Gs1100g hard to find neutral when stopping.

[Guest]

Took my bike on its first test ride since redoing the electrical and I noticed that neutral was a little hard to find. I was being a little "careful" because of the shoes I was wearing so that might be part of the issue but what can I check to make sure everything is in order with the transmission?

[Buffalo Bill]

Sure the trans is ok. There's a detente rod that has a spring. It's called a Stopper Rod in the parts diagram for Gear Shifting.
Looks like it can be replaced by unscrewing a cap bolt under the trans case, I don't know exactly where.
I've never replaced the spring on my bike, but I've learned as I'm slowing to stop, to let the clutch out in 2nd then pull it in and then shift to neutral.
Takes a light touch, makes the ride a tiny bit mo interesting.

[Nessism]

Do you have enough free play in the clutch cable? You might want to adjust the cable so the lever releases pretty far out and see if that helps. Second most common issue is clutch plate warpage. I had a 1000 with that issue and after replacing all the clutch plates I could find neutral really easily.

[Deltacharlieecho]

Thanks guys, I'll look into those options. I'm really just jazzed to have gone on a little test ride today. I havent had a bike since 2012 that actually ran. I cant wait to get this baby out on the road.

A fun additional note: riding without a handbrake is terrifying when you're trying to stop smoothly. Dont do it, and if you're going to do it, dont have the lever attached so that you keep having the instinct to flutter it but when you go to lightly pull the lever, it just collapses all the way to the bar.

[Rob S.]

Is it hard to find at a standstill, or when slowing to a stop?

Either way, I think Nessism is on the right track.

[Rob S.]

...riding without a handbrake is terrifying...Dont do it...

Yes and yes.

[Deltacharlieecho]

When slowing to a stop. Never had issues manhandling the bike around and doing shift tests with the front to back rock method just to cycle through the gears. It seems like it had the issue only after heating up.

[Deltacharlieecho]

The good news is that the bike now has preliminary wiring for signals and the headlights work and are set up with off/drl/on/high/pass functions. Once I get my next paycheck I'll be doing the brake lights, getting a new throttle cable that works with my aftermarket throttle tube, finalizing the loom, and setting up the front brake. I'm considering setting up the clutch lever switch and keeping the side stand switch killed but I always have liked having the side stand switch as an easy kill switch so I dont know.

Hopefully by the end of this coming Saturday I should be able to test ride it again.

[81gs7501166]

Mine has always benn a tad hard to find N when stoped without rocking bike. It's also harder to get from 1st. I usually try to find N while rolling to a stop from 2nd.

[Gorminrider]

Mine has always benn a tad hard to find N when stoped without rocking bike

exactly so on my gsx400 6 speeds too, when warm. It can get locked in Neutral too so needs a rock ahead to get into first.

People have said that the fanciest $$$ synthetic motorcycle oil will help altogether.... new oil for a few miles helps..I think the oil just gets thrashed and the big waxy lumps get chopped after a 1000k. I just accept that it's personality...the Honda does it better..more chamfer on the grears maybe?

I tried a heavier spring at the "neutral detente" too . It's a help if the toe is "slipping by" neutral all the time but also slows an upward shift- I can feel it and anyways it doesn't help when the gears won't loosen or turn that little bit to unmesh or mesh

[Steve]

... the headlights work and are set up with off/drl/on/high/pass functions.

Some details on this, please.

What light(s)? What switch(es)?

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