Question about gears, neutral and the bike test

[Peat]

My GN125 is a real bugger to get into neutral, it just bounces between 1st and 2nd and takes very delicate tapping from 2nd towards 1st to get it to sit in neutral (tap too hard and you're into 1st again... and going up it's impossible to get in neutral)... anyway, it's bearable for me but my question is... when i did my car test all those years ago you MUST put the car in neutral when stopped at lights etc. so is it the same for a motorbike test, must I always return to neutral when stationary?

cheers

[Ian (GPX)]

When you stop at lights, be in 1st gear ready to pull away, your right foot must be covering (pressing) the rear brake (rest position), this stops the bike from rolling up or down hill as well. You will also find that you will have you hands free to operate all the controls on the bars, don't cover the front brake once you have stopped, you will need to operate the throttle when it's time to pull away.

Before you pull away from the lights (or any other place, like a side road), check over your right shoulder to make sure you know whats in your blind spot just in case.

The only time to be in neutral in the test is when the examiner asks you to pull over turn the bike off and get off the bike, he will ask you to walk the bike (U-turn walking with the bike).

[mrchips]

My MT5 sometimes doesn't go into neutral so I let it out past biting point in first then knock it into neutral.

[fuzz]

I have the same problem with my NSR if I've been riding hard for a while. If I turn the engine off though, it goes easily into neutral every time.

[Reano]

[Peat]

So I'm not the only one with gear problems... phew!

The biggest issue I find is when I'm travelling somewhere I don't know 'cause to stop at the side of the road, whip out the A-Z and have a gander means turning the engine off all the time which bugs the shit out of me!

Ho hum

[Reano]

i also recall once that i was sitting on the bike, with it in neutral, and then it just skipped into gear and nearly sent me off the bike

[Frost]

i too was taught to put a car in Neutral and leave it there when stopping at lights, only changing to 1st when i am ready to do.

current driving instructor told me to leave it in 1st. i did that last time i took my car test, and despite failing ( ) i got no minor/ serious faults on gears, so your definatly aloud to do it.

ive found when my bike refuses to go into Neutral (clunks betwean 1st and second) if i leave it in gear, turn the engine off, let the clutch out, pull it back in, click into neutral then thurn the ignition on im actually in neutral. ive found this to work every time, and is very useful to stop you forgetting that you left the bike in gear when you start it up

[clemsta]

My bike is also hard to get into neutral especially when it's warm, i find that if you put it into second with the clutch in obviously then hold the revs at about 5000rpm and jently press down on the gear leaver until it pops into neutral.

Hope this helps

Adam