Bike Moves When Starting
#21
Neutral
If my bike is rolling, it is much easier to find neutral. If it is stopped before finding neutral, good luck ever finding it. It's been like that from the time I received it with 2 miles on the odometer.
#26
Glad I work on mine and ride it. Neutral is easier to find with a bike that is running and able to roll a little. Neutral is also easier to find if the clutch is adjusted right. Starting a bike in gear with the clutch disengaged still adds drag to the starter. 99% of the time I start my bike with the bike in neutral, clutch disengaged, front brake on. Starters are a bitch to replace. My Harley's will start in gear with the clutch engaged. Front brake helps make sure nothing moves. If I have a bad habit lighting off my HD's it is that I do it standing beside them. Developed that habit kick starting. Holding the front brake while lighting off my HD's is a new habit.
#27
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Detroit, the asshole of America
Posts: 1,268
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Never start a bike in gear unless it's been running a while and then only in a pinch always hit neutral before you touch a starter button please that's why a lot of cars have interlocks you must be in park or neutral to start and the clutch in . Plain common sense and a number of safety factors involved . Seen more people dump a bike hitting that button while in gear than you'll ever wanna know , best is when the have the clutch in , start then forget neutral and let the lever out . JERK , JERK nosedive sideways or fold a kickstand ....................
Even funnier, a month later I lent my 550 out to a friend to ride, a bunch of us were out in a group. He did the exact same thing as I did after stopping for lunch, except he wasn't strong enough to hold it up and he fell over into the crash bar on my Road King.
#29
It is NOT normal for the bike to move forward when starting in neutral. The ONLY time I've ever had this happen was when the clutch was not adjusted properly. And, when the clutch IS properly adjusted, mine doesn't move forward while starting in gear with the clutch engaged.
With regards to finding neutral, that's primarily a function of clutch adjustment as well. The moron that previously worked on my bike screwed up the clutch adjustment so badly that you couldn't shift into neutral with the engine running at all. After I went back and corrected the clutch adjustment, I could get it to shift into neutral with the engine running.
With regards to finding neutral and the difference between a 5-speed and 6-speed, I believe it depends on the gear set. After having a Baker 6-speed installed, shifting into neutral is effortless compared to my factory 5-speed.
With regards to finding neutral, that's primarily a function of clutch adjustment as well. The moron that previously worked on my bike screwed up the clutch adjustment so badly that you couldn't shift into neutral with the engine running at all. After I went back and corrected the clutch adjustment, I could get it to shift into neutral with the engine running.
With regards to finding neutral and the difference between a 5-speed and 6-speed, I believe it depends on the gear set. After having a Baker 6-speed installed, shifting into neutral is effortless compared to my factory 5-speed.