Forgive me, I'm tired. Haven't read thru posts except fleetingly

M

Mary

Guest
OK here's the deal: I have a Trek Navigator that has aluminum annodized handlebars. I've installed the kill switch, sanding the bar first to get a good connection. I hopped on the bike, took it for a slow, somewhat short spin, tried to stop it using the kill switch and could not. It took me using some real muscle to get this sucker to stop. This does not exactly engender confidence, sure makes ya wonder if the sucker may NOT stop at all. Being in the saddle of a runaway horse is not what I had in mind. LOL

HIVE, I read recently where you recommend using a 2 line system. Sorry, but I don't have a clue about what you're talking about.

Any direction, comments, etc. would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Mary
 
Might try moving the wire from the handle bar to frame or engine.
And or put a off /on toggle swich in one of the wires you hooked up from black box to engine.
 
Mary,
welcome back!!

Are you still running a GEBE set up?


Normally, we don't have to kill the engine to stop the bike.

Is your throttle sticking?
if so... this needs addressed first. Good bicycle brakes should stop your "runaway horse" if your throttle is stuck.
Your Trek should have more than adequate brakes. Have them checked & adjusted.

another method to kill your engine is to use the choke... apply the choke, (fully closed) then then give the engine full throttle. This method is BEST used at a full stop, as it might be tricky finding the choke lever, while keeping your bike under control.

................... tried to stop it using the kill switch and could not. It took me using some real muscle to get this sucker to stop. This does not exactly engender confidence, sure makes ya wonder if the sucker may NOT stop at all. Being in the saddle of a runaway horse is not what I had in mind. LOL

HIVE, I read recently where you recommend using a 2 line system.
 
Nowadays, I beef up the GEBE kill switch this way, and have not had a customer bring one back since I began taking these 3 steps....

First, I remove the band, through the slots, "take it apart" (the red plate/spring), and make sure the wire is pushed all the way in.

Second, to keep that wire stationary AND add another layer behind the wire (where it emerges from the button) I put some tape, or a spot of hot wax. Shortages are usually caused right there, where the wire emerges from the switch.

HINT, if you are on the road, and the engine won't start, it is because that wire has frayed/is touching metal. Take a drinking straw, cut a small sliver, slip it between the wire and metal, and whoola. If need be, simply disconnect the kill switch wire, fix it when you get home.

Third, where the black plastic conduit ends (about 12 inches from the engine), I wrap electric tape, to hold that stationary to the yellow wire. Don't ask me why that helps, but it just seems to be a step that may keep the black conduit sleeve from ever pulling away from the interior of the switch. And it only takes seconds to do....

But, your not being able to stop the engine sounds like it involves the first step, the wire is not fully pushed in, (seated) behind the red button.
 
Your kill switch might be wired wrong at the engine. There may be two wires at the engine. If one connection doesn't work, try the other wire.:geek:

:unsure:FWIW, you can make your own kill switch connection on any engine by running the wire to the spark plug connector.
 
Mary,
welcome back!!

Are you still running a GEBE set up?


Normally, we don't have to kill the engine to stop the bike.

Is your throttle sticking?
if so... this needs addressed first. Good bicycle brakes should stop your "runaway horse" if your throttle is stuck.
Your Trek should have more than adequate brakes. Have them checked & adjusted.

another method to kill your engine is to use the choke... apply the choke, (fully closed) then then give the engine full throttle. This method is BEST used at a full stop, as it might be tricky finding the choke lever, while keeping your bike under control.


Hi Dave,

Thanks for the "welcome back." It has been awhile. Yes, I am talking about the GEBE set-up. It's also been awhile since I did anything with the bike. (Haven't rode it, etc.) I just remember that the kill switch didn't work like it was supposed to, namely stop the engine. I have a man's bike and yes, it will stop by applying the brakes but I feel better having the engine shut down before I dismount.

I am multi-tasking with lots of stuff to get done. I probably should have waited until I could devote my full attention to this before I posted. I thought it might be an easy fix but given that I don't have a lot of experiece with this sort of stuff, it's figuring it out for me with the help of guys who are much better versed in this than I. There are a couple of other things I want to do to the bike including dealing with the kill switch problem but I can't spend the time right now.

I'll get back to this when I can set aside time to devote to it :mad:

Thanks again for your jumping in to assist.
 
Nowadays, I beef up the GEBE kill switch this way, and have not had a customer bring one back since I began taking these 3 steps....

First, I remove the band, through the slots, "take it apart" (the red plate/spring), and make sure the wire is pushed all the way in.

Second, to keep that wire stationary AND add another layer behind the wire (where it emerges from the button) I put some tape, or a spot of hot wax. Shortages are usually caused right there, where the wire emerges from the switch.

HINT, if you are on the road, and the engine won't start, it is because that wire has frayed/is touching metal. Take a drinking straw, cut a small sliver, slip it between the wire and metal, and whoola. If need be, simply disconnect the kill switch wire, fix it when you get home.

Third, where the black plastic conduit ends (about 12 inches from the engine), I wrap electric tape, to hold that stationary to the yellow wire. Don't ask me why that helps, but it just seems to be a step that may keep the black conduit sleeve from ever pulling away from the interior of the switch. And it only takes seconds to do....

But, your not being able to stop the engine sounds like it involves the first step, the wire is not fully pushed in, (seated) behind the red button.

Hey, Paul. Glad to see you're back on this board.

Mary
 
Hello Mary,

You are right about how many threads there are, to search for info, I still can't seem to make "search" work.

If you straighten that band with needlenose, the pull it through the slots on the button, look inside and find the black conduit is not pushed all the way to the solder point (in other words, a few millimeters of wire are exposed), that would cause a weak connection to produce the "short circuit" needed to kill the engine.

Also, if the spring is in there side-wise/half-cocked/hung-up, that would be why it takes so much pressure to push the button and get it to touch the metal and short it out.

Did you drill a hole and add the zip-ties to the front strap, as a secondary support in case that bolt snaps off by accident?

Because if that front strap gets disconnected, the engine will slide backwards, the throttle will rev wide open, and pull the wire right out of the kill switch.

But if you add that extra security zip-ties, then that danger is pretty well eliminated.
 
Thanks, Paul. I just briefly read over your post. I am going to print it out and add it to the rest of this thread and set it aside for now. Thanks again and I'm glad you're back.

I tried to shoot you a PM but couldn't figure out how to do it, guess the PM capability is no longer available-didn't want to clutter up the board.
 
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