i recently noticed ican pull away in 1st gear with kick stand down is this normal for a buell.never had a jap bike do that.also starts in any gear with kick stand down.is there a piece missing?
They are supposed to have a kickstand kill switch. Mine does not have one and it took a long time to get used to it. I have driven off a few time with it down.
none on the us spec 1125's came with a kick stand switch. I have drove off with mine down too but I like that they let us be responsible for our own actions... electronic babysitting bugs me! The traction control in my truck really pisses me off when it gets going!
my 04 doesnt have a switch but i have never driven away with it down. reminds me of dirtbike racing "turn the gas on dummy" but instead its "put your kickstand up dummy". i do know a guy who crashed his cruiser 3 times from leaving the kick stand down.
I can pull away on my Suzuki with the kickstand down. If I have the clutch pulled in, it doesn't matter if it's down or not. Of course, as part of my checklist, I always double check that the kickstand is up.
i drove off with a kickstand down many times too...and sometimes after long distance i realize that its down because when the bike leans i hear that noise of it rubbing against the asphalt...
on my 03 with the stand down and in gear if you try to let off the clutch it kills the engine. it sounds like it cuts the spark but it could be cutting fuel.
I have never pulled away with it down. I reflexively kick it up whenever I thow a leg over. I have gone to raise it only to find it already up. I am more likely to forget to put it down when I park. Luckily haven't done that either. Being a pilot, I am always thinking "gear down and locked", the same way most people reflexively lock their cars when they park.
It is designed to flip up if you catch it on the pavement while riding. I can't say if that works well or not as I haven't tried. There is also a known problem of the spring falling off. Without a kickstand shutoff, that might catch you by surprise while you are riding. I think I will keep a couple zipties with me to get home if that happens.
European bikes come with a kickstand shutoff. Theoretically, you could get the parts to do that but it will require a new ECM flash too. More trouble than it's worth if you ask me.
Oh, and NO the US bikes do NOT come with a kickstand kill switch.