Finding neutral difficult
 

Hi,
I have a 2019 Softail Slim with 500 miles on it. I'm finding it next to impossible finding neutral when coming to a stoplight. Is this something that will improve with the more miles I ride?

First, why are you going into neutral @ stoplights? What if you needed to make an evasive maneuver...?? Keep it in gear...

Second, have you tried swapping primary & tranny fluids? If not, recommend you get the crap stock oils out & good stuff in...I use/recommend Spectro oils.

Third, nice 1st post...where's the intro? >.<

I highly recommend checking out this video, I followed the steps and adjusted my clutch, neutral is much easier to find now.


Welcome to the forum!

Thank you sir.

it's brand new take it to the dealer. so we can hear what kind of crap they tell u. can't weight to hear this

:icon_that:

After checking my mirrors and feeling safe about what's behind me I will put my bike into neutral at lights. I can pop her into gear in 1 second and all you "prepare for the slide not the ride" people will tell me I'm gonna die in that one second. Well, riding is dangerous and you never know what is gonna happen but I ain't riding scared.

Practice.....And do it like it says in the manual. Always, from first back up to neutral.

I just picked-up a new 2019 Softail Slim and it has about 300 miles on it . Also have a hard time finding neutral . All I can say it takes a very light touch , easier said than done with heavy motorcycle boots on . My 2016 883 Iron was much easier to find neutral , then again that was the almost bullet proof Evo engine and transmission .

Sometimes you have to pick a bugger which requires popping it into neutral. Geese. And who really cares about the intro. Guy has a question...he asked the question. That's all it takes sometimes. We gotta make friends before asking?

Now...all that said...you really should learn to keep it in gear at the stops. I had a bad habit of going to neutral at every stop. The MSF class I took...the instructor kept telling me to put it back in gear at the stop obstacles. I finally got used to leaving it in gear. It's just a good habit to form. But...as said.../every once in a while you just gotta find neutral at a stop.

Best way to find neutral is before you stop. If you're already at a stop give the throttle a little blip while you shift up from 1st. That helps. You're not the first one to have a bit of difficulty finding neutral. It's a light touch finding that step between the gears.

Your clutch can be adjusted and it will help if it is out of adjustment. But on a new bike that is unlikely. Worth checking though. If you don't have a service manual, get one. If you don't work on your own bike, find a decent mechanic and ask him to check it. May as well change the oils at that time since the primary has to be opened up anyhow.

Last, different oils can help smooth out the shifting. If the oil level is high you'll have hard shifts. Make sure the oil levels are spot on where they should be. Again, refer to the service manual. The owners manual also shows how to check the levels.

To this day I have a hard time finding neutral when I pull into my driveway, getting ready to back into the garage. I pull in and swing hard to an uphill position and then come to a stop and then try to find neutral...all the while the bike is slowly rolling backwards down the hill I just swung into. It's frustrating cuz my whole fami9ly is watching me and calling me a moron. Just laugh it off and relax. Practice practice practice.

When I removed my primary cover and checked the adjustment of my clutch from the factory, I found it to be quite a bit out of adjustment from where the service said it should be. The cable adjustment was fine, but the clutch itself was far too tight. I wouldn't assume the factory did it right, hell, I had a primary bolt back out within 2 days of riding my bike home.

I opened mine when it had less than 200 miles and I found mine out of adjustment too. So that's two for two. Maybe I'll reassess my statement that it's unlikely on a new bike.

It's a really good habit to keep the bike in gear at stops. That said, I have a 2014 Heritage with 5000 miles, and it's STILL a PIA to get it into neutral-usually I have to shift out of first using my heel on the rear shift lever.

Shifting into neutral on my other bikes is butter smooth. Go figure. :icon_nic:

Huh? My 2018 Softail manual says you can go to neutral from first or second and doesn’t say anywhere to go from only first. That’s a good thing for me because mine is finicky and I almost always have to go from second. It’s gotten easier over time but I think that’s more from me just getting a better feel for it. In contrast, my wife’s 2019 Lowrider is easy to get into neutral from either first or second. Our bikes just have different personalities.

