Korean Job Discussion Forums

[earthbound14]

False neutral...

I have never talked about false neutrals before. It came to mind last week when I got on my bike in the rain and well....I had a false neutral because I shifted rather lazily into 4th gear and let out the clutch before I was actually in gear. I hit the throttle and got nothin but the loud revving of my engine. In traffic in the rain, screaming along at 80 km/hr this can be a little dangerous. I kinda freaked out and pulled in the clutch and re-tried shifting into 4th before I fully had my throttle backed off. The bike lurched into gear due to too much throttle. Luckily I wasn't hammering the bike into a low gear (a gear too low for my current speed) and I still had enough power to take off again. It occured that this is a serious mistake, particularly in the wet. So I thought I'd look it up and share what I found.

Basically a false neutral is the bike being shifted other than between 1st and 2nd but not being in gear (into 'false' neutral).

You may have been going from 4th to 5th or 6th to 5th or any shift, but when you let out the clutch you are not in gear and the neutral light is not illuminated. What you do from that point can make the difference in whether you continue on or find yourself sliding down the pavement.

So you're shifting from 5th to 4th and as you let out the clutch you are in 'false neutral', you twist the throttle, the engine revs but nothing happens. What you have to understand is you may not be between 5th and 4th, you may be between 4th and 3rd, and if you now shift down you may lock up the rear tire due to engine braking.

Soooo ... the simple answer is ... when and if you get a 'false neutral', always, always shift up.

Also do it as quick as possible so you can get going again quickly so that you don't get hit from behind because you are suddenly slowing down, all while while still getting completely off the throttle so that you aren't lurching the bike.

[hossenfeffer]

Your post brought back a lot of memories.

When I was 16, I bought this old BMW R100RS. About a month into riding motorcycles, I went for a ride in the countryside. I approached this increasing radius turn, downshifted, leaned over, and the bike just started drifting toward the shoulder. Being a complete amature, my reaction was to grab the brakes. Needless to say, I went a$$ over tea kettle.

Damn "false neutral"!!!

[jboney]

I ride an old (1963) Lambretta scooter. That thing is nothing but false nuetral. Well not really, but it's happened plenty of times to me, not to mention the number of times that it has just slipped out of gear from 4th to 3rd.

You just have to know what to do and think fast and react fast when it does happen. Definitely pulling the clutch in and finding the right gear to match your speed and not pulling too much on the throttle is best if you can afford the time to do so.

It's a pretty common thing,especially with older bikes. Now that I think of it, I can also remember it happening while riding a Honda CB350 as well.

[Bibbitybop]

Um, I think you need a new transmission earthbound.

[earthbound14]

[Temporary]

Try a Hyosung tranny.. They are crap. It happens to me all the time.

[seoulsucker]

This is why I drive an automatic 250cc Honda Forza. Driving in Seoul, you've already got enough on your mind. Having to worry about a false neutral is just one more distraction.

[earthbound14]

anyone find that it happens when they shift really lightly? Or just at random?

For me it's has happened twice and both times I kicked the lever up enough to get out of the previous gear but not hard enough to put it in the next gear. I also let the clutch out early. Just way too light on the shift and in the back of my mind I was expecting it to grind and pop down (like in a car) but it just went to neutral....

I've actually never hit a false neutral on my first three bikes....but they shifted like trucks and I always had to jam it in gear. The new bike shifts pretty smoothly and I get a little carried away with light shifting.