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Difficulty finding neutral ?

7824 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  J D
Hello from North East England. I'm 300 miles into my running in and am finding it almost impossible to select neutral (from 1st) once up to operating temperature and with the engine running. Until it's up to temperature, I can select neutral.

When this happens, if I knock the engine off, it slots into neutral nice and easy.

I've given the clutch cable handlebar adjuster a couple of full turns to give more tension but this doesn't seem to have helped.

The reason I can't find neutral is that I physically cannot move the gear shifter out of 1st, it just won't move, until I knock the engine off.

How's everyone else finding selecting neutral ? I've read a couple of reviews which also complain of this but the demo bike I rode with 300 miles on found neutral easily.

I'm kinda hoping that the running in oil is slightly thicker and may explain it ? And it'll improve after the first service ?

All advice welcome.

Cheers
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Nopes, no issues with that on either 790 i have here.
No issues from day one. In fact, I think this bike finds neutral, from either 1st or 2nd, the easiest of any bike I've had.
2
Thanks folks, would you mind checking the handlebar cable adjuster on your bikes for me please.

Mine came with adjustment already made and I've added one full twist of tension so now have 4mm of adjustment made.

What I think is the clutch end of the cable adjuster is fully in as expected.

I would have thought this should be right in on a new bike ?

Cheers.

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Hello from North East England. I'm 300 miles into my running in and am finding it almost impossible to select neutral (from 1st) once up to operating temperature and with the engine running. Until it's up to temperature, I can select neutral.

When this happens, if I knock the engine off, it slots into neutral nice and easy.

I've given the clutch cable handlebar adjuster a couple of full turns to give more tension but this doesn't seem to have helped.

The reason I can't find neutral is that I physically cannot move the gear shifter out of 1st, it just won't move, until I knock the engine off.

How's everyone else finding selecting neutral ? I've read a couple of reviews which also complain of this but the demo bike I rode with 300 miles on found neutral easily.

I'm kinda hoping that the running in oil is slightly thicker and may explain it ? And it'll improve after the first service ?

All advice welcome.

Cheers
during the running in time I noticed 1st gear getting more difficult I just tightened the cable and it was sorted
Thanks folks, would you mind checking the handlebar cable adjuster on your bikes for me please.

Mine came with adjustment already made and I've added one full twist of tension so now have 4mm of adjustment made.

What I think is the clutch end of the cable adjuster is fully in as expected.

I would have thought this should be right in on a new bike ?

Cheers.
Copying other bikes in this regard is not usefull due to variances in cable or housing lengths. The owners manual tells you how to adjust the free play here: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1422392/Ktm-790-Duke-2018.html?page=237#manual
Thanks for the feedback, another half turn of tension on the clutch cable bar adjuster has improved things : still a little notchy but workable.

Have done another half turn, am confident this will be better still. Curiously, it's not a temperature thing, seems to be after around 45 mins of riding when neutral selection gets tricky.

Cheers.
Thanks for the feedback, another half turn of tension on the clutch cable bar adjuster has improved things : still a little notchy but workable.

Have done another half turn, am confident this will be better still. Curiously, it's not a temperature thing, seems to be after around 45 mins of riding when neutral selection gets tricky.

Cheers.
a dragging clutch is a pain
so is a slipping clutch
just adjust away until you get a free clutch without any slippage perhaps a bit simply put but true
No issues from day one. In fact, I think this bike finds neutral, from either 1st or 2nd, the easiest of any bike I've had.
I dare to say sometimes is even too easy to end in neutral on mine :)
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Hi,

Yes, I am at about the same stage in my running in, and I find it hard to get the neutral from 1st, it often go straight to 2nd, and from 2nd it is usually easier.
Hopefully will get better as the running in progresses.

Philippe


Hello from North East England. I'm 300 miles into my running in and am finding it almost impossible to select neutral (from 1st) once up to operating temperature and with the engine running. Until it's up to temperature, I can select neutral.

When this happens, if I knock the engine off, it slots into neutral nice and easy.

I've given the clutch cable handlebar adjuster a couple of full turns to give more tension but this doesn't seem to have helped.

The reason I can't find neutral is that I physically cannot move the gear shifter out of 1st, it just won't move, until I knock the engine off.

How's everyone else finding selecting neutral ? I've read a couple of reviews which also complain of this but the demo bike I rode with 300 miles on found neutral easily.

I'm kinda hoping that the running in oil is slightly thicker and may explain it ? And it'll improve after the first service ?

All advice welcome.

Cheers
I've found a number of new bikes to be this way while running in. I always feel it's best to change the oil within a few hundred miles, (new bike), and there after, when I feel the 'oil additives' wearing off, and things are getting a bit notch y.
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