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Can’t find neutral

38K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  Bott 
#1 ·
Can you find neutral very easily and when I do sometimes a light does not come on anyone else experiencing this issue
 
#5 ·
Can you find neutral very easily...
Yes. It's called missing the shift from first to second at a light. Can I find neutral when I want to? Not so much.
...and when I do sometimes a light does not come on...
Sometimes I get a light, sometimes I don't, and sometimes it comes on after a delay. That delay is usually just long enough for me to give up waiting and nudge it into first or second gear after having it in neutral without the indicator light.
True happiness was achieved when I stopped depending on the indicator light and just started easing out the clutch while rocking the bike a bit. If it free wheels, I'm in neutral.
...anyone else experiencing this issue
Everyone else is experiencing this issue!
 
#6 ·
I can tell you a trick that I learned: when stopping at traffic lights and wait for the green I turn the neutral or at least put the position where the neutral should be (9/10 times the indicator do not blink) and... let the clutch disengage a bit (only a bit- you have to feel it). In most cases the indicator light appears exactly in this very moment and I have neutral :)

For missing 1-> 2 gear: do keep the lever engaged at the top position (2nd gear) until you would start to release the clutch. You can back your foot at the moment you'd feel that the bike got the gear and starts to accelerate.

Both tricks I learned from my HD dealer when I returned after a week of riding with a complain on both issues. They politely explained to me, that this is not "perfect, Japanese construction" ;) Since then- no issues at all- only the joy of ride!

Hope it will help a bit :)
 
#9 ·
For missing 1-> 2 gear: do keep the lever engaged at the top position (2nd gear) until you would start to release the clutch. You can back your foot at the moment you'd feel that the bike got the gear and starts to accelerate.
As I understand it, this trick is to keep pushing all the way up on the gear shift until the clutch is released, thus avoiding short stroking the shift and preventing the transmission from bouncing out of second and back to neutral.
 
#8 ·
Good to hear I'm not the only one. I took it in under warranty. They fixed it 90% for the neutral light turning on. It becomes tolerable with all those tricks. I didn't get that missing second gear trick. Maybe I figured it out naturally, but please explain further.
 
#12 ·
I've had my bike a few days only, but I noticed the neutral light doesn't work, and frankly I don't trust it. I was going to complain about it at my 1k service, but thanks to this forum, I will keep on keeping on. Besides, 17 years ago, my bike didn't have a neutral light. So this is just the old fashioned way.
 
#13 ·
I just grab neutral from 2nd gear while approaching my stop. I was told by the shop that its still a little difficult while it is new due to the hardened steel in the transmission. May have been a cop out, but mine has been getting easier to find the more i ride it!
 
#14 ·
I had the same issue when I first picked up my Street 750. Now I have no trouble finding neutral. I think it is a combination of the bike breaking in and the fact that I am familiar with the bike. If I do have trouble I rock the bike gently or release the clutch just enough to grab. Then it sort of pops in.
 
#16 ·
So this morning playing around in the garage, i took a video on it. Looks like the odometer giving us a false reading. Im on Neutral but no “N” coming on the light. Then i waited for few secs and move the bike forward and backward then it detected finally.
 
#17 ·
I had Problems with mine. In the shop for a month. Neutral light switch problem. They replaced the switch. About 7 miles later, No N light. Only when Hot. Problem was the Spring and Ground pin inside the Shift Drum.


Other problem I found was, Taking off in 2nd. Release the clutch. No forward movement. Pull clutch in. Stomp the pedal 3 times to get back into 1st.
 
#18 ·
Sharing mine, when it’s cold, easy to find N, after about half hour riding, it just got lost in the abyss. If I have no time , will just switch off and off the kill switch. When starting on especially group rides, I will just start with the clutch depress. Problem is during traffic light, others will go in N while not trying to look stupid to fiddle with N, I just depress it.
 
#19 ·
I find sometimes it’s a pain and sometimes not. I usually leave it in gear since the kickstand can just fold over if the bike rolls forward and at stop lights you never know when you gotta avoid the cager that’s textin and gonna ruin your day! Happens all the time here. I feel like it’s just understanding the feel for popping in and out of N. Practice makes perfect as they say.


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