Stuck in neutral

[zenn]

Not exactly stuck but, shifting down from 2nd, make a left turn -  give it some throttle and watch the rpm climb while I go nowhere. WTF? 

[spc]

Ummm, shift harder....... and change your damn oil

[ajaxgs]

what grade of oil do you use , 10w40 specified , myself i use a 0w40 synthetic deisel oil much improved shifting and less frequent false neutrals!!!

oh let the flames begin with an oil thread!!!

[spc]

20w-50 AMSoil High Performance Synthetic, because I like throwing money all over the place

[ohgood]

Not exactly stuck but, shifting down from 2nd, make a left turn -  give it some throttle and watch the rpm climb while I go nowhere. WTF? 

You can (ok, I can anyway) actually start off in 2nd gear from a dead stop. If you're downshifting mid turn, that's a no no, for this very reason. You can't hit a false neutral if you don't downshift in a turn, and it won't matter.

Anyway, so let's assume you're not downshifting mid turn, or whatever. Maybe you're running a little fast for 1st gear, and when you -thought- you downshifted to 1st, you hit neutral, bouncing of the dogs for 1st ?

I'm betting on the second situation.

Either go a little slower before dropping to first, or consider using 2nd a little lower.

2 cents



oh, and is your oil level proper ? it can effect shifting into 1st gear.

[ajaxgs]

You can (ok, I can anyway) actually start off in 2nd gear from a dead stop. If you're downshifting mid turn, that's a no no, for this very reason. You can't hit a false neutral if you don't downshift in a turn, and it won't matter.

uh good point forgot to mention that!!

[zenn]

Gotta check the oil. saw another post about that.
Anyways, no I didn't shift in a turn. Came down a hill to a light, preparing for a left. Shift to first prepping for a stop, light goes green as I approach. Intersection clears, I start my turn thinking I'm in 1st,

[Tang]

ok can anyone answer this since its a Neutral question

i'm at a stop light i shift to neatural waiting and waiting and waiting for the light to turn green haha

but once i try to shift into 1st i can't i have to rev my engine to say around 3000 rpms and then try to shift into first and if that don't work i have to shift

into 2nd and if that odn't work i push my bike to the side haha 

anyways i just wanted to know what the problem was i do'nt put my bike into neutral anymore at stop lights 

[qwertydude]

Sometimes that does happen, again an oil change with good oil will help. I'm running on wal-mart 10w-40 oil right now, surprisingly it shifts better than the pricier castrol gtx oil. But not as well as 5w-40 rotella which seems to no longer be on the shelves at any of my local walmarts. A technique that can help is to keep shift pressure on the lever while releasing the clutch, you'll pop into gear immediately when you hit the friction zone. I use this technique if I came to a stop really quickly and didn't down shift through the gears cause sometimes shifting through multiple gears at a stop can be difficult and your bike seems to want stay in the current gear.

[gmark]

don't sit at a light in neutral.  It's a good way to get run over by a cell phone chatting SUV driver. If you are in first you can get out of the way and give em the bird. 

[Toogoofy317]

I've noticed this alot when trying to get it into the garage. I'm scared to death of hitting my friend's honda shadow that has never spent a night outside and would blind you it's so shiny! So, needless to say I stall sometimes because it is a little touchy getting into gear I find that if I rock the bike just a little I can get it into first or neutral whatever I'm going for. I do sometime's sit at a light in neutral esp if my hand is cramping and I already have someone behind me. But, well before the light changes I make sure I'm in gear and sometimes I just have to rock it up a little and it slips in.

Just my two cents

[VSG]

ok can anyone answer this since its a Neutral question

i'm at a stop light i shift to neatural waiting and waiting and waiting for the light to turn green haha

but once i try to shift into 1st i can't i have to rev my engine to say around 3000 rpms and then try to shift into first and if that don't work i have to shift

into 2nd and if that odn't work i push my bike to the side haha 

anyways i just wanted to know what the problem was i do'nt put my bike into neutral anymore at stop lights 

Try to rock the bike back or forward a bit.  Sometimes you just need things to line up.  In my car, if I can't get it into R, I shift to first, let out the clutch enough to roll forward a tiny bit, then go for R again.  It almost always works.

[pizza]

Why would you down shift into first from second while moving?

