finding neutral
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,275
Likes: 149
From: High in the Colorado Rockies
Couple tips:
1. As you are coming to a stop, get into first gear before you come to a complete stop. If you are in first before you come to a complete stop, getting to neutral is easy.
2. If you are still having problems getting to neutral, roll the bike forward and back a few inches and that will make getting into neutral easier.
Also, the Redline Heavy Shockproof does help finding neutral.
SJ Ron
1. As you are coming to a stop, get into first gear before you come to a complete stop. If you are in first before you come to a complete stop, getting to neutral is easy.
2. If you are still having problems getting to neutral, roll the bike forward and back a few inches and that will make getting into neutral easier.
Also, the Redline Heavy Shockproof does help finding neutral.
SJ Ron
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 671
Likes: 159
Some bikes are just plain hard to find neutral in. My old roommates sport bike would not go into neutral at all if it was warmed up. Pain in the a**. My Crossbones was ok to get into neutral but I learned pretty quick once I installed the jockey shifter. My newest bike goes into neutral pretty easily. If the bike is off she needs a little rocking to get into neutral but once she's running I just give it a little tap on the heel shifter.
Personally I wouldn't go into neutral while rolling up to a light. I always keep it in gear and check my mirrors before popping it into neutral. I usually keep it in gear to get away from some texting idiot who doesn't see my flashing brake lights and I put it in neutral when I need to fish out my ID or relax my hand for a decently long stop light.
Personally I wouldn't go into neutral while rolling up to a light. I always keep it in gear and check my mirrors before popping it into neutral. I usually keep it in gear to get away from some texting idiot who doesn't see my flashing brake lights and I put it in neutral when I need to fish out my ID or relax my hand for a decently long stop light.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 17,145
Likes: 6,168
From: SE Michigan
For some reason I anticipate needing both hands at a light - need to fiddle with something, or I anticipate a long light, or if I'm coming around to park it in my garage and I need both hands to get out the garage door opener, etc.
Hmmm...I will have to try that. I have over 40K and I recently changed the primary chain tensioner to the Hayden M6. Before, I had no trouble finding neutral, now it is almost impossible. I have adjusted the clutch several times, to no avail. Most times I get frustrated and just shut it down and deal with it then. I can find it fairly easily once the engine is shut down.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,721
Likes: 372
From: Tonopah Az
Put about 6=8 ozs Lucas oil stabilizer in the tranny and the problem is fixed. I did this and just tap the shifter either rolling or stopped and it is in neutral.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 25,307
Likes: 2,443
From: Eastern NE
, but a properly adjusted clutch is your starting point. There's alot of "meshing" going on in the tranny and it only takes "fractions" of mis-alignment to impact gear synch. Changing fluids and heel-shifter use are other things to try and...pay attention to your riding shoes. Seems funny, but I can hit neutral every try with my Power Trip rounded-toe boots, but have some problems with my harness boots. One day I noticed the harness boot's squared-end toe makes the length & angle a tad more and the leverage I applied to the shifter was enough to alter my foot's motion when shifting. After changing back to the round-toe...shifting was better.Maybe it's all in my mind, but I see a difference in shifting with my boot design(s)...food for thought.
