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    #31
    Originally posted by Cipher View Post
    What possible reason do you have for not staying in gear with clutch lever drawn in.
    Fiddling with neutral and not being in an immediate state allowing for quick movement is dangerous.
    Ever have a clutch cable snap while you're holding the clutch in? It happened to me and I rear ended the car in front of me and had to pay damages. Sometimes you just need to stretch the hand as well.

    My 1100 is a pain to find neutral in, too. My 900F finds it so effortlessly!


    1982 GS1100 G converted by Motorcyclist magazine in 1986 to be a tribute to the Wes Cooley replica. 1982 Honda 900F. 1997 Yamaha VMax.
    Also owned: 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900, 1972 Honda 750 K, 1976 Yamaha XS 650, 1980 Kawasaki KZ 1000 MKII, 1978 Kawasaki SR 650. Current cage is a 2001 Mustang Bullitt in Dark Highland Green. Bought new in Sept. 2001.

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      #32
      Originally posted by chuck hahn View Post
      AND antigravitational as well....LOL
      He must be on the other side of the world.


      1982 GS1100 G converted by Motorcyclist magazine in 1986 to be a tribute to the Wes Cooley replica. 1982 Honda 900F. 1997 Yamaha VMax.
      Also owned: 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900, 1972 Honda 750 K, 1976 Yamaha XS 650, 1980 Kawasaki KZ 1000 MKII, 1978 Kawasaki SR 650. Current cage is a 2001 Mustang Bullitt in Dark Highland Green. Bought new in Sept. 2001.

      Comment


        #33
        Originally posted by Deuce View Post
        Ever have a clutch cable snap while you're holding the clutch in? It happened to me and I rear ended the car in front of me and had to pay damages. Sometimes you just need to stretch the hand as well.

        My 1100 is a pain to find neutral in, too. My 900F finds it so effortlessly!
        OK one reason. To slow to hit kill switch?
        1983 GS 550 LD
        2009 BMW K1300s

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          #34
          I can't believe this keeps turning into a safety discussion. I've had five or six of these GSs, plus a Yamaha, plus a Kawasaki, and all of them were better than this at finding neutral. I'm still waiting for a guy with an 81 1100e to tell me his works better than mine.

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            #35
            damn I was joking about the kil switch but today I found neutral easily on the 1300 at all intersections
            it was as if a nice gremlin attacked to teach me a lesson
            1983 GS 550 LD
            2009 BMW K1300s

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              #36
              Originally posted by gplouff View Post
              I can't believe this keeps turning into a safety discussion. I've had five or six of these GSs, plus a Yamaha, plus a Kawasaki, and all of them were better than this at finding neutral. I'm still waiting for a guy with an 81 1100e to tell me his works better than mine.
              My 82' seems to work better than yours. But as I said earlier, it can be a little difficult until it warms up.
              1982 GS1100E "Jolene"

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                #37
                Originally posted by eil View Post
                Took too many comments for someone to finally mention this. I will sometimes shift into neutral while sitting at a very long light to give my clutch fingers a break (as long as there is already one car stopped behind me) but I can't think of a single valid reason why you'd want to shift into neutral while rolling. Neutral is *supposed* to be hard to find while moving. It's a safety feature.
                One single valid reason:
                To pick up your time slip after a run at the drag strip. Right hand has kill switch tether attached, it is either kill engine or shift to neutral so the nice lady can hand you your slip in your left hand.
                sigpic
                09 Kaw C14 Rocket powered Barcalounger
                1983 GS1100e
                82\83 1100e Frankenbike
                1980 GS1260
                Previous 65 Suzuki 80 Scrambler, 76 KZ900, 02 GSF1200S, 81 GS1100e, 80 GS850G

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                  #38
                  Originally posted by JJ View Post
                  No. Wrong. The best practice is to have it in FIRST gear, clutch in, left foot down, right foot on rear brake. This gives you the quickest way to accelerate to your pre-planned escape route if a vehicle violates your space.
                  This is what my MSF instructor taught us. He said you can only shift to neutral after a big truck has come to a stop behind you and you know there's not another truck bearing down on him. Basically, always be in first with the clutch in ready to escape. Make sense to me so I do this 95% of the time.
                  Jordan

                  1977 Suzuki GS750 (My first bike)
                  2000 Kawasaki ZRX1100
                  1973 BMW R75/5

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                    #39
                    My 81 1100e has a problem slipping into neutral as I roll to a stop. It's a miracle if I can find it from second gear, and then It can be equally as difficult to find it from first. If I roll the bike a little bit or let the clutch out a little and then pull it back in and try again, I can usually find it without too much trouble. Likewise , with the engine off , I can move the rear wheel a little bit and find a spot where it will easily click from first to neutral to second and back
                    Much like my 2 GSX 400s... I guess it's just a character of these. It worse when oil is warm and "used"... ..If I'm not careful, the bike will get stuck in NEUTRAL and I have to roll a bit to get into first! But I'll usually have it sorted because I get into gear before the light changes. and it Seems to me, it's better to shift down through all gears anyways before going to neutral so I can avoid that godawful clunk into 1st.....somewhere in there lies the truth but I haven't nailed it down either... revving very high 2nd to 1st is a help...If I every take a gearbox apart, I might understand it better.

