The 'Vehical Down Sensor' is found on page 17-27 in the 2006 book. It is located under the the frame, behind the neck, and above, and between the coils. The book has no tests, Hardly mentioned, and took work to find. When it functions, it kills spark.
Mac, thanks for taking the time and effort to research this. I was obviously no where near it when I was working in the battery compartment. I can now ride not worrying that I may have disturbed it. Appreciate your help.
Greg "Bedouin" Lozier
'08 Nomad blue/silver
The problem was the battery. It had a dead cell. My son is an electrician and we did some testing based on replys & tips from others and found that all was well in the wiring and connections, battery was pooched. I went with a more powerful battery and it starts better than it ever has. Thanks for asking.
Do you attend the New England VROC gathering in Epsom, NH during bike week? I hope to attend this year if the wife is up to it. Have missed it the last few years. Do you know Ol' Phart Joe?
Greg "Bedouin" Lozier
'08 Nomad blue/silver
One thing to remember. Once the sensor has tripped you must turn off the ignition to re-set the tip over device. Turn it off, right the bike, turn the key back on, good to go. I have never had it trip in a turn and have dragged the floorboards a time or two, but deep leaning like that is not a recommended practice on a Nomad. Way to heavy to be treated like a sportbike.
No, the original poster believed that he might have repositioned the sensor by accident while moving wires and working on the bike. IF HE HAD REPOSITIONED THE SENSOR, then, yes, maybe that might happen. But, he had not, so no problem.
If you have ever witnessed a rider drop a bike which continued to run, in gear, with the rear tire continually spinning until someone killed the switch, or witnessed a boater fall from the moving boat which continues moving in big circles (getting closer and closer to the former driver/now swimmer), or witnessed a snowmobile driver fall off and the driverless snowmobile continue moving possibly toward a crowd of skiers, you might change your mind about having this kill switch on your scoot.
Old Dog, Once I fell off a beach loaner water craft thing.. A bike for water. It came BACK!!!! :shock: I had no idea what kind of a prop it had, so I swam like mad way, then turned and chased it down swimming hard, got back on from the side fearing the prop, but this toy was fun and I ended up falling off twice more.
After that I was tired from the hard fast swimming, so retuyrned it to the owner on the beach who was watching. he asked why I swam away and then chased it.:mrgreen: I told him I didn't wanna be made into minced meat.
He laughed his a$$ off at me.
Told me 'next time to stay put and it will circle back untill it hits me. That is no prop near flesh... He was impressed with my swimming though.
If you have ever witnessed a rider drop a bike which continued to run, in gear, with the rear tire continually spinning until someone killed the switch, or witnessed a boater fall from the moving boat which continues moving in big circles (getting closer and closer to the former driver/now swimmer), or witnessed a snowmobile driver fall off and the driverless snowmobile continue moving possibly toward a crowd of skiers, you might change your mind about having this kill switch on your scoot.
Well, I didn't really witness the rider drop it exactly, cause the rider was me, but when I finally came to I had enough sense (and thankfully the ability) to drag my busted arse over to it and shut off the engine, so no damage was done. If I had not been able to do that, the last thing I would be concerned about is the bike.
The kill switch in a boat is much different though. Most boats have a throttle that you set and it stays in place, most bikes, PWC and snowmobiles do not, so no rider/driver = no throttle, just idle. On a boat the kill switch is attached to a lanyard attached to the driver. If the driver goes flying out of the boat for whatever reason, lanyard pulls switch... engine shuts off.
I would think something like that might make more sense on a bike (or not), than some little electronic switch that could fail if it gets bumped the wrong way during service. The way I see it, if I drop the bike going slow, I won't be too far away to at least reach out and shut off the engine. If I drop it at high speed, and I am incapacitated to the point I can NOT shut it off, I have bigger worries at that moment. Plus chances are if a wreck is that bad the rest of the bike is mostly toast anyways.
So to me, it seems useless, and it's one more variable that could put me at more risk on the road (never happened to me, but I assume losing all engine power in a turn can't be anything but dangerous). As a motorcyclist I certainly don't need more risk.
Another purpose for the sensor is if the fuel supply system is ruptured during a lay-down, the fuel pump (if equiped) will not spray gas all over everything and everyone.
I did crash a 1500 Nomad, around 15 MPH. A trailer i was towing jumped the hitch, is the best cause i can dream up.
This was sort of a rear wheel tank slapper best I can call it, on a loose gravel road. I had just filled up 4 miles back, and gas was coming out the key hole in the gas cap. The engine quit as did the fuel pump. The wheels were high, not on the ground any more.
We both layed in a road a bit, hitting kinda hard. My wife was cut to the bone on her elbow, and I managed to break 3 ribs. I was pretty happy the engine turned off as it should.
This switch won't turn off in a hard lean, unless some how you can lean a bike 90 degrees or more maybe and still be riding. Pretty much ride inside a barrel.
That jet ski's prop, is up inside the jet ski body, and has a screen, so you can't stick things into it, but at the time I didn't know that. That was my first and last time to ever be invited to ride one. I didn't know it was designed to come back and get me either. That's what they do.
My lean angle sensor is my foot boards when they scrape, this is telling me I'm at the limit and not to lean any further. I scrape alot when on the Dragon and some around the mountain roads here in Middle Tn.
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