Why the Tipover Switch won't trip while moving

[CatatonicBug]

I just had a "lightbulb" moment! I know this may seem trivial to many, but I just thought I'd share the item that just occured to me.

I have read many discussions about the tipover switch, and some have mentioned that they have never had it kill the bike while going through the twisties (thank goodness!). I just had my bike lean over a bit this morning, nowhere close to touching the pegs (it was caught by SWMBO's car) and the tipover switch killed the engine.

Then I finally realized WHY you can go through the twisties and drag the pegs without the switch killing the bike - centrifugal force! The switch is a physical, gravity-operated pendulum that swings inside it's housing. If you're going forward and making a turn, centrifugal force pushes the switch outward, just like it pushes on the bike, which is why you have to lean inward to stay on the bike. If you stopped the forward motion, and hung the bike in that same position, the centrifugal force would be gone, and the switch would swing toward the earth, killing the engine.

[bikerphil]

Yep, it kinda works like the seat belt actuator in a car, except sideways. They use a weighted pendulum also. You can slack the belt until the brakes are applied firmly, then the pendulum moves forward causing the belt to lock. Good observation.

[fredintoon]

Tipover switch test?

- - - I finally realized WHY you can go through the twisties and drag the pegs without the switch killing the bike - centrifugal force! The switch is a physical, gravity-operated pendulum that swings inside it's housing. If you're going forward and making a turn, centrifugal force pushes the switch outward, just like it pushes on the bike, which is why you have to lean inward to stay on the bike. If you stopped the forward motion, and hung the bike in that same position, the centrifugal force would be gone, and the switch would swing toward the earth, killing the engine.

Hi 'Bug,
check out this photo:-



No, I'm not checking the tipover switch, the rig is hanging from my shop crane so I could take photos of the sidecar attachments.
But, as the sidecar rig don't lean over on corners the switch should tilt sideways and kill the motor in the twisties.
It don't happen.
Perhaps I ride like a timid old man?
OK, I AM a timid old man.
BTW, where is the tipover switch located on the bike and what does it look like? In all my XS11 wiring battles I have never noticed it.

[DGXSER]

Fred,

The TOS is located center of the bike under the tank infront of the reg/rect and behind the coils. Just a square black box.

[CatatonicBug]

It may be that centrifugal force while moving is just not enough to cut the engine with the bike still vertical. It allows for SOME swing, but knows what is too much. To me, that sounds like intelligent engineering! The switch itself is located dead center under the tank, mounted to the cross-bar. It looks like this:

[trbig]

Perhaps I ride like a timid old man?

Yeah, right. This was Fred last week on his other bike.







Tod

[XJOK2PLAY]

So... let me see if I'm understanding the principal correctly...

Do the 2 contacts make a circuit during tipover, and thus a ground is applied to the ignition circuit to kill power to the coils?

The rest of the time, the TOS is in an open (ungrounded) situation?

(Which would then mean that the TOS could actually be removed from the bike, and nothing would change operationally except for the safety device being removed?)

(Just wondering if I'm thinking correctly about how the TOS & the circuit actually works???)

[XJOK2PLAY]

Yeah, right. This was Fred last week on his other bike.







Tod

SWEEEEET, Fred!!!! Man... can you ride!!!!

[CatatonicBug]

So... let me see if I'm understanding the principal correctly...

Do the 2 contacts make a circuit during tipover, and thus a ground is applied to the ignition circuit to kill power to the coils?

The rest of the time, the TOS is in an open (ungrounded) situation?

(Which would then mean that the TOS could actually be removed from the bike, and nothing would change operationally except for the safety device being removed?)

(Just wondering if I'm thinking correctly about how the TOS & the circuit actually works???)

Correct. You can simply disconnect the switch from the circuit, and the bike will continue just fine. It just won't have this safety feature.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Correct. You can simply disconnect the switch from the circuit, and the bike will continue just fine. It just won't have this safety feature.

Cool!!! Thanks, CBug for the quick response.

Good explanation!

[Larrym]

The Power of the Chi??

What a relief!!

I was sure that the tip-over switch was one of those Don't ask-Don't Tell devices which worked only while the rider maintained a positive focused mental effort:



Thanks C-Bug!! Another Myth De-Bunked.

[Ivan]

The tip over switch doesn't operate in the turns for the same reason you don't get thrown off the bike in the corners.

Aircraft bank in turns for the same reason. They even have a device that helps the pilot coordinate his turns so the force applied to the aircraft is always vertical in respect to the aircraft. That is unless you're doing aerobatics. When you cram too much rudder, its called a skid and the ball on the turn and bank indicator swings to the out side. When you bank too much and dont use enough rudder its a slip and the ball goes to the inside of the turn.

[oldyam80sg]

I took mine off years ago but now i feel the need to keep it original and found a brand new one on E-Bay and put it on.

[skids]

This thread is about washed out, but I can tell you that in a slow turn, I believe that my engine missed just a bit and I believe that because of the sudden deceleration while in a lean, the tip switch deactivated the ignition. It was all I could do to prevent dumping my bike! I still have it hooked-up. No problems since.

[cywelchjr]

This thread is about washed out, but I can tell you that in a slow turn, I believe that my engine missed just a bit and I believe that because of the sudden deceleration while in a lean, the tip switch deactivated the ignition. It was all I could do to prevent dumping my bike! I still have it hooked-up. No problems since.

I have had mine lean over enough to trip the switch (while not moving) and have had it tip not quite enough, and I don't think I could get it over far enough to trigger the tipover switch and still have both wheels on the ground and maintaining traction.