Slip out of 1st

[Cajunrider]

Earlier this week, I was on my way to meet a friend at a restaurant near here. I was in the process of making a left turn when the bike slipped out of 1st gear into neutral. It was a sweeping left turn after a near stop where I was leaning quite a bit. When it came out of first it made a loud "pop" sound. It scared the heck out of me when it happened and caused me to straighten up the bike. It is fortunate that I had plenty of room to finish the turn. Everything is working fine since. Has anyone ever had this happen before?

[VulcanE]

All I can think of is maybe, when you downshifted into 1st, you didn't have it completely engaged? The shifter works like a ratchet (that's why you can't skip gears like you can in a car), and maybe you had rotated it enough for it to engage the 1st gear set of gears, but it hadn't locked into position. When you were turning, it just slipped out.

[ringadingh]

More than likely it wasn't engaged in 1st gear all the way, and jumped out. Ive had this happen a couple times when I did a sloppy shift instead of a crisp move to the next gear. If it starts to happen all the time I would suspect that something is worn, other than that I wouldn't worry about it.

[cactusjack]

I haven't had this happen on my Nomad, but did on my C50T on several occasions. Biggest beef I have with the Nomad is if you have to stop quickly without downshifting, it's a bear to get it down into first sometimes.

[caddman11]

My bikes done this once or twice and since it didn't happen everyday, I just figured I didn't get it in gear completely and it causes me to focus of more positive shifts.

[Cajunrider]

You are right Scott. On a few occasions I have taken off from a stop thinking I was in 1st but was in 2nd. Thanks guys. I feel a little better knowing it has happened to others.

[cactusjack]

I've had to sit at a light and shift down a gear, slip the clutch a little to get into gear, and so on, until I get to first. It's real embarrassing when you don't realize you are still in 4th or 5th gear when the light turns green and you try to go.

[dogdoc]

I have not had this happen to me yet. I agree with VulcanE as to the cause. I always down shift as Im slowing down, just faster if I hit a red light.

[refugio]

Mine has done it before too.

[watchman]

My first guess is that when you where making the left turn without realizing it you shift your foot and got your heel on the shifter. And when the bike got to the sweet spot rpm it shifted without pulling in the clutch.

[sarge1057]

I've had this problem to, when i get to a traffic light I have to in sure its in first gear . And then i always let the clutch out to insure its in before the light changes. It can be very scary pulling away from a traffic light on an uphill grade and have the bike slip in to neutral.

[dank]

Mine has also done this a couple of times. Some right turns, some left, sometimes straight, always a shock and momentarily perplexing because I don't know what happened until I look down and see the neutral light.

[macmac]

I don't know for sure, but there could be 2 things... One you lazy shifted, which alone might be enough to cause the effect, and 2 there is a neutral finder, a device that prevents shifting stopped to more than getting to 1st gear, and then getting neutral.

If you stop in 2nd gear it is pure hell getting past neutral into 1st...

Pretty much you can't! Just that simple. The neutral finder thinks 2nd is 1st.

That means you should ride solo if you had a pillion and get the bike moving in 2nd, then drop back to first and go pick up yer pillion.

There is a good bet that if you forget to go pick up yer pillion you can forget about 'getting any'.

My best guess is you encountered a fluke, which hung up one of the devices.

[lomax]

....I can't recall having any big problem getting to 1st gear if I stop in 2nd. It takes very little movement of the wheels forward or back and it will go to 1st. At least it works for me!! :)