[RANT MODE ON]
Ya know, I've been riding on the street for over 40 years now, plus a few years on dirt bikes before that, and I can't say I've ever needed to suddenly pop out of the way for some cager barelling down behind me while I'm waiting at a light. I almost always go into neutral, but also work to keep alert on all sides and prepared to act and react as needed. I've lived in both rural and urban (Boston, Phoenix, metro DC) settings.

Maybe MSF teaches you to leave the bike in gear and be prepared to move on an instant's notice. Not sure that's a totally terrible idea, but I'd say the risk of accidentally popping the clutch and unintentionally entering an intersection with cross traffic because you left it in gear is at least as great as getting rear ended while waiting for the light to change.

Leaving the bike in gear while waiting is fatiguing. It's not that good for the bike, as you're holding the clutch open on it's throwout bearing. I think the HD uses a little roller bearing setup. The BMW boxers don't even have a proper bearing - just a little ball-ended rod you need to grease. Holding that clutch in is like holding the handle on a hand grenade with the pin pulled. You may only encounter that car from behind situation once in your life, but you'd be holding that hand grenade every time if you leave it in gear. What do you think is more likely to happen?

Like so much of life, some benefits come from preparation and some come from just paying attention, keeping alert, and being prepared to act. MSF be d@mned if that's what they teach.
[RANT MODE OFF]

FWIW, all of my bikes are pretty easy to hit neutral from second when coming to a stop, but it's best to get it into neutral while still rolling at low speed to keep the trans spinning. Sometimes neutral can be hard to find and you end up hunting between first and second, but it's always hardest to do with the engine running and the bike not moving. Better to find it while you're still rolling.

And for the OP, you might want to check your trans fluid level. Too much fluid and your clutch will drag making it harder to find neutral.

[OLD CURMUDGEON MODE OFF]

If the light turns yellow and you lift and slow them down and they are stopped behind you, it probably makes little matter. If you know the light light to be long, it's a lot easier on the wrist and the throw out bearing will last a lot longer. Use common sense about it. You should be able to slide in neutral with no problem. It does take a bit of practice.

My experience so far... When I got the bike, finding neutral was a crap shoot - often resulting in failure. Frustrating. I adjusted the clutch myself... twice. First time it may have resulted in a little improvement - my "neutral" success rate improved a noticeable amount. Second time - meh. So I dropped by the dealer and they took a crack at it. Probably slightly better. I can find neutral now on a pretty regular basis. Occasionally on the first try. Other times it will take a couple of attempts the achieve success. On a now rare occasion it will be somewhat of a battle. No matter what though... it's not what I would call easy.

Had the Nightster out last weekend. It had be a little while since I last rode it. One of the pleasures of getting reacquainted was how buttery smooth/easy shifting and finding neutral was compared to the Heritage.

I see this preaching all the time, but in almost 50 years of riding I have never had to make an evasive maneuver at a stop, nor have I known anyone who has had to.

It`s more important to know what is going on behind you ahead of time when you stop.

Being in gear isn`t going to save your ass, it`s situational awareness that saves you.

OP: pop it into neutral just before the bike stops rolling, and don`t worry about the intro, most of us ignore that section of the forum anyway.

Seriously? I put a lot if thought into my intro post. You didn't read it? Now I'm feeling a little offended. I'mma need a safe place for a bit.

As has been already said, maybe you just need more seat time/practice and it will become automatic to ya. Also, why do you put your bike in neutral at a stop light? What if you had to get out of somebody's way really fast and being in neutral wouldn't be very good.

Why must people ask this question every time someone mentions they choose to put the transmission into neutral at a stop light?

Maybe, just maybe... he knows what he is doing...

How can he know what he's doing? Her hasn't even done the intro post yet! (is there a dead horse I can beat for a while)

Thank you. After 30+ years of riding I've learned a thing or two.

You might want to check on that.

Welcome to the forum :icon_banana:

I had this problem after service adjusted the clutch due to another issue. They readjusted the clutch again and problem solved.

Ditto - My clutch went out at the same mileage and I got locked in 3rd gear. IMO Just a 1000 mile service needs to come early

Argh...okay back on subject....

