neutral to first.

[cusso ken]

I thought it was a shaft drive thing. Never really likes to go into gear without shaking her about. Hate holding her in gear at lights. Might try your idea Tony.

If you ever have some idiot coming to a screeching halt behind you at the lights you will find out how long it takes to get into gear and take, off,if I am in a line off stationary cars at lights I filter to the front(legal in NSW) it lessen the chance of a car driver who doesn't see you slamming into you, on the coast where I live you don't have many traffic lights so I just snick into first as I stop and be ready to Go if I have to, running red light fines are less painful than the being a bonnet(hood) ornament.

 

[Phalanx]

This isn't isolated to the Rockets, my previous bike (BMW K1100LT) hated getting out of neutral at lights (or in parking lots, or anywhere else for that matter). I'd have to roll up to a stop, get into neutral and then roll back or forward a bit to be sure it'd hit first gear at takeoff, or, get into neutral before the stop and then coast to a full stop.

 

[TURBO200R4]

if there is any cars behind me i slow down and most of them will switch lanes. i used to put mine in neutral till i heard about a group that was hit at a stop sign. now i keep it in 1st and watch the traffic just in case i want to run the light or stop sign. always look for a place to go to survive. i was driving at 50 mph and a guy was looking at me and the little guy on my shoulder said hes going to pull out so i was checking out the area along side of the road when he pulled out. so i just left the road and everything went good just some rapid heart beats.

 

[Phalanx]

@Turbo2004R4, I'm with ya on the little guy on the shoulder. I always say something like "I knew it, I smelled that dude trying to merge on me for about half a mile then bam, there he goes".

 

[Martin Wilber]

I thought it was a shaft drive thing. Never really likes to go into gear without shaking her about. Hate holding her in gear at lights. Might try your idea Tony.

Thanks for all the rplies. I tried pumping the clutch have and that works. I will try the rolling stop tomorrow and let ya know.

 

[Bedifferent]

New r3 touring rider here only got a 150 miles on her so far. I have noticed that if I shift in to neutral at long lights it does not like to go back into first. I have to start in 2nd twice. Any thoughts?

I learned early on that the best way to get into first from neutral is..as soon as you pull in the clutch, tap it into 1st while things are still spinning. I had a problem with it sometimes jumping out of 1st and this solved the problem as well as the going into 1st issue. Now that I have around 7,000 miles on it, it no longer seem to be a problem. No need to pump the clutch if you hit it while things are still in motion.

 

[Rick Morris]

I have had similiar issues with bigger bikes. A little front to back while shifting or sometimes let the clutch out slightly while shifting into first. It will get better with miles on it.

 

[Cherokee]

I thought it was a shaft drive thing. Never really likes to go into gear without shaking her about. Hate holding her in gear at lights. Might try your idea Tony.

Had the same issue with my Fatboy (as well as with my Rocket). I just keep the sucker in 1st unless my hand is tired or something.

 

[FunkSoulBro]

I have had similiar issues with bigger bikes. A little front to back while shifting or sometimes let the clutch out slightly while shifting into first. It will get better with miles on it.

Same.

 

[Boog]

@Martin Wilber My issue new was trying to get it into neutral. After the first oil change and clutch adjustment at the dealer, it became better but I still had an issue with 1st to Neutral or 2nd to Neutral. Somewhere around 1,000 miles, the issue left, so luckily it only bugged me for two weeks. Your issue should resolve pretty soon.