Neutral or first gear at a light

[rockyr74]

I always put my car or my bike in neutral at a light. "Saving the throwout bearing or whatever related pressures on the clutch". Now I read that keeping it in first might be the better thing to do to be easy on the transmission and be ready to go if something is coming at you. Opinions?

[Dragonrider]

Cars . . . I go either way. My clutch on my cummins powered Dodge has about a 40 pound push to it, so into neutral it goes a lot of the time.

To me, bikes are a different story. There are excpetions, but I usually leave mine in gear (1st). I do not like the "bang" that you get when you put it back into first on a bike. Gotta be chewing something up.

This saved my bacon once. I was behind a car at a stoplight at the bottom of a hill on US380 near Mckinney, Texas.

Car coming down the hill did not slow down for some reason, and suddenly locked the brakes. I had not seen him in the rears, but heard the commotion. Turned the wheel, gave it lots of gas and let out the clutch. Not my prettiest manuver, but it got me out of the way.

Crunch. Both the cars were about a foot shorter. I would have been squished.

Of course, in town, with cars already stopped behind, I would not worry it.

I still do not like the "bang" though . . .

[strom]

I'm kinda used to keeping it in 1st... dunno why...

LP

[Wayne]

I always stay in first. I just like to be able to get going asap if I have to. Besides, there have been times when I put her in neutral at a light so i could dig something out of the fairing compartment or some such thing and found that It took more that a few seconds to throw it into gear and get going again. Of course when I put my XS into gear it sounds more like a harley, 'kklllaaannnkkkkaaahhh'

[Robert Haller]

I leave it in first cause the klang I get when shifting into first from a stop is so loud and rough, I can't imagine that it can be good. What about when parked, do you leave it in first or neutral?

[Wayne]

I always park mine on the centerstand (if possible) so i leave her in neutral when parked.

[Jdwags]

First it Is

I usually have it in first at the light and when parked...

Just additional insurance as already stated,, if i have to be evasive suddenly (like an exploding Harley in the next lane), or someone gonna squish me..

as far as parking, i like to reduce any chance of it rollin even the slightest bit .. alot of our parking lots are not flat here.. for some reason.. so i usually park it in first as well... makes it easier when pulling away too..

[Jerry]

Always stay in 1st gear until at least traffic behind you has stopped; if you need to execute emergency manuvers you will waste valuable time shifting!

I shift into 1st while coming up to the light, less klunk than shifting in from neutral at a full stop.

[sixtysix]

The only way I ever shift to neutral is if I need to do something, like chug a beer or something! Other than that first gear is the rule.

[Ironride]

Keep your scooter in gear. It saved me from getting rear ended once, and for me once is enough to make it a good idea.

Ironride

[Mike Hart]

I keep it in first, for the reasons others have mentioned.

I know one guy who used neutral, but he had a reason - nerve damage, couldn't really hold the clutch for long. I think he put 40,000 miles on it that way (60k total) and never had probs with the transmission. I wouldn't want to find out he was the exception

[Phill the strat]

Ahhhhh the "1st gear or not" debate.

Must admit this is one of my most bad habits in that I am always in neutral when at lights, ......even before the lights I'm snicking the gearbox into neutral. Have even taken this habit across to Beryl Beemer, with the dry clutch.

My riding mate Chris the cop, just shakes his head and tells me about getting rear ended with the bike just sat there, no where to go. I think this habit has come from the idea that I must be using some part of the clutch by keeping it in gear, and so to minimize wear, into neutral it goes. The same way of thinking always led me to switching the headlight off on "The Tardis", and every other bike I had, cos I thought it must be using some power from the alternator/battery/fuel to keep this light burning, soooo off it went. With not having that option of switching the light off with Beryl Beemer. I must admit that I have had less "near death" experiences from the cage drivers here in Sydney, than with the XS. Am I riding any differently on the Beemer than the XS, most definately, ....going faster, ....going around corners faster, geeeezz ....I am even going around corners.....hehehhe And there is the knowledge that the ABS brakes are there should they be needed, as to "no brakes"...phew ...sounds like "the Tardis" was one sick traveller, but the comparision bit is the key..........before, used to leave "12" car spaces between me and the vehicle in front to account for reaction and braking time...now, I can even look through the rear window of the cage in front and read the paper that the cage driver is reading whilst travelling along at 80kph...hehehhehe

Phill

[Bill__Woods]

Hey Xs'ers,
In am way i feel a lot better, now that i know its not only my XS with a noisey clunky tranny. It goes thru all the gears fine but compared to my ex 82 Gs650, it is noisy. And thank goodness, it doesn't pop out of any gear. So my quick question is - are these just noisey gearboxes even when healthy?
I agree with Jerry about 1st/neutral at stop. if the car behind me is stopped, i sometimes kick it neutral.

[Mike Hart]

Originally posted by Bill__Woods
So my quick question is - are these just noisey gearboxes even when healthy?

Yes

[Jerry]

Not so noisy in operation, but even when new, one criticism was the 'clunky' transmission. Several threads on the subject, but it boils down to some gears, through inertia and the design of the transmission, are moving when in neutral, but need to engage a stopped gear when shifting into 1st gear. The clunk you here is the engagement of a moving and stopped gear.

Shift action between gears is also clunky, and has been from new. Comming from Hondas, I still wish for the crisp click click click gear changes that I got used to. Not much an owner can do about this, except pull the oil pan and make sure your gears/forks/shifting drum (under left-hand cover) are in good shape. A little wear makes the problem worse.

A couple owners have had a failure of the springs that attach to the shifting drum; old age is creeping up on our bikes! If you think your shifting is worse than normal, you may want to check/replace these springs.