[Royalista]

Never had the joy of experiencing a neutral finder. Would have appreciated it though then, notwithstanding I don't miss it now.
It belongs in the same category as the synchronised coupling of the early 2CV which enabled the driver to stay in gear without the need of using the clutch while braking or being stopped. Smart and most handy in stop 'n go traffic.

Getting into first is easy and smoothly while decelerating. But what's the point of staying there for any period of time? In the unholy situation where there's no room to escape it won't do. In all other, as Craig above rightly pointed out, one is surprisingly fast when spotting a risk. In general I find it easier to be on my quivive from a relaxed stance.

I do not favor rigid fixation on rules. Let there be room for reflection and common judgment.
Especially when it might save the life of that fragile wonder of engineering, commonly known as a clutch. 

[mattsz]

What you are describing sounds to me like it could be something we call "clutch shudder". There can be a variety of causes, such as uneven spring pressure, warped pressure plate, something uneven about the plate stack, or even something like a bearing problem on the input shaft, or something as simple as chain snatch from a flopping chain tension. Perhaps some other things too, which I may have failed to mention.

Wow, Ace! Should I worry about this?  The only thing that scares me in that list is "bearing problem on the input shaft".  My chain tension is fine - the rest sound like things that Click and Clack might not bother to fix...

[gremlin]

........the rest sound like things that Click and Clack might not bother to fix...

Click and Clack skipping an opportunity to bill a customer ?  unlikely.
More likely its a case of deep mechanical mystery as the opportunist sees it.

[barenekd]

Not likely to hurt the clutch plates, however the throwout mechanism can be damaged.
As for keeping a bike in gear at a stoplight, I was splitting lanes down to a red light on a down slope. Expecting to have to stop, I shifted into neutral and was just coasting, but still had the clutch lever pulled. About a half a car length from the front of the line, the light turned green, so I grabbed a handful and let the clutch out. the bike didn't go. Had it gone, I would've been TBoned by a guy running the red light in great haste!
I will go to neutral, thank you! 
You can be sitting at the light with your clutch pulled and the cable could snap which could launch you out into the intersection.
As for missing a neutral finder, I don't think I ever owned a bike with one on it.
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

I'm not sure how much I'd really use a neutral finder like they had on the old REs.  Whatever I'm doing I'm usually in gear for both acceleration and deceleration, so when I stop I'm in first or second anyway.  I don't ever really have a need to go from fifth to neutral.

I had a Kawasaki that had something I think they called a "positive neutral finder".  Basically at a stop shifting up from first you can only get as far as neutral, it keeps you from overshooting to second.  It was handy and just a tiny convenience.  When I got my next bike I was wondering how long it would take me to adapt to not having it.  Took about 8 seconds.

Scott

[D the D]

Pretty much don't need one myself.  It's a click down from 2nd and if I pass it then a click up from 1st.

[Joel-in-dallas]

I don't think I need it as a feature either. I just wanted to see what people thought about it. Also I wondered how many folks on here who have the UCE based bikes have ridden Royal Enfields with the AVL or Iron Barrel engines.

[Arizoni]

While looking at a 2002 iron barrel I test rode it for maybe 1/2 mile.  Not far enough to gain any real feeling for it except to note the front brake needed to be adjusted badly and the left hand shift gizmo made it very difficult to develop a feel for what the transmission was doing.

[Portland Bullet]

I agree that Bikes should stay in gear at stoplights, UNLESS IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS NOT TO IN THE MANUAL

+10

I'm not seeing a practical reason on these threads to compromise on the safety factor for my UCE. No good reason means no deviation from best practices. Stay. in. gear.

[ace.cafe]

Wow, Ace! Should I worry about this?  The only thing that scares me in that list is "bearing problem on the input shaft".  My chain tension is fine - the rest sound like things that Click and Clack might not bother to fix...

Don't "worry" about it.
It's just something to have checked out at your next service.

[Ducati Scotty]

MSF pounds that into you.  My instructor knew his stuff and when he told us about this, he did mention it would do no harm on modern bikes since they almost always have roller bearing throwouts that can handle it.  He did mention talking to your mechanic about it if you have an older European model.

Scott

[hillntx]

My C5 has no trouble finding Neutral, even when I'm not looking for it.