simple way to disable the side-stand sensor (can be - and has been - done on the side of the road!

Smoky funny you should post such advice at this moment... Check out the new thread of how not to start a trackday... And you may change your mind..

More a case here that if you are out riding and the fooker decides to start acting up. Wish I'd known this 2 months ago as I just managed to limp home with probably 40 stalls and restarts
It is however quite apt given Schnauzers thread.

yeah, i was 200km from home in a no cellphone signal area, on back roads... if i did not manage to fix it, i'd still be pushing!

Would you consider it a common occurrence for the switch to fail?

well... i read about it several times here, but thought it's a rare occurance, it won't happen to me
considering it happened to others here, and it also happened on my GSXR... it can happen for sure. problem with KTM is, unlike GSXR, you cant just cut it and twist the wires - if you have no resistor, you're starnded!