First gear

[ghostrider_23]

So you guys all sit at a light for the entire time it is red?

OK I understand why one would keep the bike in first gear while waiting for a car to pull up behind you, but won't keeping the clutch in cause premature wear???

It's like riding the clutch when coming to a stop light and holding it in, I don't know but don't think it's a good thing?

[Big Rich]

Clutch discs are cheap to replace. The wear on the bike (and rider) from getting hit by a car - not so much.

Seriously though. It is made to sit at a red light with the clutch held in.

[madjak30]

So you guys all sit at a light for the entire time it is red?

OK I understand why one would keep the bike in first gear while waiting for a car to pull up behind you, but won't keeping the clutch in cause premature wear???

It's like riding the clutch when coming to a stop light and holding it in, I don't know but don't think it's a good thing?

No, I'm with you...at a longer light, once there is a vehicle stopped behind me I will put it into neutral...but it doesn't cause wear on the clutch to hold it in...the only time you get wear on the clutch is when you are in the friction zone...fully in or out doesn't wear the friction plates...might put stress on the clutch cable (or seals & hose if you have a hydralic clutch...not a GS) and make your left forearm muscles tired, but nothing else.

Thanks for starting this thread  ...I had forgotten about those issues, since I hadn't ridden my bike for a while...the clunk was bothering me, and I was worried about it...but if it is normal, I will just do my best keep the revs down when shifting into first...

Later.

[XLAR8]

i just roll the bike forward and backward an inch, and it slips down into gear

[gregvhen]

left arrow points to dogs which engage other dogs, right arrow points to the actual gears that engage other gears. see how big the dogs are? thats why sometimes when you stop they will stop each other from moving sideways on the shaft.

EDIT:
also notice how the space between them is bigger than the dog itself. thats where the play and noise comes from when you shift into gear at a high idle if youre not moving.

[skirecs]

So you guys all sit at a light for the entire time it is red?

OK I understand why one would keep the bike in first gear while waiting for a car to pull up behind you, but won't keeping the clutch in cause premature wear???

It's like riding the clutch when coming to a stop light and holding it in, I don't know but don't think it's a good thing?

No, I'm with you...at a longer light, once there is a vehicle stopped behind me I will put it into neutral...but it doesn't cause wear on the clutch to hold it in...the only time you get wear on the clutch is when you are in the friction zone...fully in or out doesn't wear the friction plates...might put stress on the clutch cable (or seals & hose if you have a hydralic clutch...not a GS) and make your left forearm muscles tired, but nothing else.

Thanks for starting this thread  ...I had forgotten about those issues, since I hadn't ridden my bike for a while...the clunk was bothering me, and I was worried about it...but if it is normal, I will just do my best keep the revs down when shifting into first...

Later.

well it wears the throwout bearing

at long lights in 80 degree weather and im 10 cars deep ill turn the engine off

[gregvhen]

true it does wear on the bearing, but the bearing can take it. Ive never heard of one going out on here, and theres been alot of differant problems discussed on this site 

[mister]

In almost 39,000 clicks I always sit at the red lights with the clutch pulled in waiting to go. It's not like it's five minutes or anything. A couple of minutes is nothing.

Michael

[madjak30]

In almost 39,000 clicks I always sit at the red lights with the clutch pulled in waiting to go. It's not like it's five minutes or anything. A couple of minutes is nothing.

Michael

Depends on the intersection...most are only about a minute so yeah I just hold the clutch in, but some with advance arrows for every direction can be quite a few minutes...if you happen to just miss the light you can be waiting a while...so I wait for the first car/truck to pull up behind me then put it into neutral...watch the sequence of lights and when my light is next, back into 1st to be ready...

Why do you think our traffic gets so retarded here??  The lights are part of the problem, but they are needed for the drivers that shouldn't be driving...but that is for a different thread...

Later.

[tykho]

Every bike I've ever been on needs the clutch let out to get into first sometimes, including my R6. Not all the time, but sometimes. I always put my bike in neutral at stoplights, give my hands a rest and lean back a bit. It's not like putting it back into first takes any time.

[aygee]

What it does mean however - and heres the advanced rider in me - is taking your foot off the rear brake and doing the hopscotch to drop into first gear!

[paulc86]

You guys should not worry too much about the clutch or bearing wear, unless your clutch or TO bearing is on its last leg and you're trying to nurse it along.

Seriously though. It is made to sit at a red light with the clutch held in.

Long-winded explanation:
The clutch is in a constant oil bath (hence wet clutch); keeps friction in the TO bearing down (which causes heat/wear), and keeps the clutch plates bathed in a circulating medium (engine oil) for fresh lubrication and cooling.  Friction is lost due to the oil (lowers the coefficient of friction between the fiber plates and steel plates), but this is made up for with the multi-plate config.

Staying in the friction zone in a wet clutch is not as detrimental to the clutch as doing this in a car with a dry clutch would be (in every-day riding situations, drag strip is a different story). 

In the transmission bell-housing of a car, there is not really an active cooling air flow through the clutch (in fact, a lot of them are sealed to keep oil and mud out).  You have the same type of mechanism (friction plate, ball bearing) running dry with no active cooling/lubrication; which is why staying off the clutch is encouraged in a manual transmission car.  Not really a worry with a wet clutch.  You need to be able to partially engage the clutch for low speed operation (walking speed).

[Vova]

Happens to me regularly, can be a pain since my parking space is not so level or generous on space, not friendly to rock it around to find first gear... and Seattle weather has forced me to warm on choke every day pretty much requiring neutral.

[5thAve]

GS has a bit of a reluctant gearbox at times. But if it is happening always, or almost always, it can be a slightly bent shift fork.  (that's the piece that pushes the gear cogs sideways on the shafts, forcing the "dogs" to engage each other).

How many miles on the bike?

You would not expect a bent shift fork unless the bike is high mileage or has been abused ("slam" shifting frequently).

[mister]

Happens to me regularly, can be a pain since my parking space is not so level or generous on space, not friendly to rock it around to find first gear... and Seattle weather has forced me to warm on choke every day pretty much requiring neutral.

Um... I use my choke every morning on the way to work and every afternoon on the way home. And my weather is like Florida.

Michael

[gregvhen]

Happens to me regularly, can be a pain since my parking space is not so level or generous on space, not friendly to rock it around to find first gear... and Seattle weather has forced me to warm on choke every day pretty much requiring neutral.

Um... I use my choke every morning on the way to work and every afternoon on the way home. And my weather is like Florida.

Michael

do you have a stock setup?  you shouldnt have to been riding on choke all the way to and from work. especially in Florida

[mister]

Happens to me regularly, can be a pain since my parking space is not so level or generous on space, not friendly to rock it around to find first gear... and Seattle weather has forced me to warm on choke every day pretty much requiring neutral.

Um... I use my choke every morning on the way to work and every afternoon on the way home. And my weather is like Florida.

Michael

do you have a stock setup?  you shouldnt have to been riding on choke all the way to and from work. especially in Florida

Doh! I don't ride with the choke on all the way to work. I use it to Start the bike every morning when I am going to work. And I used it to Start the bike every afternoon on the way home. Sorry for mis-communicating.

@OP: Using the choke to Start the GS500 is Normal. And it is clearly outlined in the owner manual. My parking spot is not level either. So I get the bike off the side-stand, roll it back a smidgen then click it into neutral - all while standing Next to the bike.

Michael