| Author | Message | ||
     Manimal |
Ok, so now that i've been riding my 'Bolt for over a year now i'm starting to take better notice of its tendencies and such. I have noticed that bike doesn't like to go into neutral while i'm riding or at a stop light. But as soon as i turn off the fuel pump and park it, it slips into neutral every time. Anyone have an answer to why or experienced this with their buell. Thanks Buell Brothers | ||
| 1324 |
I've found a similar tendency on my bike as well. Sometimes it just keeps going past neutral, whether I'm shifting up or down to get there. It isn't always like this, but I have noticed it. That being said, I've noticed that since I've changed from Mobile 1 primary lube to Formula +, finding neutral has been much easier. I wasn't expecting this to happen, but sure as hell, it did. Perhaps it has to do with clutch engagement?? I don't have many miles on the new fluid, but so far so good. | ||
| Punkid8888 |
I have the exact opposite situation. Coming from my older yamaha, I would be fittling at every stop light trying to get it into neutral, and the only way it would go was down from 2nd, but it still was like a 3 or 4 trys. But on my XB9 the first couple rides I found myself moving the lever with to much force and I would go right through it. So now I just use a small amount of pressure and it goes into neutral, from 1st or 2nd. Its like Butter. I do have a problem down shifting from 2nd to 1st though. And what will happen is I think I am in first only to find when I leave at the light it bogs heavily cause I am in 2nd. I also noticed an improvement after changing the primary fluid, (I did it at 5000miles) and I am at 10,000 right now so that will be changed again. I have only used Formula+ fluid | ||
| Lovematt |
Primary chain adjustment along with clutch/clutch cable adjustment will affect the performance of all shifting as well as getting into and out of neutral. The only exception is the shifting up from 1st to 2nd should be done "slowly" (kind of like two small shifts...one into neutral and another into second) or you go for it if taking of quick. The downshift into 1st has always been clunky to me... | ||
| Slaughter |
I think Lovematt hit it. If my clutch was slightly "dragging" with the lever pulled in, it'd be really hard to find neutral. I'd have to try to get it in neutral while the bike was still rolling. Adjusted the clutch and presto. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Try to hit it without using the clutch. I almost always try to engage neutral while still rolling and usually with the clutch lever not pulled in. With little or no throttle applied, pretty much no load on the drive line, it works real well. On the M2 when I had that just a gentle nudge down from 2nd or up from 1st would do it. The Dyna is different, you can't engage neutral going down from 2nd, you have to do it coming up from 1st. Jack | ||
| Cycleaddict |
go to neutral while you are "rolling" to a stop ! works every time !! | ||
| Ebuella_virus |
+1 Addict | ||
| Earwig |
I also find it easy to find neutral while rolling. If that isn't good for you blip the throttle for a second and while the rpms are up, shift. When i first got the bike it refused to go into neutral but it has gotten much better... it was actually quite embarrassing sitting there trying to get it in neutral while all my friends or whoever i was riding with were already off their bikes and waiting for me lol. I guess all bikes are different. | ||
| Midknyte |
Primary chain adjustment along with clutch/clutch cable adjustment will affect the performance of all shifting as well as getting into and out of neutral... that and the correct fluid amount in your primary | ||
| Chit |
for my first 500mi i could get into N easier moving than i could at a stop, it was near impossible. it's calmed down a bit but out of frustration and now habit it's often left in 1st. | ||
| Buell_41 |
+2 Addict. I don't hold the clutch in at stop lights. Lots of side load plus spinning at 1k rpm plus hot. Pretty hard on that little throw out bearing. Just my 2 cents. | ||
| 1324 |
While I support increasing the life of the TO bearing, especially in stopped bumper-to-bumper traffic, I usually leave the bike in first for normal stops and traffic lights. This way, I can make a quick getaway in case the soccer mom behind me in her 8,000 lb SUV is too busy to notice the guy on the bike in front of her. | ||
| Slaughter |
I also tend to leave it in gear unless I'm going to be "parked" at the light for a while. I guess it depends on my mood as I roll up. I tend to stop in neutral at lights but then will put it back in gear when I am ready to start rolling again. Pretty much always stopped in gear on hills though. Foot on the brake, clutch pulled. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
+1 Leave it in gear at lights for me as well. As soon as I begin the last couple of downshifts coming to the stoplight, I start to position the front wheel at my escape route and keep my eyes on the rear view mirrors. I do this until I have at least two cars stopped behind me. I would say the impact on the TO bearing negligible compared to the clutch plate's life expectancy. Both would be replaced together. You don't hear of many TO bearings dying before the clutch plates need to be replaced. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"+1 Leave it in gear at lights for me as well. As soon as I begin the last couple of downshifts coming to the stoplight, I start to position the front wheel at my escape route and keep my eyes on the rear view mirrors." SOP for me. My bike stays in gear with the wheel pointed at my escape route until I know my six is clear. Once it's safe, I'll go to neutral if I know I'll be there awhile, but my foot stays on the left peg, ready to hammer that lever down if I have to git. | ||