Here is a tip to try to find neutral on a stubborn machine. Works from first up if you are already stopped, or 2nd down if you are coasting... It may even work from second down when stopped but I never tried that.

When stopped with the clutch pulled in and the transmission in first, apply light upward pressure to the shifter (not enough to actually move it) and then *slightly* blip the throttle. It should click right in. Too much pressure and it may jump to second so it needs to be very light pressure.

When coasting...two options:
1. As you are coasting with the clutch pulled in and in second gear, apply slight downward pressure on the shifter as you are close to stopping and it will click in when the engine speed and transmission speed get to be 'just so.' If this is not working well then....
2. As you are coasting with the clutch pulled in and in second gear, apply slight downward pressure on the shifter as you are coasting and blip the throttle when you are close to stopping and it should click right in. You have to be rolling pretty slow for this to work. Higher speeds (like maybe 5 MPH) will need a bit higher rev to the blip but will still work.

My old 1999 Ultra would not go into N for anything at a stop and this was my work around. Worked very repeatedly. My 2018 has moments too and this works for that. It also works on my BMW. I also teach MSF courses and when the students have issues finding N on the training bikes I tell them to try this and they pop right in. Give it a try and let us know if it worked....

Make sure linkage has free-play if not a hydraulic clutch. Some aftermarket shift rods with spherical bearings are too tight. When you pop it up out of first, if there is play in linkage, it will jump into neutral. The cam that the pin runs in is not designed to go from second to neutral.

I put the heel shifter on my ‘19 Heritage. Finding neutral with my heel is a breeze.

As I see it, I learn by asking questions. I simply asked him why he chose to put his bike into neutral when he stopped at a stop light, to find out why he chose to do so. If my interest in learning something from the OP bothers you in any way, than so be it, cause it's between the OP and myself,no one else.

If ya put it in a thread, it for everybody to comment on. Your question is asked all the time, hell, it was previously asked in this thread, and the OP chose not to respond...

Have a nice day.

Everyone has traits that define their riding style. Some will drag the rear brake when entering corners, some blip the throttle when they down shift and some go into neutral at a stop light, especially if it's a long light with turning lanes. That's when I do it. Thank you all for your advice and opinions.

Well excuse me for wanting to ask questions, I'll try to refrain from doing so in the future.

Ask any question you like on this forum . Questions are asked over and over again on this site, nothing wrong with that . I'am not going to search all theses threads for answers to questions I have ? I was taught to keep the bike in first gear at a stop or red light intersection in the event you need to get out of the way fast ! I admit if I'am riding local and I know it is a very long light I will shift into neutral . Where the hell are you going to move to in a very busy intersetion anyway ?

In the years I’ve ridden I’ve not seen someone rear-ended while at a light. I HAVE seen someone launched into traffic by blipping the throttle while holding in the clutch when the cable broke.

Stay aware and stay safe out there.

I actually have on two accounts. One was retired Patrol Officer that never made it home and an MSF Coach that survived with such severe injuries he could no longer ride. However, more important than staying in gear so you can 'get out of the way', if you find yourself at a traffic light all alone and a wave of traffic is coming behind you....flash that brake light! Those drivers are watching the light so they can time full throttle and your puny little profile ain't cutting it. You have to get their attention! By the time you decide the car behind you does not see you and is about to steamroll you there is nothing you can do except jump straight up and for that you would be better off in N!

Have the Dealer check the clutch adjustment at your 1000 mile service. Also switch to HD Formula+ or the new HD full synthetic 80-140 gear oil in the transmission. This will end your finding neutral difficulties.
Cheers

My Sport Glide had this issue and so did my 2016 Fat Bob before it. I solved both by dissasembling the gear shift lever and the shifter rod ends and greasing each moving part before reassembly. HD only put a dab of grease on the lever and hope for the best! No problem since.

I find it diffcult as well. Drive me nuts when i park it in the garage and trying to find neutral and shut it off. Doing my 1000 mile service, swap the fluids and check all the clearances.

Exactly. Most of the time I put it into neutral at a light. Especially if the traffic is already stopped behind me.