Hi there. Just upgraded my old 2012 Evo for a newer 2020 model. It already has a press type kill switch fitted. On my old 2012 bike I replaced the dreaded original frame mounted kill button / headlight switch unit with a lanyard type kill switch. I loved it and it saved me on many occasions when I parted company with the bike.

However I constantly felt it was easier just to stall the bike rather than pull the lanyard every time I wanted to stop the engine in a non emergency setting. So on this bike I want to fit a lanyard kill switch as well as the standard kill button.  I have taken a photo of the existing kill button wiring. I was planning on just cutting into the brown wire circled in the photo above the snap connector and wiring the two lanyard wires to the two newly created brown wire ends. Am I right in thinking this will work and give me a working kill button and lanyard isolator together?  I have circled where I plan to cut the brown wire.

On my ‘16 Sherco I fitted the lanyard killswitch and left the pushbutton in place.
 

As close to the loom as possible I cut the wiring and attached bullet connectors.

 

Then, I ran the lanyard wires parallel to the pushbutton. In layman’s terms I just attached both (both positive/both negative) into the same bullet connector.

 

 

Edited January 1, 20224 yr by Nishijin

Here we go, photos.

 

‘As close as possible’ was in terms of the length of the lanyard cabling.

11 minutes ago, Nishijin said:

Here we go, photos.

 

‘As close as possible’ was in terms of the length of the lanyard cabling.

Thanks for the response. Will what I'm planning work then or not ?

Sounded like you are trying to attach the switch in series (cutting only one cable) and not in parallel.

8 hours ago, Nishijin said:

Sounded like you are trying to attach the switch in series (cutting only one cable) and not in parallel.

Will that not work ? My limited electric knowledge suggests the kill switch is just a on off switch so by cutting into one wire and fitting another on off switch it should work ? 

I would be grateful if you could tell me simply what I should do. On my current kill button I have one brown and one black wire. How should I wire in the new lanyard so that both work ?

I believe the kill switch and lanyard both work the same way, by shorting something to earth, so no they won't work in series. Connect both feed wires to the same source and both earth wires to the same point (probably on the frame).

However, why do you even need to do it? When I had a 2014 Evo, I found it super easy to just lift the red plastic thingie on the lanyard for a couple of seconds to switch off. If it's because you need to hold onto the clutch because you can't get neutral, either reach across with your right hand (which was what I did) or mount the lanyard switch on the right hand side.

I did this on my previous bike (Rev 3) - wire both switches in parallel so if either is operated, the engine will stop. As Nishijin indicates, you need to find a suitable point to take the feed to the new switch (one earth wire, one from the coil), so trace back the existing kill switch wires and make suitable joins so they are out of the way and won't snag on anything or get wet.

11 hours ago, gazzaecowarrior said:

Will that not work ? My limited electric knowledge suggests the kill switch is just a on off switch so by cutting into one wire and fitting another on off switch it should work ? 

I would be grateful if you could tell me simply what I should do. On my current kill button I have one brown and one black wire. How should I wire in the new lanyard so that both work ?

It won’t work because the kill button is not “always closed”, it is “always open”. What that means is, when you press the button it closes a circuit causing the short and the bike to stall.

 

if you put the lanyard in series, on one wire only, it means that you need to press the button AND pull the lanyard to kill the engine.

 

Take one wire from the lanyard and splice to the brown. Take the other wire from the lanyard and splice to the black … like in the photos of mine.

 

Use bullet connectors or solder them, whatever you wish. 

50 minutes ago, Nishijin said:

It won’t work because the kill button is not “always closed”, it is “always open”. What that means is, when you press the button it closes a circuit causing the short and the bike to stall.

 

if you put the lanyard in series, on one wire only, it means that you need to press the button AND pull the lanyard to kill the engine.

 

Take one wire from the lanyard and splice to the brown. Take the other wire from the lanyard and splice to the black … like in the photos of mine.

 

Use bullet connectors or solder them, whatever you wish. 

I wish I had read that earlier. I've just finished fitting the lanyard kill switch on its own. I just replaced like with like. Thanks anyway.

Sorry, I was out all day on the green lanes!

 

Why not splice the push button onto the lanyard? You can always redo or undo whatever you’ve done. 

10 hours ago, Nishijin said:

Sorry, I was out all day on the green lanes!

 

Why not splice the push button onto the lanyard? You can always redo or undo whatever you’ve done. 

Yes i may do that at a later date. It sounds relatively straightforward how you explained it. Thanks.

20 hours ago, trapezeartist said:

I believe the kill switch and lanyard both work the same way, by shorting something to earth, so no they won't work in series. Connect both feed wires to the same source and both earth wires to the same point (probably on the frame).

However, why do you even need to do it? When I had a 2014 Evo, I found it super easy to just lift the red plastic thingie on the lanyard for a couple of seconds to switch off. If it's because you need to hold onto the clutch because you can't get neutral, either reach across with your right hand (which was what I did) or mount the lanyard switch on the right hand side.

The only reason I want the kill button as well is that I found the lanyard Magnet's have a short life expectancy and quickly unbond. I've been through 2 already. Therefore the kill button would isolate engine whenever needed and the lanyard would be the rare but inevitable parting company with bike .

1 hour ago, gazzaecowarrior said:

The only reason I want the kill button as well is that I found the lanyard Magnet's have a short life expectancy and quickly unbond. I've been through 2 already. Therefore the kill button would isolate engine whenever needed and the lanyard would be the rare but inevitable parting company with bike .

I have got into the habit of just lifting the magnet gently by thumb, while practicing in the ditch near the house. However like you have said, I prefer having the button as well, I am not sure how long the lanyard magnet will stay stuck for, hopefully longer than yours!

Araldite the magnet in and put the lanyard on throttle side  you wont need both