Wait a minute.You want to start your ride and it's in gear so you try to start it without disengaging the clutch? This makes no sense.

 

My ironhead will walk away from you if you try to start it while it's in gear.

carl

 

I rarely sit on my bike to start it... I usually start it, then put on my goggles and helmet and let it warm up a few minutes. 95% of the time (?), my bike is not in gear, so there is no need to disengage the clutch.

The space I parked in is on a slight hill, so I left it in gear before going into work. After 9 hours at work, I forgot... Just wasn't thinking.

I have been in the habit of not sitting on my bike to start them for years... I am used to either kick starting them and/or having to wait while they warm up for a few minutes. I still let my bike warm up for a few minutes before I take off... Hence, my lack of sitting on them while starting and lack of grabbing the clutch.

However, as I have established, even grabbing the clutch handle and disengaging the clutch would have done me no good. This does not allow starting of the bike if it is still in gear.

This is what I'm used to. Usually, they don't get far before you let go of the starter switch!

 

I only read the OP before I had to laugh. Left work yesterday for lunch on my Road Glide and decided to get gas. Some guy next to me for some very random reason started telling me about all the time and money he put into some truck I could not see on the other side of the pump. Jaw was flapping endlessly and I was getting annoyed as my hour was running out. Finally decided I needed to go and the bike would not start. Always coast in on neutral and after a minute of fiddling around I pulled the clutch in. Started right up. Tunes came on and the guy with the truck is still yapping away but I can't hear a thing, especially through my helmet. As soon as he stopped for a second I nodded and took off.

Welcome to the dinosaur club!!!

 

In 1980, I had a 1967 F 150 with about 250,000 miles on it. It had dashboard ignition and the switch was misaligned. It was supposed to only start in Park and Neutral but it would actually only start in Reverse and Drive. You had to put it in reverse with your foot on the brake as you fired it up and then throw it into Park just as it turned over.

One of the things I like about my 1992 Softail is that it has some idiosyncrasies. It sometimes does not go into neutral, you have to blip the throttle and then it will slide into neutral. Sometimes the neutral light works and sometimes it does not. I can usually tell whether I hit neutral or second by feel. But I never trust it. I do not even trust that I am in neutral when the light is on. Actually, I never trust neutral on any of my bikes.

But one of the things that I like about the Harley is that I am getting to know it like an old friend. Even though I have only owned it for a year.

 

We all have our "dinosaur" moments!

 

I have gotten into the habit of reaching down and putting it in neutral with my hand instead of my foot. Always gets neutral that way. This while I am sitting on the bike.

I think I picked it up from watching someone else do it. Old friend who's gone down the road now.

 

I did too, thank you OP you made me laugh...

Trucky911

 

I'm not only a Dinosaur but I guess I ride one too. I can start mine when in gear as long as I pull in the clutch. What I'm getting from your post is that the newer bikes won't do that any longer. Pretty much a pain in the ***. I park my bike in gear so it can't roll away and just pull in the clutch and hit start to take off (unless it has been sitting for quite awhile).

 

did you ever try to kick start a bike in gear it's a real eye opener