| Jackbequick |
You guys that leave it in gear are all messed up. Not using neutral at lights is the mark of a rookie motorcyclist! Knowledgeable people are laughing at you as you set there! All other issues aside, did you ever hear of a clutch cable breaking? And that "quick get away" excuse won't hold water with the anyone that knows how to find neutral. When I got my 1958 Triumph, I was sternly admonished by the late, great, Jim Monroe himself (Monroe Motors, San Francisco) about not setting with the clutch pulled in. That was during my 3 to 5 minute demo ride/one and only driving lesson. That warning was repeated again by Jim The Mechanic/Boy Racer as he walked me though the starting drill a few days later when I went back to pick up the bike. I got it running by myself two times so Jim pronounced me good to go and warned me again about using neutral. But he added that it was easiest if you found it while still moving. Monroe Motors was in a basement level shop/garage on Divisadero back then. And there I was setting, engine running and in neutral, at the bottom of a steep ramp up to the street. A sidewalk was at the top of the ramp, and it was averaging one to three passing pedestrians visible at all times. Jim the Mechanic looked at me, looked at the ramp and the pedestrian parade, and said "I'll take it up to the street". I could have kissed him! I headed straight for Golden Gate Park to continue my driving lessons (self administered of course). I had trouble finding neutral at the first light, realized I was already stopped, remembered what both of the Jims had said, and promised myself I would do better next time. By the end of the day I had not fallen off once, gotten a stern verbal warning from a horse mounted SFPD cop ("These horse trails are *not* for motorcycles!"), and successfully found neutral while moving numerous times. Within a few days I was both addicted to motorcycles for life and adept at finding neutral. I've sampled a great number of transmissions since and found the selected while moving thing to be the easiest way to find neutral on every bike I've ever ridden. Are you embarrassed by the noise H-D transmissions make when put in gear from a stop? Then pull the clutch lever all the way in and wait for a second or two before you put it in gear. If that's too noisy for you, put it in 2nd from neutral and then shift down to 1st (lever held in all the time for both shifts). These are only transmissions, it is easy to be smarter than a transmission. Jack | ||
| Djkaplan |
"You guys that leave it in gear are all messed up. Not using neutral at lights is the mark of a rookie motorcyclist!" Not really sure if you're joking or what. You can't take one piece of advice (from almost 50 years ago!) and apply it to every situation you'll encounter today. To say not using neutral at a light is the mark of a rookie is ridiculous; absolutely ridiculous, but worse than that, it's potentially dangerous. Sitting at stoplight in neutral and depending on any moron that happens to be behind you to stop in time is the mark of a rookie. Using every stratagy available to save your own life is the mark of an experienced motorcyclist. Once you know it's clear behind you at a light, then go into neutral. If you can't get into neutral from a stop, service your bike until you can. Rolling to a stop at any light or stop sign in neutral with moving traffic behind you is bad, bad advice. | ||
| Diablobrian |
JBQ: First off the bike needs to be in gear if you want to get out of the way of a car that fails to stop, or doesn't see you. Second, I for one am no rookie, but trying to hit neutral with my electronic shifter is a serious pain in the butt. The actuator is too positive shifting, if you can believe that! So by the time I bounce between 1st and 2nd a half dozen+ times the light has changed and it just isn't worth the hassle when I can just hold the clutch in. I guess that could be funny to someone, but I'm dead certain that they aren't anyone I'd want to hang out with anyway. | ||
| Buellshyter |
+1 for what DJ said....they teach you at MSF course to STAY in gear at a stop. | ||
| Buellshyter |
BTW, I sometimes rock my bike forward a bit and then find neutral | ||
| Coal400 |
