From: lawrence@lynx.msc.cornell.edu.UUCP (Lawrence H. Smith,E20 Clark,56064,2726746)
Subject: Re: Dead Sidestand switch
Originator: lawrence@msc2.msc.cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell-Materials-Science-Center
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 23:06:08 GMT

From article <1992Jul28.192341.4561@philabs.philips.com>, by mja@philabs.philips.com (Michael Amato):
> In article <mtrost.712343614@convex.convex.com>, mtrost@convex.com (Matthew Trost) writes:
> |> In <Jul.28.11.56.14.1992.7146@gandalf.rutgers.edu> kcchu@gandalf.rutgers.edu (The Beach Bum) writes:
> |> 
> |> >I noticed the oddest thing yesterday.  My sidestand kill switch
> |> >dosen't work anymore!  Don't ask me how I know, but it dosen't.
 <describes. someone with similar bike may help, and general stuff was posted>

> |> What? I never heard of a "sidestand switch"? What logical purpose could
> |> this serve, anyway? Do you have "wheel is ajar" lights too?
> 
> My 83 Suzuki 1100 has a side stand switch. It is hooked up to a warning light
> on the instrument pod, warning you if it is down - not that I find it very
> useful. For newbies it will probably save some embarassment.

Works for oldbies who get distracted once or twice a year, too.

> It is not interlocked to the ignition circuit. Why should it be?

Well, on an intelligent system, like a Yamaha '82 650 Maxim, there is
further talk between the kill function and the neutral indicator. If in
neutral and sidestand down, bike runs. If not in neutral, sidestand up=run
and sidestand down=kill. So you can warm up on the sidestand, if that is your
desire, but if you drop it into gear with the stand still down, it dies. I
don't make much use of this, as I am a centerstand addict. But it does work.

simplification addicts will now proceed to mention the higher number of 
parts available to fail in this system. And I will freely admit that the
HD method works - if you cannot see that the stand is down, you are both
blind and missing your left leg below the knee. 

> |> Also, don't forget to unlock your fork before taking off, or you'll be 

As mentioned by others, sensible fork locks are on the ignition switch. After
all, any lock only stops the honest thieves. 

In sometoherpostonthisthreadentierly, MightofbeenEdGreen:
 questioned why you'd want all them damn instruments anyway. 

Well, I have not implemented much on this in reality, as it takes time I 
don't have and money thats as happy to go elsewhere, but I am all for the
747 end of the range for the same reason the 747 looks like that to begin
with: reliability, and catching problems when they are still little, not 
when they sieze the engine. But for now, I only have stock instrumentation.

As a quick example in the realm of reality, adding a voltmeter and ammeter
will tell you (if you look) that your charging system/battery has a problem
well *before* the night your bike won't start because of it. It may even 
help to remind you that the high-beam is not a _good_thing_ when idling a
lot. Of course, you may be able to infer the former from the color of your
headlight and the behavior of your electric start, if you have one. And,
naturally, your religious, regular, frequent checks of the battery fluid.
The latter you can "just know better than". Meters help us human folks.

-Lawrence Smith, MSC Computing Staff - E-20 Clark Hall(next to the donut room)
 lawrence@msc.cornell.edu lawrence@crnlmsc2.bitnet 5-6064 [(607)255-6064]
-Cats, Coffee, Chocolate... Vices to live by.