[Gisser]

ok can anyone answer this since its a Neutral question

i'm at a stop light i shift to neatural waiting and waiting and waiting for the light to turn green haha

but once i try to shift into 1st i can't i have to rev my engine to say around 3000 rpms and then try to shift into first and if that don't work i have to shift

into 2nd and if that odn't work i push my bike to the side haha 

anyways i just wanted to know what the problem was i do'nt put my bike into neutral anymore at stop lights 

If the usual "feed some clutch" or "rock the bike" advice is not the answer then there's one more step you can try before pushing the bike off to the side of the road. 

Kill the motor then make your shift.

This tackles a different problem unrelated to the perfectly normal "gear misalignment" shifting problem. 

Remember, just because the bike is stationary doesn't mean the tranny isn't in motion.  And if the clutch is dragging in neutral then the countershaft gears can remain spinning too fast for the shift dogs to engage.

Clutch drag is often the result of an overfilled crankcase and/or too much slack in the clutch cable.  Or a cold engine.

Just something to think about next time you need to rest that clutch hand at a stoplight. 

[pbureau69]

Kill the motor then make your shift.

This may be true for bike that have different clutching systems, but on The GS500 YOU SHOULD NEVER SHIFT with the engine not running. This is not my personal option I am being a parrot, but I value the information and warning because it was given to me by the mechanic/saleman/onwer/Race team owner of the sport bikes store I bought My GS500 from.

Better try this (did not see it mentioned)

1. let engine idle, full stop
2. depress clutch handle, hold brakes
3. apply constant pressure on gear lever
4. slowly release clutch until gear "pop" into place

I have had the first gear "stick" when coming to a stop after extended ride, fresh or old oil (motorcycle rated 10w40),
made no difference, I think it is just a quirk of the engine /gearbox design, because I have a 2005, and its been doing it from day one.

Unless someone else can explain it better; I think the specs on the gears is a little too tight when "ran @ 70mph for 4 hrs"

cheers

[zenn]

Why would you down shift into first from second while moving?

Why wouldnt I, If running in 2nd, coming to a red light getting ready to make a stop, What should I do, pop it into reverse 

[pbureau69]

Why would you down shift into first from second while moving?

Why wouldnt I, If running in 2nd, coming to a red light getting ready to make a stop, What should I do, pop it into reverse 

you got a reverse gear ..? you sure you aint riding a goldwing now ? 

[ohgood]

ok can anyone answer this since its a Neutral question

i'm at a stop light i shift to neatural waiting and waiting and waiting for the light to turn green haha

but once i try to shift into 1st i can't i have to rev my engine to say around 3000 rpms and then try to shift into first and if that don't work i have to shift

into 2nd and if that odn't work i push my bike to the side haha 

anyways i just wanted to know what the problem was i do'nt put my bike into neutral anymore at stop lights 

Ya, I've done that several times. If you sit and wait in neutral, and then try to pull the clutch, press for 1st, and gas off the line, sometimes things just don't work. It has to do with getting things spinning the same. Try a quick pull of the clutch, release, then pull again and it will drop right into 1st, IF YOUR OIL LEVEL IS RIGHT, and it's not dirty as heck.

Now I'll go read the 20 or so other answers

[Gisser]

Kill the motor then make your shift.

This may be true for bike that have different clutching systems, but on The GS500 YOU SHOULD NEVER SHIFT with the engine not running. This is not my personal option I am being a parrot, but I value the information and warning because it was given to me by the mechanic/saleman/onwer/Race team owner of the sport bikes store I bought My GS500 from.

I think this was probably not a warning but just a beginner tip on how to facilitate shifting on a sequential tranny and would apply to all motorcycles.  You can't shift through the gears without some internal movement for alignment purposes.

Better try this (did not see it mentioned)

<snip>

Was mentioned.  What I call the "feed some clutch" method.  This is just SOP but, true, poster made no mention. 

I have had the first gear "stick" when coming to a stop after extended ride, fresh or old oil (motorcycle rated 10w40),
made no difference, I think it is just a quirk of the engine /gearbox design, because I have a 2005, and its been doing it from day one.

Unless someone else can explain it better; I think the specs on the gears is a little too tight when "ran @ 70mph for 4 hrs"

First & 2nd gr do fit tighter together than the higher gears, perhaps to minimize drivetrain slop --which is more problematic in the lower gears.  Anyway, that (clearance eating thermal expansion) is another theory to account for gearbox quirks.  Next time try killing the engine to get out of 1st...you never know.

[ABSOLUTNATI]

don't sit at a light in neutral.  It's a good way to get run over by a cell phone chatting SUV driver. If you are in first you can get out of the way and give em the bird. 

How in the world would you know to get out of the way or know that someone isn't going to drive right though you? By that time, you're already hit.