"You guys that leave it in gear are all messed up. Not using neutral at lights is the mark of a rookie motorcyclist!" Dude... I'm too am assuming you are serious: I leave the bike in gear... I've had the same ridiculous argument about MT in cars. Throwout bearing is a "Bearing" for ••• sakes. If properly lubed, it should, and has on my bikes and cars, lasted thousands of miles. You inspect it for wear during service and you replace it when necessary... Any mechanical hardware is worth sacrificing if it gives you even the slightest chance of survival. I suppose covering the breaks and wearing helmets are marks of rookie woosies too. Perhaps removing the signals might give you more bad a$$ appeal while you sit at the light with your hands on your hips. Rock on Maverick! You're my freak'n hero! You probably would rather use your boots to stop in order to save the brakes... Have fun eating your next bumper sandwich. Heaven forbid the knowledgeable people will still be laughing. ^^ that's probably the response you were looking for... Hope it was worth the wait  Honestly though, I hope you ride safe and don't get in a situation where you have to second guess this habit of sitting in neutral at the light. Motorists have not gotten any smarter, and there are even more distractions today than ever. Satellite Radio, Cell Phones, Make-up, GPS's, you name it... | ||
| Jackbequick |
No insults were intended. And I did say that sort of tongue in cheek. Dj, I know you're in a different situation than most of us. I admire you for your perserverence and congratulate you for what you've done for yourself and others. The pre-unit construction Triumphs were built with a rod that operated directly on a small pocket in the clutch cover. No bearing per se and not much lubrication in the area. That end of the rod came well polished, usually had a blued steel look to it after some use, and has been found "heat welded" to the pocket. I know the newer bikes have real throw out bearings, I guess I can and should quit worrying about that now. And I didn't know that the safety pundits recommend leaving the bike in gear. I not a safety expert but I think there are some pros and cons to doing that. I don't roll up in neutral, I usually engage it at about the same time I take my other foot off the peg (keeps the bike from falling over). And I usually check my mirrors before and as I stop. But I don't pay much attention to what is going on behind me after I stop as I'm more watching what is in front of me. So if anyone seriously feels insulted by my remark, my apologies are hereby tendered. I don't strongly disagree with leaving it in neutral, it is just not my habit. Jack | ||
| Diablobrian |
JBQ: You really should continue to watch your mirrors after you stop, at least until you get a couple of cars stopped behind you. It is a fairly common traffic accident to have a bike get hit from behind while sitting stopped at a light. Some are "lucky" enough to only get bumped forward. Others have been crushed by much larger vehicles and been taken for a ride until someone finally flags the driver down. Seriously bad news. In other words focus on the mirrors and watch the lights with your peripheral vision. Sorry if I got my hackles up a bit there, it's been a bad day. | ||
| Coal400 |
"No insults were intended. And I did say that sort of tongue in cheek." Rock on brother  | ||
| Jackbequick |
It has been an interesting thread. I don't think I've ever discussed what they do at lights with other bikers before. All the points are well taken as far as watching your back and maybe being able to evade a disaster. Not sure that I'll ever get far from my long habitual use of neutral but I did use the mirrors more when stopped at lights when I rode today. I don't ride in much stop and go traffic here, I can avoid nearly all of it by taking the long scenic way around and I prefer that. Jack (Message edited by jackbequick on August 04, 2007) | ||
| Diablobrian |
Outstanding. Changing a habit starts with one act. I'm glad you can avoid stop and go traffic. There is none around here either...unless I ride an hour and hunt for it. | ||
| Jackbequick |
I live in the last city between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine. Ellsworth is the gateway for a steady procession of summer people coming and going from Mount Desert Island. They follow US 1A to ME 3 in a steady procession and don't get far off those routes until they are out on the island so they are easy to avoid. The poor dears bring a lot of suppressed frustration with them and share it with us. Why is it that in the deer season, we can shoot the deer but in the tourist season, we are expected to tolerate them? And we are 25 miles from the nearest Interstate, a good thing. I got about 90 miles in yesterday breaking in my FXD's set of new Metzler ME 880's on familiar secondary and tertiary roads. What wonderful tires! I am now hunting out the running seams and patched cracks that I used to avoid. All the annoying little wiggles that came with the Dunlop D401 and D402 pair are gone. This like it is on rails! And my new front brake rotor is also pretty well broken in too. That has brought with it the smooth, linear, and improved braking forces that I could not get out of the "pretty" disc that matched the wheels. The joys of being a briskly gliding geezer are unparalleled. You guys just wait... Jack | ||
| Ustorque |
even after stopped at a light its nice to know whats goin on behind you...we've all heard of the old guy in the caddy at a stop who's gas pedal all of a sudden gets stuck and barrels over everone in his path!( otherwise known as i shouldn't be on the road anymore and i accidently hit the wrong pedal) i wanna be as ready as i can for him. | ||
| Jamie |
FWIW, When I went to the advanced MSF Course...the instructor urged everyone to leave their bikes in first gear for the reasons stated by DJ and others. Personally, I often drop it into neutral to relax and stretch out a bit at lights...usual once I know the coast is clear though. |
