I only killed the batt once, thanks to Brian & Fred. It wasn't long after BDF had posted up his little fix, and I figured it would never happen to me. Fortunately, some kind travelers in a motorhome gave me a jump, and the battery was up to a full charge after about 15 miles.
The mod is easy, cheap, and useful. If you never use the sidestand or kill switch to shut off the bike, fine. One "I told you so." is sufficient. We all do things for our own reasons.