I was scratching my head trying to figure out why my Nighthawk wouldn't start after I adjusted the valves...yup, I was cranking it over with no gas tank. :huh
From another POV, I envy one's ability to be so focused on going riding that one can overlook the absense of a fuel tank and, consequently, manual fuel petcock. On the other hand, I hail from the era of the kickstart and carb. I don't believe that I ever heard a story from that era involving a whole lot of kickstarting sans fuel tank. On the whole, I am impressed that such is possible. Thanx everyone for the entertainment. The manual fuel petcock was fun. I can't tell you how many times I managed to miss that step and have the bike fire and run a bit before the float bowls emptied. I did finally learn. And I learned it twice. Often the bike would quit and I attacked the ignition circuits for quite some time before checking the fuel petcock. My problem solving checklist now actually starts with FINE-C because of these adventures.
FINE-C, haven't heard that since learning to ride myself. I guess it's so ingraned (usually) that i don't even think of it. But it's comes in handy to reflect back and think "ok stupid, what obvious things have you(i) missed?". Often as not, one step from in there was the culprit.
When working in a meat packing plant, do not try to catch a falling knife with your unprotected hand! (Not me, but happened to a friend).
You know that reflex, when something falls off a desk toward you and you close your legs to catch it? Note to self. While wearing shorts do not try to catch a falling hot soldering pencil with you legs. It will burn you Note to self. Do not try to catch a freshly sharpened #2 pencil with your legs. It will stab you....DEEP Note to self. ALWAYS spread you legs when something rolls off a bench or desk.
When the bike doesn't start the first two times you hit the starter, check to make sure the choke is on before trying it the next two times
When your KTM 300 won't start, and you kick and kick, check the petcock, the choke, kick, kick kick. Maybe you should take the exhaust plug out first. When you do it again some time later, just call yourself a dumbass.
In good company with the "don't catch the sharp/hot thing", remember to check that the sharp field knife you are grabbing is locked into the sheath, and not just loosely stuck in there for quick access when not clipped to your belt. I kept hold of the end you are SUPPOSED to hold on to, but it did occur to me, as I watched it dance on my fingertips, that one should not be around sharp knives you don't have a good grip on.
When arriving at work, double and triple check that the key is out of the ignition. It especially should not be left in the ignition with the ignition switched on so that it can drain the battery It's the first time I've ever done this, but I'm still mad at myself:dog
I dont know how you manage to leave it turned on but I think I know how I did this back in the Mid 70s ..... Came back to work from lunch in my 67 XKE & parked on the street. At the time this was not necessarily the best part of town & I always locked the car. Co-worker walks up & starts talking to me & we went in the building. Come time to leave work & I cant find the key to the Jag. WTF?! This aint good. Walk out & big as life there is the key & fob still hanging in the door lock. I felt lucky that the car was still there. Almost forgot.... 20 some years later I did almost the same thing. But this time I carried a spare key because this car would be a bitch to break into. Went to a couple places I had been in the field that day looking for the key. I finally found it when a guy pointed out that was in the passenger door.
Glad neither your car nor my bike was stolen What happened to me is that I killed the engine with the kill switch, figured I'd dismount and take the gloves off, then grab the keys and put them in my pocket once the bulky gloves had been dispensed with. Someone said something to me and I just flat forgot about the keys and didn't look back
Jeff, You are relatively new at riding. This will very likely NOT be the last time you do this! Don't ask me how I know! Jim
Oh, now I get it. For some reason I was thinkin this was in a car. Yeah, seen guys do this all to often. The simple cure for this is to always use the key to kill the bike. I tell new riders to never use the kill switch except in certain circumstances. Just use the key, save the battery. Never figured out why some people use the kill switch. The rare times that I do I sometimes forget to flip it back, then wonder why it wont start.
I have an equally bad habit of using the sidestand to kill the engine. Leads to the same sorts of problems.
a) It's the quickest, most convenient way to turn off a motorcycle. b) If you ever have a getoff or drop then it's built into your "muscle memory" and second nature to shut things down quickly. c) If you're too complacent/ignorant to remove the key afterwards then you deserve a dead battery.
And apparently the quickest most convenient way to forget the key. Then its a different story & not a normal turn off the bike. I still advise to make it a habit to use the key under normal circumstances. Its still plenty quick & convenient & could save a lot of trouble.