Any way to eliminate the key?

[Wheelsick]

I use my mxr for transportation around my property often. Wondering if anyone has gotten rid of the key for something more quickly accessible. 3 berms & a jump from house to barn My Alta Arch

 

[OneLapper]

You should be able to use a latching push button switch. Push once for On, push again for Off.

 

[Philip]

My key always lives in the bike. I have never removed it.

 

[Wheelsick]

My key always lives in the bike. I have never removed it.

Mine as well- guess I need to be a bit more patient - key on, switch on, start button -/ go

 

[Philip]

Mine as well- guess I need to be a bit more patient - key on, switch on, start button -/ go

You do not need to touch the switch. I always keep mine on.

Perhaps you could cut and connect the two switch wires together and re-wire the key wires to the switch.

 

[Silent But Dirty]

I do

You do not need to touch the switch. I always keep mine on.

Perhaps you could cut and connect the two switch wires together and re-wire the key wires to the switch.

I think both the key switch and the run switch are required to be there for the charging to work.

 

[Philip]

I do I think both the key switch and the run switch are required to be there for the charging to work.

I never touch my run switch. It is always on, and I can charge just fine.

 

[Bionicman]

I’d be careful modifying the switch. While it’s just a loop 2wires always in the connected state it may cause premature battery drain & provide power to circuits constantly-causing potential heat related damage to electronics

 

[datadog]

You do not need to touch the switch. I always keep mine on.

Here's the only problem with that. You can take a short ride, get off the bike, and easily leave it in drive. I've seen a non moving EXR turn it to an EXR on it's side in the parking lot when an onlooker walks up and twists the throttle while the bike sits in drive. Just FYI. I always turn that switch off when I dismount the bike. You could, or course, also turn off the key switch.

 

[Philip]

You could, or course, also turn off the key switch.

Yes, that's exactly what I do. I do not think having to mess with two switches makes things any safer.

I still do not understand the purpose of the run switch. Does it allow to keep the head/tail light on when the key is off? I wouldn't know because my MXR does not have those. If the accessories turn off anyway, then the run switch is for redundancy only.

 

[leeo45]

Yes, that's exactly what I do. I do not think having to mess with two switches makes things any safer.

I still do not understand the purpose of the run switch. Does it allow to keep the head/tail light on when the key is off? I wouldn't know because my MXR does not have those. If the accessories turn off anyway, then the run switch is for redundancy only.

I don't have insight into any legal requirements or all of the design purposes from ALTA, but I use it just like the kill switch on an ICE dualsport bike. The thumb switch is infinitely more convenient than the key when I want to turn off the bike for a very brief period of time; and would even be accessible if the throttle got stuck. On a dualsport bike I think you want the key for security and the run/stopl switch for convenience and safety.

For example, when negotiating unrideable obstacles offroad I turn the bike off to avoid the type of incident mentioned by datadog. I didn't do this my first weekend after getting the bike and as we were dragging the bikes under a downed tree someone grabbed the throttle by accident and the bike took off spinning in circles on the ground. They would have heard that an ICE bike was running, but on the ALTA is is only the small green silent flasher. Fortunately, nobody was in the way and the only damage was a folded up license plate. I have remembered to use the stop switch ever since in such circumstances.

BTW, my KTM enduro bike (offroad only) doesn't have a key, only the handlebar run/stop switch.

 

[snydes]

As usual I'm the oddity in that I like the keyed switch. Seems silly for an MX bike I know, but with a bike that would be so easy to hop on and silently ride away I like that extra measure of security. If some prick wants to rip it off at least they have to try and push it at least a little, and have fun with that, we all know how freely these things push.

 

[raysted]

At WMR down here in FL, saw a push button switch installed on a MXR that was in the shop, shop manager told me easy to do for the bike I was buying. Havent researched yet, but sure its rather simple.

 

[strider]

Here's the only problem with that. You can take a short ride, get off the bike, and easily leave it in drive. I've seen a non moving EXR turn it to an EXR on it's side in the parking lot when an onlooker walks up and twists the throttle while the bike sits in drive. Just FYI. I always turn that switch off when I dismount the bike. You could, or course, also turn off the key switch.

This confused me as on my bike once you drop the kickstand it kills the throttle. Then I realized you were talking about MX(R)'s

 

[Judaslefourbe]

At WMR down here in FL, saw a push button switch installed on a MXR that was in the shop, shop manager told me easy to do for the bike I was buying. Havent researched yet, but sure its rather simple.

I doubt this setup is IP67 rated. Be careful with it.

 

[evh1]

While we're talking switches, is there a simple solution on the EXR's for a headlight on/off switch. Off when off roading, especially when used scouting for deer, heh heh! Is the head light LED and the drain not worth bothering about battery-wise ?

 

[revoltlution]

While we're talking switches, is there a simple solution on the EXR's for a headlight on/off switch. Off when off roading, especially when used scouting for deer, heh heh! Is the head light LED and the drain not worth bothering about battery-wise ?

you could drop a simple little switch (or connector) inline with either the low or high beam (up by the bulb). This would allow you to use your thumb switch to toggle between one of your beams and a disconnected beam. On/Off... just reconnect the disconnected beam and your back to normal.

 

[bluefxstc]

While we're talking switches, is there a simple solution on the EXR's for a headlight on/off switch. Off when off roading, especially when used scouting for deer, heh heh! Is the head light LED and the drain not worth bothering about battery-wise ?

Not worth worrying about. Grand total, headlight and tail light you are something less than 50 watts, probably closer to 35-40W, but will go big to be conservative. For a three hour ride that is 150Wh out of 5800Wh or about 2.5%. If you go 40 miles in the three hours you are talking 1.03 miles of range. Now if the 1.03 miles is the difference between making it back to camp, or not, it is significant, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[evh1]

you could drop a simple little switch (or connector) inline with either the low or high beam (up by the bulb). This would allow you to use your thumb switch to toggle between one of your beams and a disconnected beam. On/Off... just reconnect the disconnected beam and your back to normal.

Ok. Nice easy fix. Thank you

 

[leeo45]

Not worth worrying about. Grand total, headlight and tail light you are something less than 50 amps, probably closer to 35-40A, but will go big to be conservative. For a three hour ride that is 150Ah out of 5800Ah or about 2.5%. If you go 40 miles in the three hours you are talking 1.03 miles of range. Now if the 1.03 miles is the difference between making it back to camp, or not, it is significant, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I agree that the headlight is normally not a concern for affecting range, but I think there is something off in the example. The halogen headlight plus incandescent tailight are at most about 70 watts total. At 13 volts this is about 5-1/2 amps not 50. If you carry this value though the Amp*Hour calculation against battery capacity it shows that it is even less of an issue.