Won't go into neutral

[rb30dett]

Hey guys, don't know if this is the right forum to post this but I just got back from Afghanistan and my bike my wife bought me ('09 M1100) won't go into neutral.  At first, I could not get it started.  Come to find out it was in gear.    Now I can not get it into neutral.  I did a bit of searching but I'm just trying to figure this thing out so I can start riding.  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thanks

[HotIce]

Hey guys, don't know if this is the right forum to post this but I just got back from Afghanistan and my bike my wife bought me ('09 M1100) won't go into neutral.  At first, I could not get it started.  Come to find out it was in gear.    Now I can not get it into neutral.  I did a bit of searching but I'm just trying to figure this thing out so I can start riding.  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thanks

Which gear?
Are you sure you are playing within 1st and 2nd, and not among two higher gears?
Move the bike forward, and drop all the gears down to the 1st. Then come back up.
Also, do not rely on the neutral light to tell you you got it, as it might be broken. Rely on free gearbox movement upon tire movement instead.

[stopintime]

If it hasn't been run in a while, the clutch plates might be a little sticky.
That could mean you won't be able to shift gears as usual.

Another possibility is that you need to bleed the hydraulic fluid (is the clutch lever soft?)

I'm no expert, but I suggest rocking the bike back and forth, while it's in gear, with the clutch both in and out.

If the plates are sticky, cover the brakes when you pop it into first - it can do a little forward jump.

[rb30dett]

Hey guys, thanks for the help.  I got it going now.  I think the plates were sticking.  I rode it down the street today...soooooo smooth!  I just need to do an oil change and clean my chain and I should be good.  Thanks again!

[ScottRNelson]

For the benefit of others who search for this topic in the future...

It makes quite a difference if you can't get into neutral when the bike is turned off versus when it is running.

Pretty much any motorcycle will go into neutral with the engine off and without any help from the clutch, as long as you rock it back and forth a bit.  Since I've learned to park motorcycles in gear, part of my startup procedure is to shift into neutral before starting.  Sometimes I need to roll the bike an inch first and sometimes it just goes.

If the bike won't shift into neutral when running, it's usually due to a dragging clutch.  That was fairly normal for the Ducati ST2 that I used to own.  Even then, if I let out the clutch enough to roll forward half a foot then pulled the clutch back in and tried for neutral, it would usually go.  Even at its worst, I could still always get to neutral while rolling to a stop, as long as I did it while still moving.  (I hope the new owner of that bike has rebuilt or replaced the clutch master cylinder by now.)