Damage from parking in gear--danger or myth?

[Anonymous]

I apparently offended a friend recently by leaving his MC in gear after I test rode it. He said it is well known that leaving it in gear while parked can ruin the transmission. Evidently this person had first gear damaged by leaving it on a hill in gear.

I'd never heard that and in fact was under the impression you should leave it in gear parked on an incline. Is this a myth or a real danger?

[Anonymous]

Myth. I haven't even heard this in 32 years of riding (owning more than a dozen motorcycles). The weight of the bike will not hurt the clutch or transmission on even the steepest grade. Don't sit on the bike. I keep the front brake on until I'm off the bike. Then, just hop on, hit the starter, and go.

I always leave my bikes in gear unless I'm pushing them along or idling when starting cold.

[Anonymous]

Myth, Myth, Myth. The only thing leaving parked in gear will do is keep the bike from rolling off the sidestand when parked on a hill. No way to cause any damage to tranny.

[Anonymous]

I think it is rude to leave somebody's vehicle parked in gear if the owner had parked it in neutral. I've had a few people do this to me and they are lucky I didn't accidentally run their car over when I went to start mine. The only time I park in gear is if my car tries to roll away with the parking brake. My bikes have never tried to roll away nomatter now steep the parking spot.

Steve

[Anonymous]

Steve, that's the kind of reaction I got. It surprised me as I had no inkling this was an affront to good order--in fact, I'm still not sure it is BTW he told me as I prepared to depart to be sure and engage the clutch since it would not start otherwise, so I'm guessing the danger of lurching the bike was taken into account in its design.

[Rico]

WOW some people. :roll:

So was he *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ed when he found out you bumped the rev. limiter while riding the wheelie :P

Yep some people.
Ya know the problem with people is they're everywhere.

Rico

[Anonymous]

My bikes have never tried to roll away nomatter now steep the parking spot.

Steve

Steve: Ya gotta swap out those bearings and air-up those tires! I regularly park my bikes on streets so steep I worry the bike might roll away in gear. When I rode an 800+ pound HD at work, I had to brake it gently until the next cylinder was well into the compression stroke so the bike couldn't gain any momentum and push past TDC after I walked away. Perhaps it's hillier on the banks of the Fraser River than in Ontario?

As to parking your auto using just the parking brake. Those things can fail. Cables stretch or snap unexpectedly. In my professional life, I've attended dozens of rollaways. I've seen it happen on standard AND automatic transmissions (usually 1980s Fords left running in Park). None of those people imagined it would happen to them! Hilly or flat, my standard transmission cars are always left in gear. On any noticeable hill, my wheels are turned to or from the curb depending on whether I face down or up the hill. Even then, on our steep hills a car can bump over some curbs even if the tires were squashed against the curb when parked.

Old habits die hard, but you can't call leaving a vehicle in gear overkill when there are so many instances of rollaways known to occur. No myth there.

[mcycle-nut]

Re: Damage from parking in gear--danger or myth?

I apparently offended a friend recently by leaving his MC in gear after I test rode it. He said it is well known that leaving it in gear while parked can ruin the transmission. Evidently this person had first gear damaged by leaving it on a hill in gear.

I'd never heard that and in fact was under the impression you should leave it in gear parked on an incline. Is this a myth or a real danger?

Well known where? At the crack house? :?

[Anonymous]

dietcokeking: I'll keep what you said in mind but habits are hard to break. My Golf won't roll away unless somebody bumps it so if it attacks in self defence... 8O I generally shake around a bit before getting out just to be sure it won't roll away. One time it slid away on me in gear with the parking brake on...that was an icy night of fun filled pizza delivery. :P I guess the fact that I don't turn my car off during delivery may be why I'm reluctant to put it in gear when turned off.

Steve

[dpep]

Neutral is good if the bike is on the centerstand. Neutral is ok on the sidestand on flat, level ground. Neutral on any kind of a grade, not ok. If the bike is parked in gear and someone runs into it directly from the front or rear the tranny might get some damage in addtion to whatever else happens to the bike. But the chance of your bike rolling away or off the stand if bumped while in neutral is far, far more likely.

I live in Florida where everything is flat so it is never really an issue. I just came back from the S.E. weekend in western North Carolina where it is only flat in the commercial areas. I had to quickly remember the stopping and parking rules. On the sidestand you face upgrade and leave it in gear..first gear.

I always shut down my 850 in gear and leave it there except when I roll it backwards to put it away in the garage. And it has 116,000 miles with the original transmission.

[Anonymous]

Agreed = Myth
25 yrs over 30+ bikes and no tranny contributed issues for leaving it in gear on the side stand.

[Clone]

Definite myth
All manual vehicles I have had are left in gear with the parking brake on.
Automatics are in park with the parking brake.
All the bikes are in first when on the side stand.
If the starter will engage without pulling the clutch you have a problem with the wiring. I have never started a vehicle in gear since, I started the 1965 fargo, once, in oh 1982 when I was 14, caught sh## from my dad, and never turned the key without pulling the clutch first.
If somebody gave me cr#p for leaving their vehicle in gear when it was parked, my first response would be , well stunned surprise, then " Get a life so you can have something real to bi##h about!"

[Hotblack]

Runaways can happen even with e-brake on AND tranny in gear. I had a fairly large dumptruck get away from me like that when I was about 17. When I parked it at the top of a hill they asked if I put it in reverse and had the e-brake on, to which I said yes, and if I'd turned the wheels in the proper direction, to which I said no. Ahhh it's okay like that they said... I was lucky the thing only took out a caddy on it's way down, it almost hit a lady crossing the street. Of course no one believed that I'd left it in gear after that, until it got away from one of THEM another time. People learn hard I guess. At least I learned from the experience even if they didn't.

Yes the bike can roll in neutral depending on the grade and how much weight is on the sidestand. Compressio/weight is super high on a bike, that's why engine braking is so strong on them. I still will park with my back tire agin' the curb on a really steep hill if I can. Is it really necessary to add that it's a myth about tranny damage from parking in gear? Probably not. I also park it in gear on flat surfaces if I'm in public, as it makes it harder for someone to nudge it from behind and knock it off the sidestand. I also leave it in gear, steering locked, and on the center stand if I'm worried about leaving it alone. It's not foolproof, but if someone tried to make off with it, hopefully they'd drop it taking it off the center stand and call attention to themselves.

I've disabled the clutch/starter switch, but I ALWAYS check for neutral when I start it. You know, fiNec, and all that.

[Don Lobacz]

Wow, crazy myth. Think about it: the trans is made to take 100 hp immediate power tranfers trying to accelerate and stop a 600 lb object. There's no way a few lbs of static force can ever damage it. That being said, respect his wishes and refrain from arguing with him: it is his bike. I can understand his habit of expecting it to be in neutral, but that is never assumed by careful riders (don't ask how we know!).

[Anonymous]

Holy cow. Like Don said: 50 to maybe 90 ft-lbs of torque don't hurt it. Whathecrap? Anyhow, it is irresponsible to leave a vehicle parked on a hill without having it in gear. Especially a car. I've personally known three people who have had their cars roll away. No fatalities, luckily. I looked out my window one afternoon, and there was a truck halfway on top of my old station wagon. No driver, just a truck and lots of damage. The truck belonged to my neighbor, a block away. Yep! Parking brake works great! Hah! Fortunately, I had only paid $200 for the crappy old rustbucket. Insurance company gave me book. Fine with me, don't leave it in gear! :twisted: