Shifting Noise???

[nativenyerintexas]

The reason is all you're going to accomplish is burning out the clutch that much sooner. At the speed you'd downshift into first, all you really need to do is hit the brakes and just before the engine sputters (while still in second) pull in the clutch and shift to neutral.

That being said, everyone has their own ideas of what's right and what's wrong. There was a question in a recent American Motorcyclist article that asked if we should leave our bike in first or in neutral at traffic lights. The answer came from an MSF Trainer who said it's a toss-up and is up to the individual. You can either feel safe at a traffic light and burn your clutch out quicker or leave it in neutral and take a little longer getting off the line in an emergency situation. I prefer the later. Even though I've heard motorcyclists getting rear-ended at traffic lights, I've never met anyone, even someone driving a car, who was rear-ended sitting at a light. I'd be inclined to believe it happens less than most of us are willing to admit to. I'd be more worried about the soccer moms talking on the cell phone, eating a donut, drinking her morning coffee, reading the want ads and putting on makeup with five screaming kids in the back of her 5,0000 pound SUV while driving 80 mph in a 60 mph zone on the highway in the right lane.

[JMD]

Originally Posted by nativenyerintexas

I've never met anyone, even someone driving a car, who was rear-ended sitting at a light.

I have. It was the guy who got out of his car after I rear-ended him at a traffic light.

It was a tap and nothing was damaged. I was not paying attention at the time in slow moving traffic.

I do keep the bike in neutral though.

[camaleon]

first gear and ready to go...

the clutch is like $100 and very simple to change for what i seen so i think my life worth more than that...

just saying!

[donny662]

Originally Posted by JMD

I have. It was the guy who got out of his car after I rear-ended him at a traffic light.

I was waiting to turn right at a stop sign where the cross traffic doesn't stop. The roads intersect at an angle, and my right turn was less than 90 degrees, so I had to look far over my left shoulder to see the traffic. I saw the person in front of me accelerate, and I put on the gas to move forward as I looked over my left shoulder. I turned to look ahead of me and noticed the other car was still in front of me. Luckily, I hit the brakes just before we hit and the other car was also creeping forward; no damage occurred except for my pride.

[nativenyerintexas]

Stop signs are different than traffic lights because traffic lights have a set time you're waiting at them (for a given time of day). Some of the lights around here you're waiting a good three minutes before they change if you just miss it. When it comes t stop signs, if there isn't a long line of cars I have to wait for, I'll keep her in first gear but if there's clearly a wait of more than a minute to get through a stop sign, then I'm popping it in neutral until I can see the end of the line. By the way, this is all done while keeping an eye on each mirror.

Does anyone have any problems with traffic light sensors? The ones around by me don't detect them M50 when I roll up to them in the middle of the night. I have to make three rights to make a left or a right and two lefts to me one left or a right and a u-turn to make a left... the list goes on and on and on...