Checked at the local service department for a way to eliminate the need to apply the brake also to start while in gear and they had no idea. You would think that it would only need a simple flash like the one they can do for the headlights. They didnt even know that issue with the brake existed. Of course I got the speech that you are not supposed to start the bike in gear blah blah blah. Like nobody does that including them.

 

The trick is don't stall it. FWIW, maybe I'm lucky and about to jinks myself but I've never stalled one. Only thing I've ever stalled was the 1st stick shift car I learned to drive and the 1st Mack truck I dove at 13 years old.

I've spent the vast majority of my life working in heavy industry where safety is a big issue, I work for a large chemical manufacturer as a Supervisor. I can see both side of the issue and understand a person's desire to control their own destiny. I however can say, having that trike climb up your right leg is a bad feeling, especially when you're on the way to hitting the ground. The best you can hope for is to stop it before you go down. The worse case is it climbs your leg and on the way down you slam you head on the ground and leave your loved ones with the aftermath, whether it be death or a vegetable on a ventilator.

Many years ago there was a guy at a dragstrip where he had a dragster climb his leg. The car wasn't moving fast, 3 - 5 mph. The rear tire caught the back of his foot where it started up his leg and violently slammed him to the ground. He hit his head and was dead before he even made it into the ambulance.

 

Okay so this silly so called safety feature (my opinion) was really bugging me. I went out today and did some test. If you slightly pull in the brake lever enough for it to activate the brake light, your good to go for starting while in gear and the clutch pulled in. No need to pull the brake lever in completely that will stop your ride in the middle of the road and maybe cause more problems.

I as well as many others dont have problems pulling away at a light or in bumper to bumper traffic, but it happened to me other day while getting accustomed to this new clutch on the 17. The clutch engages when the lever is real far out. You dont feel the friction zone until its way out. And no you can't adjust it. I wish I could find adjustable levers that will fit this ride. Had the RSD adjustables on my Ultra Limited and they were great.

Wasting time trying to figure out what happened, trying to start it and then looking for neutral was not ideal or safe at all when you have people behind you in a hurry during rush hour. We have enough problems with cagers not seeing us.

Ride Safe

 

Ah in gear rolling, clutch pulled in, and brake feathered it will start. Like 1.5 seconds. Practice it.

To repeat. You start to take off at an intersection and stall. You most likely were in the friction zone and too fast of a release with not enough throttle. Simply feather the front bake as you push the starter button. If you know what you have like I posted previously this is not a catastrophic problem. Easy Peasy.

I do this all the time in my driveway. I don't use the parking brake. I have it in gear, get on turn the ignition switch on and start rolling down the drive. As I reach the end of the drive I fire it up with the front brake feathered and away I go.

 

Our 2017 Tri Glide will start in gear with the emergency brake off no problems. The deal is the brake has to be applied for the starter to engage. So if your trying to do a rolling start such as a stall out situation it's a no go. Lawyer speak drivin installed safety what can you do ??.

Ride Safe All,
Bill G

 

I was out for a little ride yesterday and killed the engine on my '17 in slow moving traffic. I remembered this thread and with the clutch lever pulled in I barely applied the front brake and restarted in gear. Never too old to learn. Thanks

 

I have a 16 it used to start in gear with the brake on, know it won't start unless it's in neatral the dealer said that it's not supposed to start in gear only neatral

 

Dealer is incorrect; tell him to read the owner's manual, it details how to start in gear, pull in clutch and apply either brake. My guess is that the switch in your brake housing has either broken or gotten dislodged so it is not making contact.

 

Agree and the brake light should be checked also if the switch is bad. Tests should be made using the front brake and rear brake independently in order to narrow down where the problem is.

 

I checked both brakes and the brake lights work on both ill have to get by the dealer