Author Topic: False neutral?  (Read 5637 times)

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sbenson619

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on: April 16, 2014, 06:20:33 pm
Hey guys sorry for all these questions but your help has been a lifesaver.
Sometimes when I shift from 3rd to 4th it doesn't go into gear and it just revs the engine. I then have to shift up to 5th and the back down to 4th. I looked online and someone said it could be a break in since mine only has 300 miles and some others said that you have to shift with a little force into 4th. Could just be me. Any advice or ideas would help. I did already change the oil.
2012 RE C5 military
Thanks!


Rich Mintz

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Reply #1 on: April 16, 2014, 06:57:26 pm
If you search this forum you'll learn that the shifters are sticky and quirky, especially when the bike is new. It does get easier, both because the bike breaks in and because you learn to adjust your foot movements.

So you're probably just seeing a normal break in problem. However, I developed an issue with my bike (at about 4000 miles) where it wouldn't hold in 4th gear -- it fell out into 3rd unless I held it with my foot. This was a defect and my dealer fixed it under warranty at no charge.

If you look at my posts, you'll see I had a lot of trouble with my bike in the first year. That isn't typical. They're quirky, but in their own way they're reliable.
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ROVERMAN

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Reply #2 on: April 16, 2014, 07:21:03 pm
I might suggest, if you can swing it, to get a trusted motorcycle friend to confirm the issue and maybe eliminate the user error possibility. Otherwise it sounds like a dealer warranty issue. I am lucky to have such a faultless shift in the GREen B.
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barenekd

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Reply #3 on: April 16, 2014, 08:37:40 pm
Very common with new bikes. Be careful though about shifting hard. That will cause missed shifts, too You actually spin the shifter plate past the gear you selected into a false neutral between the next two gears. Just shift deliberately without overexerting anything. The shifting does get better, but it does take time. One thousand miles and thing start looking up.
And don't stomp on the gear lever. That can bend the fork at the end of the shifter shaft and cause the gearbox to hang up, usually in first. To help avoid that and improve the shifting, check the end play on the shifter shaft. just grab the lever and see how much you can pull it in and out. If it's an eighth of an inch or so, put some 3/4" washers behind the shift lever. You don't want it tight, leave about a 1/16" of play in the shaft.
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suitcasejefferson

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Reply #4 on: April 17, 2014, 01:29:53 am
I had shifting problems, including false neutrals, when I first got my bike new. After about 1000 miles things got much better. Don't back off the throttle too much, preload the shifter, and when upshifting, move it all the way up. If it doesn't want to move, don't force it. Blipping the throttle will usually help line things up. I was used to the snickity snick shifting of Japanese bikes, that really didn't care how you did it. The Enfield will get better as it breaks in and you get better at shifting it.
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mattsz

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Reply #5 on: April 17, 2014, 02:38:28 am
+1.  Listen to your bike - it will teach you how to shift it...


Roeland

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Reply #6 on: April 17, 2014, 01:27:12 pm
It also could be that the clutch is incorrectly adjusted.


azcatfan

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Reply #7 on: April 17, 2014, 03:15:09 pm
Does the UCE need the same rider input on shifting that the older bikes need? Clutch - shift and hold - release clutch while holding the shifter - release shifter while applying throttle. I've ridden a few UCE bikes, but this is now such a habit from riding my '02 I didn't notice anything different other than the shifter not being as sloppy.
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REdmonton

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Reply #8 on: April 18, 2014, 07:22:02 am
3rd to 4th seems to be an issue with many Enfields. You can't flick it into gear like some bikes, Enfields seem to like a longer slower shift.


sbenson619

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Reply #9 on: April 19, 2014, 09:43:04 pm
Just got back from a ride I have put an additional 150 miles on it and it still does it occasionally. When I hold my foot up until I release the clutch it seems to work better, but still getting the occasional false neutral in only 4th,I have also had it fall out of 4th a couple of times and I'm left revving the engine. hopefully it breaks in soon


lemming

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Reply #10 on: April 20, 2014, 01:04:12 am
I had a devil of a time my first ride with missed gears, coming from a BMW that shifted with just a touch. I found that it does well if I shift up, hold the shifter while I let out the clutch, and keep the revs up a little. Just as suggested above.
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wildbill

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Reply #11 on: April 20, 2014, 05:51:29 am
most of us have had problems in the beginning with false neutrals in the royals etc - saying that the gearnox in the gt is by far the best ive ever used in the uce range - not a false neutral to date  :)


Roy L.

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Reply #12 on: April 21, 2014, 02:30:00 pm
Just been back OTR for 9 days this season. Already chalked up over 1000k. Yesterday was the first time this year I've had a passenger on the back and was finding false neutral quite often going down from 4th to 3rd. Also had trouble finding real neutral when stopping.
No idea whether the passenger / gears issue is related.


Vince

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Reply #13 on: April 21, 2014, 03:32:42 pm
     I fixed every customer's bike with this issue by repositioning the shift pedal up or down a notch ot the shift shaft splines, and teaching the customer to shift more deliberately and to NOT wear tennis shoes. Wear sturdy boots. With a passenger your seating position is different, so you won't have the same angle on the shift pedal. This will affect shifting also.
     A lot of other good suggestions here also. It is not a Japanese bike. It will require that you adapt to it. Shifting is one of those things.


Bradschroeder

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Reply #14 on: April 23, 2014, 03:09:39 pm
I agree with Vince. You simply must be deliberate in your shifting. When I get tired near the end of a long ride, I sometimes find myself being lazy and these mis shifts happen. I also find that it is more prevalent in colder weather, i.e. < 10 degrees C.


gashousegorilla

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Reply #15 on: April 23, 2014, 07:36:05 pm
My C-5 has got to be one of the easiest shifting, lightest clutch pull bikes that I have owned. I flip through the gears.  I will get a false neutral now and then, in no particular gear... but that's me doing it . I do agree with the proper clutch adjustment... Small changes in it do make a difference. And better angle on the shifter helps.
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GSS

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Reply #16 on: April 24, 2014, 03:40:37 am
+1.  C5 went from regular false neutrals to none at about 500 miles.......clutch adjustment does help.  The GT has had zero false neutrals!
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heloego

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Reply #17 on: April 24, 2014, 04:18:12 am
FNs on my C5 have been minimal. Any I get are caused by me.
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High On Octane

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Reply #18 on: April 24, 2014, 12:52:10 pm
I've noticed on my vintage twin that if the clutch is out of adjustment and dragging a bit, I get far more false neutrals than when the cable is adjusted properly.

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lemming

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Reply #19 on: May 13, 2014, 05:35:14 pm
I adjusted my clutch cable this weekend to take up (quite a bit of) slack. Shifts vastly better now. Now I get almost no false neutrals that I can't attribute to my shifting "prowess"....
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suitcasejefferson

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Reply #20 on: May 13, 2014, 05:51:48 pm
At 2300 miles, my B5 now shifts almost as good as a Japanese bike. It can still be a bit balky in slow stop and go city traffic, but when you are able to run it up through the gears at the proper speed, it works perfectly. When it was new, because of the break in, I was short shifting it at too low speeds and not enough throttle. Now I can be a little more aggressive with it.
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decker

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Reply #21 on: May 13, 2014, 06:56:35 pm
"repositioning the shift pedal up or down a notch at the shift shaft splines, and  shift more deliberately " this worked for me. have had no issue's with false neutrals since.
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hillntx

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Reply #22 on: May 15, 2014, 11:15:15 am
False neutrals are fairly common during break-in.  If you're use to riding modern Japanese bikes your shifting needs to be slower and more deliberate.  Eventually you and the bike willl mesh.