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Finding neutral when rolling

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
This started out because I thought I had a technical problem. So far no one's been too concerned about my under spec steels, so I'm not buying any clutch parts just yet. I've been worried about some of the other things I've read about transmissions and such. That day may come If I ever decide to get back into this bike for a first class rebuild. In the meantime , I can easily live with this. I can always find neutral, I just can't usually find it as I'm rolling to a stop. Why wouldn't you want to be able to do that? As for the other thing, everybody should know how to be ready for a quick exit. I also like to think I know when to be ready.
 
gplouff said:
This started out because I thought I had a technical problem. So far no one's been too concerned about my under spec steels, so I'm not buying any clutch parts just yet. I've been worried about some of the other things I've read about transmissions and such. That day may come If I ever decide to get back into this bike for a first class rebuild. In the meantime , I can easily live with this. I can always find neutral, I just can't usually find it as I'm rolling to a stop. Why wouldn't you want to be able to do that? As for the other thing, everybody should know how to be ready for a quick exit. I also like to think I know when to be ready.
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I don't think the under spec metals would hurt anything as long as they are flat. In fact it should make it easier to find neutral as theres less chance of drag. Now its possible theres notches worn into the basket or hub that might cause some minor issues, but they can be smoothed out pretty easy.
 
We don't need another oil thread, but game on. Mine was shifting perfectly with no drag around neutral (after getting the new clutch cable right). To take a trip to Kansas I changed the oil, and induced the problem immediately. Not getting into brands or weights, here, but I could have spent a lot of time & aggravation if I hadn't gotten the problem directly with the oil change. I've had several bikes in my time with no neutral problems, the best clutches in the business for my money are the old Viragos.
 
Did yah chek the pates for flatness? A sheet of glass is likely the flattest thing you will have about the house.
 
I hadn't thought about the glass trick. I'll definitely remember that next time I have them out. I'm using Suzuki 10 40, just like back in the day.
 
Also make sure your adjustment isn't giving you a false feel up at the lever on the bars. Mine felt right with a new cable but it was not pulling the clutch lever far enough. I have mine set with only the slightest of free play down at the bottom lever.
 
JJ said:
No. Wrong. The best practice is to have it in FIRST gear, clutch in, left foot down, right foot on rear brake. This gives you the quickest way to accelerate to your pre-planned escape route if a vehicle violates your space.
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Took too many comments for someone to finally mention this. I will sometimes shift into neutral while sitting at a very long light to give my clutch fingers a break (as long as there is already one car stopped behind me) but I can't think of a single valid reason why you'd want to shift into neutral while rolling. Neutral is *supposed* to be hard to find while moving. It's a safety feature.
 
Cipher said:
What possible reason do you have for not staying in gear with clutch lever drawn in.
Fiddling with neutral and not being in an immediate state allowing for quick movement is dangerous.
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Ever have a clutch cable snap while you're holding the clutch in? It happened to me and I rear ended the car in front of me and had to pay damages. Sometimes you just need to stretch the hand as well.

My 1100 is a pain to find neutral in, too. My 900F finds it so effortlessly! :)
 
Deuce said:
Ever have a clutch cable snap while you're holding the clutch in? It happened to me and I rear ended the car in front of me and had to pay damages. Sometimes you just need to stretch the hand as well.

My 1100 is a pain to find neutral in, too. My 900F finds it so effortlessly! :)
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OK one reason. To slow to hit kill switch?
 
I can't believe this keeps turning into a safety discussion. I've had five or six of these GSs, plus a Yamaha, plus a Kawasaki, and all of them were better than this at finding neutral. I'm still waiting for a guy with an 81 1100e to tell me his works better than mine.
 
damn I was joking about the kil switch but today I found neutral easily on the 1300 at all intersections
it was as if a nice gremlin attacked to teach me a lesson
 
gplouff said:
I can't believe this keeps turning into a safety discussion. I've had five or six of these GSs, plus a Yamaha, plus a Kawasaki, and all of them were better than this at finding neutral. I'm still waiting for a guy with an 81 1100e to tell me his works better than mine.
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My 82' seems to work better than yours. But as I said earlier, it can be a little difficult until it warms up.
 
eil said:
Took too many comments for someone to finally mention this. I will sometimes shift into neutral while sitting at a very long light to give my clutch fingers a break (as long as there is already one car stopped behind me) but I can't think of a single valid reason why you'd want to shift into neutral while rolling. Neutral is *supposed* to be hard to find while moving. It's a safety feature.
Click to expand...
One single valid reason:
To pick up your time slip after a run at the drag strip. Right hand has kill switch tether attached, it is either kill engine or shift to neutral so the nice lady can hand you your slip in your left hand.
 
JJ said:
No. Wrong. The best practice is to have it in FIRST gear, clutch in, left foot down, right foot on rear brake. This gives you the quickest way to accelerate to your pre-planned escape route if a vehicle violates your space.
Click to expand...
This is what my MSF instructor taught us. He said you can only shift to neutral after a big truck has come to a stop behind you and you know there's not another truck bearing down on him. Basically, always be in first with the clutch in ready to escape. Make sense to me so I do this 95% of the time.
 
My 81 1100e has a problem slipping into neutral as I roll to a stop. It's a miracle if I can find it from second gear, and then It can be equally as difficult to find it from first. If I roll the bike a little bit or let the clutch out a little and then pull it back in and try again, I can usually find it without too much trouble. Likewise , with the engine off , I can move the rear wheel a little bit and find a spot where it will easily click from first to neutral to second and back
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Much like my 2 GSX 400s... I guess it's just a character of these. It worse when oil is warm and "used"... ..If I'm not careful, the bike will get stuck in NEUTRAL and I have to roll a bit to get into first! But I'll usually have it sorted because I get into gear before the light changes. and it Seems to me, it's better to shift down through all gears anyways before going to neutral so I can avoid that godawful clunk into 1st.....somewhere in there lies the truth but I haven't nailed it down either... revving very high 2nd to 1st is a help...If I every take a gearbox apart, I might understand it better.

My 650 just doesn't come to mind as an issue like the 400 gearboxes and one is worse than the other so something makes them MORE "prone" to it. I very much doubt its got a thing to do with clutch plates.

I sit at lights most of the time in neutral...seeing as I am often the first at the light, there's really no where to go...otherwise, I do watch my mirrors and MAYBE(if I'm not first at the light) I can roll the bike ahead between cars if there's an OBVIOUS problem coming up behind...because I have actually been hit once from behind when stopped in a line in my car...(years ago-only time I've actually seen it happen..
 
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