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Locking the Steering - A Tip To Save Your Battery

2K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  ErikDK 
#1 ·
Every so often, we hear of someone who has come out to their bike and wondered why the battery is dead. It often is because when they locked the steering, they turned the key too far and turned on the parking lights. I rarely need to lock my steering. At work or church, it seems unnecessary. At the prison...gee, I think I could leave my wallet on the seat. There are armed guards in towers with full view of the parking lot. Not much chance of someone hauling away a scooter. But at the jail? Yeah, I lock it there.

I have been using a tip I read here that finally paid off Tuesday night. The tip is to turn on your turn signal before locking the steering.

Last Tuesday I did as usual and parked with the steering locked. I looked back at my svelte 400 and was shocked. :shock: My taillights were on...and my left turn signal was blinking! What?!
[attachment=0:3eblnqkz]1009121754-00.jpg[/attachment:3eblnqkz]

It's the only time it has happened in about 6 years, but it paid off.

Chris
 

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#2 ·
Chris, thanks for the tip. I seldom use the built in steering lock on my scooter but twice I've turned it too far to the left and the taillight got turned on. One of the times I noticed it as I walked away but the second time I didn''t. I was lucky that I returned to the bike in a short time.
 
#3 ·
When I first started doing this, I had visions of coming out to the bike after several hours ...around 9:30 to 10 pm...in the rain and dark...only to find the battery dead and no one around to get a jump from. The place is located on a hill, but that does us Burgman owners no good since we can't start it that way. So it would be awhile till I could get a tow truck to come by. This seemed like good insurance to try.

Chris
 
#6 ·
What's the difference between a prison and a jail?
Steve over here a person will go to jail until he has been sentenced by a judge, the judge than gives the person an amount of time he will serve in prison. The jail is short term and the prison is long term.

And as Mikey said there is a lot more spit in the food in the prison.

Example the perverted coach from Pennsylvania just started a 30 year plus term in prison after the judge sentenced him. He had been in jail.

Some of the ones in jail have more freedom. Here in Tennessee they do a great job cleaning the trash from the side of the roads.
There are armed guards in towers with full view of the parking lot.
 
#7 ·
Here in California, a County Jail is generally used to incarcerate persons that are waiting to go to court - like for arraignment, trial, or sentencing. They are also used to imprison those that have been convicted of a misdemeanor which usually carries a sentence of no more than one year imprisonment.

State prisons are used to house those persons convicted of felonies.

Of course, there are always exceptions - like a person convicted of a felony but the judge has sentenced him/her to county jail instead of state prison, and a term on probation.

I don't remember what the criteria is for US Federal Prisons.
 
#8 ·
When I lock my steering I simply turn the key all the way anti-clockwise and than back one stop to the right and check the position before removing the key.

I would think it would be simpler to pay attention to where the key is positioned when the steering is locked than to remember to perform unrelated actions like flipping on the turn signal switch and then turning to check the lights as you leave just to verify that you have actually done what you intended to do. :?
 
#9 ·
Where I park I have to walk behind the bike to go in. So I lock the hand brake, then turn the bars left, lock the ign, close the shutter then walk behind and touch the rear end as a good night kiss. :love7: If the lights are on I will see them. :D
 
#10 ·
I always lock my steering. When I turn the key, I don't use any force. I start to turn the key with the end of my fingers and the spring/gravity/whatever finish to turn it and lock it in place. In doubt re-do.
 
#12 ·
Learned this the hard way this summer...actually, not so hard.

Because the battery wasn't knocked dead, even after twelve hours with the parking lights on. Miracle...especially since I bought the thing, a 650, used and hadn't checked out the battery.

Haven't since, either. The trip home after that was an hour's ride; and apparently it was enough to charge the battery. But now...when I lock the steering, which isn't often...I PAY ATTENTION. I doubt I'll get lucky twice.
 
#13 ·
Just look at your bike after you lock the steering. LOOK at it. LOOK LOOK LOOK at it. Did I say, LOOK at it. When I lock it (every time I get off it), I LOOK at it. That way I am sure the lights are on. Never since I got the bike in June of 2008 have I failed to LOOK at my bike after I locked it. Either right after I lock it or as I walk away. LOOK at it. LoL...



Daboo said:
Every so often, we hear of someone who has come out to their bike and wondered why the battery is dead. It often is because when they locked the steering, they turned the key too far and turned on the parking lights. I rarely need to lock my steering. At work or church, it seems unnecessary. At the prison...gee, I think I could leave my wallet on the seat. There are armed guards in towers with full view of the parking lot. Not much chance of someone hauling away a scooter. But at the jail? Yeah, I lock it there.

I have been using a tip I read here that finally paid off Tuesday night. The tip is to turn on your turn signal before locking the steering.

Last Tuesday I did as usual and parked with the steering locked. I looked back at my svelte 400 and was shocked. :shock: My taillights were on...and my left turn signal was blinking! What?!
[attachment=0:1xfizs4q]1009121754-00.jpg[/attachment:1xfizs4q]

It's the only time it has happened in about 6 years, but it paid off.

Chris
 
#14 ·
If you've been around bikes long, almost every bike has a LOCK and a PARK. My 67 Honda 305 SuperHawk did. That was the first and last bike I did that mistake to, ONCE.
 
#15 ·
Of course I meant to LOOK to ensure the lights are off or to SEE if the lights may be on....i meant off.

QuantumRift said:
Just look at your bike after you lock the steering. LOOK at it. LOOK LOOK LOOK at it. Did I say, LOOK at it. When I lock it (every time I get off it), I LOOK at it. That way I am sure the lights are on. Never since I got the bike in June of 2008 have I failed to LOOK at my bike after I locked it. Either right after I lock it or as I walk away. LOOK at it. LoL...
 
#16 ·
Isn't there some way to unhook the connection from the switch for the parking light position?
 
#17 ·
I never lock the steering. I lock the throttle and front brake.
I learned about this little gem here at burgman.usa

 
#18 ·
Bergy45 said:
Isn't there some way to unhook the connection from the switch for the parking light position?
The "PRK" circuit also supplies the flasher relay, so if you just connect the Black/Brown "PRK" wire to the Black/Green "ILL" wire, you loose the ability to leave the scooter locked with 4-way flashers on.
[attachment=0:2cg8s2lo]Ignition.jpg[/attachment:2cg8s2lo]

If you want to keep the 4-way flashers, do the above, but run a new wire from the "PRK" ignition switch terminal to the flasher relay + terminal where the brown wire connects. The wire changes color from black/brown to brown in the harness. The flasher relay is mounted in the fuse box left of the lockable glovebox.
[attachment=1:2cg8s2lo]Fusebox.jpg[/attachment:2cg8s2lo]
 

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