Kill switch gets me again

[bobhamlin]

I feel like I should change my name to Wiley Coyote.

Last weekend I lubed my throttle cables, and as I was re-assembling the right-side of my handlebar, I remember pinching the small electric wire. I didn't think I did any damage.

Monday morning, dark and cold, I lumbered into my chaps and various layers -- not really wanting to drive down into DC. I had buttoned up everything, had the garage door up and began backing the bike out into the driveway. This is when I usually fire it up. By the time, I close the garage door and put on my mittens, the bike is warm enough for the ride through town--except when it doesn't start. And it didn't.

I pushed the bike back into the garage so I had some light. I noticed immediately that I had forgotten to re-plug that little wire. Whew! With a smugness, I pushed the starter again -- and got zip.

Quick decision time. With the motorcycle, I can ride in the HOV lane for about 20 miles (big difference). I was meeting with a client, so being late was not an option. I parked the bike, stripped my bike clothes, jumped in the car and took off down the road grumbling.

Maybe I had pinched that thin wire more than I thought I did. I thought it was the brake light switch, but that shouldn't prevent the bike from starting.

I got to work at home the rest of the week, but couldn't break free to disassemble and fix the wire--until today. When I looked inside, the wire was in good shape.

Then, it dawned on me--like it has several times in the past. I don't use the kill switch, so every once in a while it accidently gets pressed -- like when you're monkeying around with throttle cables -- it's not first on my list of things to check.

Well, that's not true. RIght now it is, but in a year or so, when something else presses the switch, it won't be.