                    My 650 just doesn't come to mind as an issue like the 400 gearboxes and one is worse than the other so something makes them MORE "prone" to it. I very much doubt its got a thing to do with clutch plates.

                    I sit at lights most of the time in neutral...seeing as I am often the first at the light, there's really no where to go...otherwise, I do watch my mirrors and MAYBE(if I'm not first at the light) I can roll the bike ahead between cars if there's an OBVIOUS problem coming up behind...because I have actually been hit once from behind when stopped in a line in my car...(years ago-only time I've actually seen it happen..
                    Last edited by Gorminrider; 06-15-2017, 01:37 PM.

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                      #40
                      Like I said....

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                        #41
                        Originally posted by Jonathan View Post
                        Like I said....
                        You said buy a Kawasaki. Actually - you might be right. I had a ZZR1100 that was so good at finding neutral it often found it in multiple places in the gearbox (usually when it was supposed to be in 2nd gear under load).
                        Current:
                        Z1300A5 Locomotive (swapped my Intruder for it), GS450 Cafe Project (might never finish it....), XT500 Commuter (I know - it's a Yamaha )

                        Past:
                        VL1500 Intruder (swapped for Z1300), ZX9R Streetfighter (lets face it - too fast....), 1984 GSX750EF, 1984 GSX1100EF (AKA GS1150)
                        And a bunch of other crap Yamahas....

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                          #42
                          I've ridden this bike 2000 miles since resurrecting it two years ago, and I've ridden a couple hundred miles since changing the clutch cable. I'm happy to say it's a little better from first to neutral at a dead stop now, and I attribute that to turning down the idle a little. Second to neutral is just not gonna happen when rolling though, and the same goes for first to neutral. Like the guy said, it's a safety feature. Maybe that's the way Suzuki planned it. The bike does have an 85 mph speedo after all. Thanks a lot Joan Claybrook. As for the other thing, the MSF instructor is of course right. Maybe after about forty years of riding though, you'll find that 5% grows a bit. Experience is the best teacher.

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                            #43
                            A worn clutch basket will make it difficult to get neutral, where the plates contact the basket if it is notchy they don't slide and release properly
                            1984 GS1100GK newest addition to the heard
                            80 GS 1000gt- most favorite ride love this bike
                            1978 GS1000E- Known as "RoadKill" , Finished
                            83 gs750ed- first new purchase
                            85 EX500- vintage track weapon
                            1958Ducati 98 Tourismo
                            “Remember When in doubt use full throttle, It may not improve the situation ,but it will end the suspense ,
                            If it isn't going to make it faster or safer it isn't worth doing

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                              #44
                              Originally posted by gplouff View Post
                              I'm still waiting for a guy with an 81 1100e to tell me his works better than mine.
                              My '81 1100E finds neutral quite easily now, and shifts smoothly.

                              However, I had the same issue as you - took everything apart several times, checked & rechecked the plates & fibers, didn't fix anything.

                              Finally bought a set of new OEM steels & aftermarket fibers, and replaced that small rubber plug (cushion) on the backside of the basket...





                              Took everything apart & meticulously filed smooth all the notches in the basket (again).
                              Roughed up the steel faces with coarse grit sand paper.
                              Soaked the new steels & fibers in fresh oil overnight.
                              Took apart the release arm assembly in the cover, cleaned & verified everything was moving as it should.
                              Reassembled the clutch and took great care to make sure all the parts matched the ones seen on the parts fiche.
                              Verified the backside of the basket was properly engaged with the mating part.
                              Installed a new OEM clutch cable
                              New oil

                              Voila, all good now... did this exact process on my son's '80 1100L that keep the wheel spinning even in neutral with the same results...
                              '85 GS550L - SOLD
                              '85 GS550E - SOLD
                              '82 GS650GL - SOLD
                              '81 GS750L - SOLD
                              '82 GS850GL - trusty steed
                              '80 GS1100L - son's project bike
                              '82 GS1100G - SOLD
                              '81 GS1100E - Big Red (daily rider)

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                                #45
                                Originally posted by hjfisk View Post
                                A worn clutch basket will make it difficult to get neutral, where the plates contact the basket if it is notchy they don't slide and release properly
                                (and a careful rebuild as above)...I suppose. If the clutch is dragging, it'll keep tension on the mainshaft and lock the gears tighter together...Symptom would be wheel spinning when up on centre stand....but different oil might fix clutch drag too. New oil certainly helps me....A different oil might help OP
                                Still, it seems awful sensitive on these...SIX speed bikes are maybe the Particular bears. I don't see nearly the same hang ups on the ol Hondas I've had and have, or the 5 speed 650.

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