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Finding Neutral Gear

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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 01:43 PM
  #11  
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screws4156
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

From day one N was a little touchy to find.
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 01:58 PM
  #12  
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

No problem finding neutral with mine, well so far anyway. With the previous Sportster it was kind of a pain but not with the RK. If I'm going to stop I just slow down to the point when I can ckick it down thru the gears to 1st then when stopped I use the heel shift to put it into neutral.
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 02:28 PM
  #13  
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ipjaydub
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

ORIGINAL: Scorpio49

2007 RG 1500 miles. Was out riding the other morning and got stuck in heavy traffic - 30 minutes stop/go. Started having trouble finding neutral - never experineced this before. At 1000 mile service had royal purple oil put in and belray trans fluid (70/140)

Is this "normal"?

Thanks
Not sure about a cause, but would recomend to anyone "in traffic" to NOT be in neutral. I would rather stay in gear, stay on the clutch, and keep an eye on the rear view mirrors, and find that escape route every time for when you hear the inevitable squeeling tires coming up from behind!

Stay defensive and ride lots! JW
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 03:22 PM
  #14  
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Hog Yild
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

Ditto to what Sugarbear said, stepping on the front and rear shifter arms and rocking on them makes it much easier.
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 04:24 PM
  #15  
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

Oil level in primary has to be at the proper level. Chain adjustment has to be within tolerance too. If your bike has 1000 miles, the chain may need to be tightened a little. Then, when all this is set properly, you still need to increase the revs a little while lifting your toe to move into neutral. Mine works great, but it took me a long time to figure out the secret. Good luck.
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 04:36 PM
  #16  
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

taterdog,

he has an 07, no adjustment to the chain....
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 06:13 PM
  #17  
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

ORIGINAL: skratch

taterdog,

he has an 07, no adjustment to the chain....
Dang, all them newfangled contraptions. I've got to get me one of those (the auto tensioner, that is). Thanks for the update, skratch. I learned something today!
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 07:13 PM
  #18  
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

WOODCHUCK IS RIGHT.
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 07:19 PM
  #19  
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Default Staying in Gear in Traffic

ORIGINAL: ipjaydub

but would recomend to anyone "in traffic" to NOT be in neutral. I would rather stay in gear, stay on the clutch, and keep an eye on the rear view mirrors, and find that escape route every time for when you hear the inevitable squeeling tires coming up from behind!
I've seen this "recommendation" many times, and I understand your intentions are good, but it makes absolutely no sense to me.

In the scenario where you wind up in a line of traffic with vehicles in front of you, "staying in gear" serves no purpose whatsoever. If someone comes careening up behind you with no obvious intent to stop behind you, where are you going to go? You're blocked from the front - are you going to try some sort of stunt to exit off the either side? That's gonna' be fun to see.

What if you happen to be the first vehicle at the intersection and another vehicle comes up from behind and doesn't stop? You goose it to try to get away, and what happens next? You wind up in the middle of the intersection with cross-traffic moving through it, and someone T-bones you.

Either way, the outcome is VERY questionable, and I'm not convinced the probabilities of a GOOD outcome outweigh the added wear and tear of holding in the clutch for the amout of time involved, which, in many cases, can be 10-15 minutes or more.

So I go against the grain here. I go to neutral, and first when the signal changes. What do I know? I've only been riding 50 years.
 
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Old Sep 28, 2007 | 07:53 PM
  #20  
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Default RE: Finding Neutral Gear

If it gets harder to find when it's hot, then check the clutch ajustment.
And I don't care what you say, sometimes at a trafic light I'm going to flip it in neutral. I put a fish scale on it this week. It takes 20 lbs to pull it in.
 
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