up my new Liberty 150 from Rockridge Two Wheels the sales person said to mostly use the key to turn off the engine to prevent potential future issues with the kill switch.

To points made earlier, this means I'm confused for a few seconds if the bike won't start because I unknowingly bumped the kill switch to kill. It takes a moment for me to think to confirm the switch is switched to alive.

In other memories, does anyone who drove an air-cooled Volkswagen remember the red "B" button on the dash? To me and my friends that was the BLAMO! button, used to blow up evil cars and evil drivers in front of us.

Marc