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1st gear or neutral at stops?

Bmandiego

New member
This was brought up a thread, I thought it made an interesting topic.
When you stop in traffic, do you leave it in first, or place in Neutral?
Do you also leave it in first while parked?
I'm in first most of the time for all the above.
 
This was brought up a thread, I thought it made an interesting topic.
When you stop in traffic, do you leave it in first, or place in Neutral?
Do you also leave it in first while parked?
I'm in first most of the time for all the above.

Yes at a stop sign or controlled intersection--the practice saved my ass one time.

I was number one at a stop light and the lady approaching from behind started to skid in the rain. I took one quick look and realized she was going to take me out, so I let out the clutch and worked my way through the cross traffic. She ended up skidding through my position at the light and out into the intersection

Yes, when parking. I've watched many a BMW take a nap as they slowly roll of their side stands in neutral.
 
1st

Yes to both. I always try to leave room and watch my rear until the car behind me comes to a stop. I put it in neutral to start but leave it in first when I park it.
 
I leave it in first at lights so I'm ready to get out of the way if I'm about to be rear-ended. I leave it in first when parked so it won't roll. My bike rarely sees neutral.
 
First

Onliest time I use neutral is on center stand in my garage or when maneuvering. MSF says first whenever in traffic - avoids sandwiching if you're paying attention.
 
First at lights, neutral when parked, unless the ground is uneven.

PS I use neutral when parked because I usually have to turn the bike around in the driveway when I leave.
 
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oops

makes sense. guess I gotta change my ways while stopped.


but while we're on the subject, what's the best way to reduce clutch wear? Smooth shifting? ...quick release shifting? both? ...nothing you can do?
 
Parking in first, almost always.
At a light, it depends on how I feel with my legs and seating postion and how I balance my bike. If I want to avoid raising my left leg and shift into first, I leave it in first. Otherwise I put it in neutral and release the clutch.
 
I'm always in gear at a stop, unless I really need to stretch my left hand - like after 40 minutes in stop and go traffic. Never needed to bolt (not yet, anyway, after 70k miles - knock on wood), but I DO pay attention to who's coming up on my tail, and I'm always preparing my escape route.

I always shift to neutral to park, because I almost always use the center stand, and on my '95 11GS, it takes everything I have to pull her up, so I'd hate to distract myself with also needing to pull in the clutch.
 
I had the experience of being a safe distance behind an old van @ a red light & the guy starts backing into me even though he had no apparent reason(such as if he had advance too far-or the car in front of him- into the intersection) & I was forced to back pedal away as I tried to holler thru my helmet,etc.. My etc. came to include several choice words which caused his passenger to threaten to get out & kick my axx! If I had been in 1st, the guy might have hit me because I had little time to react & backpedaling a loaded R1150R isn't a fast move for a short legged old guy!
I'll stick with neutral most of the time on a bike as I have developed more respect for the car in front of me.
 
Always stop in first gear. You need to be ready to move in case the bus behind you isn't stopping. And while we're on the subject, leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you to form an escape path.

Stepping of f my MSF soapbox...
 
I always shift to neutral to park, because I almost always use the center stand, and on my '95 11GS, it takes everything I have to pull her up, so I'd hate to distract myself with also needing to pull in the clutch.

I put my R1100RS on the center stand while in first gear without pulling in the clutch. The wheel comes off the ground without any resistance. Maybe the GS geometry/suspension is different, but you might want to give it a try. It's also nice coming off the center stand in gear because the bike does not roll forward.
 
1st gear

Yes to both. The clutch lever is so light to pull in that I don't even notice that I am doing it. I put my bike on the center stand 1 time a week to check oil and leave it in 1st then. My hand is on the left bar when picking up so no big deal. It sees the green light when I do air pressure. 04 1150rt
Ken Denton
 
Stop lights, stop signs, etc. Always in gear, monitoring mirrors and ready to bolt :boltI left work one evening and was sitting behind a car at the light on a four lane road with wide median strip. I was watching a pickup approaching from the rear, FAST. I knew it was gonna get ugly:eek I gassed it and pulled well into the median strip and up past three cars about the same time he locked his brakes. Missed me and plowed the car that was in front of me. I watch the rear and leave an escape route best as I can. I park in neutral on the centerstand unless I am in my garage.
 
Stop lights, stop signs, etc. Always in gear, monitoring mirrors and ready to bolt :boltI left work one evening and was sitting behind a car at the light on a four lane road with wide median strip. I was watching a pickup approaching from the rear, FAST. I knew it was gonna get ugly:eek I gassed it and pulled well into the median strip and up past three cars about the same time he locked his brakes. Missed me and plowed the car that was in front of me. I watch the rear and leave an escape route best as I can. I park in neutral on the centerstand unless I am in my garage.

+1 to that

Similar thing happened to me this morning, except no accident, although the car did end up in the space I was previously occupying.
 
1st always and like Newstar, leave that space. Not just an escape route because of something rolling on 'big time' behind you but because of some unsavory type's intent on blocking you and proceeding with criminal intent. With that thought, I try and position myself to one open side (as opposed to being boxed in) whenever possible. Being curbside can have some issues as well but that's a whole other discussion. Never neutral in unfamiliar stop/go high traffic situations. 1st also when parking. - Bob
 
When parked on level ground, my bike is on it's center stand and in neutral. I rarely use the sidestand--you know what they say about the stock sidestands on airheads. So most of the time, it's in neutral when parked.

At stop light, it depends. I usually start off in First, but if it's a long wait, then I'll move to neutral. It also depends on the traffic. There are times that I stay in first. I understand that's not what MSF teaches, but it works for me.
 
+1

And for the exact same reasons... although mine was a young girl on a cell phone, and my completely restored S.... on it's side after i had just rolled it out of my garage. :sick

Yes at a stop sign or controlled intersection--the practice saved my ass one time.

I was number one at a stop light and the lady approaching from behind started to skid in the rain. I took one quick look and realized she was going to take me out, so I let out the clutch and worked my way through the cross traffic. She ended up skidding through my position at the light and out into the intersection

Yes, when parking. I've watched many a BMW take a nap as they slowly roll of their side stands in neutral.
 
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