Curious first:  regarding gearing, for what mechanical reason is N always above 1st?  Why not N on the bottom with the rest above?  I'm probably missing something really obvious here....

Practical question:  where in the fuel line is the best place to splice in a fuel filter, and, should the fuel line just fit onto the filter ends without any type of small hose clamp?  

Thanks guys n gals.

Quote from: dmp221Practical question:  where in the fuel line is the best place to splice in a fuel filter, and, should the fuel line just fit onto the filter ends without any type of small hose clamp?

I'm not mechanic, but I did install an inline filter.

I put it on the fuel line going into the carbs.  the hose fits snug over the ends of the filter, and I have little spring hose clamp thingies on there that don't actually do anything since they are too big.

Haven't had any problems so far.

First is always on the bottom so if you have to slam down and get into first gear really fast, you can just step on it until it's in first.

And if that's not the real reason, then it's one of them  

The first bike I learned on was a mid-70's Kawasaki 100cc on/off road bike.  It had a 5-up shifting pattern (Neutral on the bottom, like you're talking about).

I don't know how many times I wrung the poor thing's neck by giving it throttle after (accidentally) shifting all the way down.  And that wasn't because of previous experience with a 1-down, X-up transmission!

Not only that, but when you really NEED to be in first (quick getaway, climbing out of a ditch, etc.) is when you usually mess it up and you're stuck in a bad situation.  Lots of sound, but NO GO!

In the constant mesh transmission system used by most manufacturers, there is a "natural" disengaged position between the 1st and 2nd gear positions as the gear sets slip back and forth on the shafts.
They could design one today that put the neutral "gear" at the end or anywhere else, but it has become traditional for it to be 1-N-2-3-4-5...
So thats why its like that today.

I think the simple answer is that neutral should be down by your starting gear of corse, ( 1st ).  but if neutral were on the bottom, it would be a gear. You would constantly go into nuetral at stop lights, or off corners when you were aiming for 1st, in it's present location, between 1st and second, in normal driving you pass through neutral, you are always in a gear unless you intentionally engage neutral.  You notice how you have to gently click into nuetral, this keeps you from engaging it when you don't want to.

Imagine comming hard out of a slow corner, down from second and hard onto 1st gear, Zingggg.  Oops 14,000Rpm, I wasn't in 1st I was all the way down in neutral. It's just safer where it is.

It would make you keep track of what gear you are in.

Well how about it makes sure you know your in first.

Lets say your sitting at a stop light in neutral (in a N-1-2-3-4-5 pattern)  now some car comes screaming up behind you so you think you shift into first to take off, but accidentally go into second and the engine boggs down and...  

But I am sure they did it because You know your in first when the lever stops clicking.