On my ignition key cylinder there is a position called "P" that is CCW of lock.  I assume the P stands for park, what is the function of this key position?

Locks the handlebars, lets you remove the key and turns on the tail light and the position light below the headlight if you have an "F"

Canadian and Australian models do not have the "P" position

That's there to kill your battery.

Joking.....kinda.

But it locks the steering and turns on your "parking" lights (your taillight and maybe a light up front depending what model bike). I read on the always-correct Internet that some places in the world have laws about parking a vehicle on the side of the road at night. Supposedly if your parking lights are on, that's a way to make certain you don't park somewhere too long (or else you have a dead battery).

Steve beat me to it, but I'm posting anyway!

Quote from: Big Rich on January 19, 2016, 06:40:55 PM
That's there to kill your battery.

No...that's what the Engine Stop Switch is for 

Steve: I was making a joke about how many dead battery threads there are about leaving in the Park position. Even with the kill switch in the kill position, the battery will still drain because of the parking lights.

Quote from: Big Rich on January 19, 2016, 09:29:20 PM
Steve: I was making a joke about how many dead battery threads there are about leaving in the Park position.

I knew you where joking, I was joking also, about the people that use their Engine Stop Switch instead of their key to turn their bikes off and that also kills battery's 

Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on January 20, 2016, 02:08:51 AM

Quote from: Big Rich on January 19, 2016, 09:29:20 PM
Steve: I was making a joke about how many dead battery threads there are about leaving in the Park position.

I knew you where joking, I was joking also, about the people that use their Engine Stop Switch instead of their key to turn their bikes off and that also kills battery's 

Ok, you're going to have to explain that. Why wouldn't you use the kill switch to turn the bike off? Isn't that what the engineers put it there to do? Does that mean when I get my bike I need to be sure whenever my key is out of the bike I need to flip the kill switch back to "run"?

You turn your bike off with the key. MSF teaches students to use the switch so they are turning off the bike with both hands on the bars at the range, if you use the switch and leave the key ON and walk away you get a dead battery, I have seen it a number of times, once in my driveway by a visiting friend...it happens.

Squirrel, there are different schools of thought on the kill switch. MSF courses do tell you to use the switch to shut the engine off every time, but people say doing that can "wear out" the kill switch. I've never seen one wear out, but I don't use mine that often. Whatever you do with the kill switch, remember this: the first thing to check when the bike suddenly won't start is the kill switch. I've gone to start every bike I own and the switch was set to "kill". Always go into a panic mode wondering what is broken......

And Steve: 

Back in the 60's/70's the red switch used to be called the "Emergency Stop Switch", you used it to stop the engine in a runaway or accident situation as an alternative to the key, if you couldn't get to it.
Using the Engine Stop Switch does no harm, but using it is a total act of redundancy if you have a key. (IMHO)
I use mine maybe once a year, just to see if it works?
I didn't take the MSF course until 2007 after I had ridden 35 years (Dirty) and owned 21 bikes, by then I had pretty much gotten use to using the key.
If that's what you where taught and still do it..you are a good student 
   

Daeuose, when you flip the kill switch the headlight and tail light stay on until you turn the key to the off position.

You can also get into trouble if you stall when you are getting off the bike.  The key is still in the on position and if you walk away the headlight and tail light will drain the battery.

It is very easy to end up with a dead battery while you are learning how to take care of your first motorcycle.

And now I know! Cheers guys, and thanks! 

Makes me wonder if the guys I'm buying the bike from ever looked at the kill switch. . . they claimed it had an electrical issue and wouldn't start. Wouldn't that be amusing to get the bike, clean it up, flip the switch, and fire it up? 

Why would anyone in their right mind ever turn off the bike via kill switch and leave the key in ON position, lights on, and walk away from the bike?

I always, and I mean always,  turn off my bike(s) with kill switch, usually while rolling to a stop, and only after stopping turn the key to off position, and I have never, ever, ever killed the batery that way.

So... myth busted, unless there is some scientific evidence proving me wrong.

Sent from my toilet seat using HTC FartPhone

How do you turn off your car?


Cookie

Quote from: Shepa on January 22, 2016, 08:26:25 AM
Why would anyone in their right mind ever turn off the bike via kill switch and leave the key in ON position, lights on, and walk away from the bike?

I always, and I mean always,  turn off my bike(s) with kill switch, usually while rolling to a stop, and only after stopping turn the key to off position, and I have never, ever, ever killed the batery that way.

So... myth busted, unless there is some scientific evidence proving me wrong.

Sent from my toilet seat using HTC FartPhone

There is a killing the car battery by turning the engine off myth too?

Hm...

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Quote from: Shepa on January 22, 2016, 08:50:24 AM
There is a killing the car battery by turning the engine off myth too?

Hm...

Sent from my toilet seat using HTC FartPhone

Only if it had an engine stop switch and you could leave the key On...then it wouldn't be a myth.