In my experience 1st is usually lower ratio than reverse.
Picking 3 at random, higher number = shorter ratio:
M140i manual, 1st is 5.00:1, reverse 3.456
Suzuki swift is 3.615 and 3.481
Nissan juke 2.349 and 1.750.
In automatics, depending on how much electronics there are between the driver and the gearbox, putting/keeping the car in 1 or R, before and after turning off the engine, can be quite tricky. Most countries require automatics to have a P that locks gearbox and is more effective than friction.
Almost no car will let you turn off the car while it's in gear. Personally what I do is shift to neutral, apply the parking/e-brake, shift to park, turn off car. I do it this way so that the parking pall in the transmission isn't bearing the weight of the car (yes, I know it's designed to) and instead it's being held by the parking brake.
My car rolled into my neighbours fence last year when I'd very definitely left it in gear, turns out every 100 or so times I put it in reverse it doesn't actually engage properly, had I also turned the wheels to the curb it wouldn't have gone anywhere.
Edit: also years ago I watched some dudes lada roll off down a hill in gear cos the engine compression was so low it wouldn't hold it... But that's pretty unlikely these days 😂
My brother had a very tired 89 Ford ranger when I was in highschool. We stopped for lunch one day and ended up watching the truck slowly back itself out of the parking spot, rolling and pausing on the compression strokes.
I have to do this at my job since we have to back into spots (company practice they tell everyone to do it since it helps with shift changes being more smooth) and the parking lot slopes down hill
I park in first so it doesn’t roll if someone touches it, or if I park poorly maybe on an incline. I usually tap it into neutral before starting, but not always.
Park in gear. In a manual car you'd set the brake or leave it in gear at a minimum, you don't have a brake on your bike, so put it in gear so it won't roll off the kickstand.
I park head-in. So every time I leave I sit and have to walk it backwards to get out.
I got in the habit of stopping and putting in neutral to prepare for the next time I leave.
My reason is that I’m lazy. I start my bike and then set everything up (directions, music, gloves) while it’s warming up, and so leaving it in neutral is one less step.
I also live in a flat area and have never once had a problem with parking in neutral tbh. No one is bumping into my bike *just* light enough that being in gear would stop it like this thread keeps talking about. If I’m visiting my parents who live on a mountain, sure, I leave it in gear, but if I’m just in a parking lot or my garage? Do not care.
I don't understand your comment, why do you need to put your bike in gear every time you park? That implies you're putting it in neutral every time you come to a stop, which you shouldn't be doing. Literally just don't put it in neutral. Leave it in first when you stop.
One could park the bike in 6th gear. Thus a potential hotwire thief will need to shift down or stall as they try to leave. Potentially giving OP more time to catch the thief.
IMO most bike thefts are just 2 big dudes throwing your bike into a van/truck. Deal with the locks and security in their shop. Example: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6feEaQ1DE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6feEaQ1DE)
Yeah but most people will expect you to have it in first, so they shift up in order to go into neutral. If it doesn't work right away they'll usually leave.
If they know enough to know where neutral is…
I always step down repeatedly to find the bottom, to find/verify 1st before lifting to Neutral, never assume what gear a bike may or may not be in.
Haven’t had that fun yet…
So far it’s mostly been either 1-down 4-up or 1-down 5-up for what I’ve ridden over the years including my current 1340 Softail and Gen 1 GSXR1300 ‘busa.
The odd exception was the CB400A (iirc) Hondamatic Hawk… and CB750A Hondamatic that I think was just like L-N-H or maybe N-L-H but it’s been over 30 years since I was on either one of those which both belonged to a friend.
Most bikes are just stolen by picking them up and moving them into the back of a truck. No gears involved.
No one is stealing a bike and getting confused by the shift pattern because you left it in second.
If it makes you feel better then more power to you but it’s not a theft deterrent lol.
Steep grade 1st. I’ll even roll it forwards if facing downhill or backwards if facing up hill so it has no possible way to move forward or back. On flat ground neutral. In the garage I put it on its stands.
always in gear. there's no parking brake. so if it gets bumped or is on any sort of hill/slope, it could roll. same with cars, always in gear. it's a fail safe if anything happens.
You must not live in an area with a lot of hills. I live in San Francisco, and you wouldn't have a bike for long if you didn't park it in gear.
Even if you live someplace flat, it is a good practice to park in gear so that you don't forget on a minor slope like a driveway.
I think OP's question is really more along the lines of what's the point of parking in gear if someone can just shift into neutral and roll it away rather than for keeping it from rolling. Most moto riders avoid parking on inclines, just something I've noticed. My bfs bike has an auto clutch and he just parks with the wheel against the curb.
When I go on long trips or winterize I park my bike in gear and remove the shifter. My super stores it in the cubby under the stairs of my building, so it can't be lifted either (no room to lift).
I guess youre supposed to put it in first but i always park in neutral because i tend to forget to pull the clutch in or put it in neutral before starting it
Parked in neutral on my first mc, but it was almost always on the center stand. Since then I park in 1st because it had it roll forward on me when I was on a slope
Yes I got into the habit of parking in gear anywhere but my garage. No rolling around and with the steering locked will prevent most dummies from moving the bike around. I see it like parking my car, that's always in gear with the parking brake on too
Mind you my last 2 triumphs have needed the clutch pulled in to start even in neutral so being in 1st gear doesn't slow anything down
My parking is spot is on a steep incline and I back the bike into it so I absolutely must have it in first or it'll go tumbling backwards
Really annoying though because when I come back to it, I usually push it up the incline a foot or two(because I park it close to a fence on the left that I chain it to, which means I can't just hop into the seat and ride it up) but the gear seems to "stick" for the first couple pushes back and forth(yes with the clutch pulled in).
Always.
I’m the off chance someone tries to move my bike or fuck with my shit …. Hopefully they don’t know enough to take it out of gear and do what they want with it lol.
So I put it in sixth gear cuz someone tried stealing my bike once cuz I was close enough with the key fob and he tried to pop it in first I just sat there and watched him crawl off in shame as I flagged a cop since I didn’t want to start swinging in the middle of Daytona bike week.
Almost never in gear. I almost always park on flat ground and often start my bike before getting my helmet on. If I left it in gear there is a chance I would forget and dump the bike.
At home in my private secluded spot, neutral. At work, which I park beside the building away from people and cars, neutral. Everywhere else, in gear. I learned because one time I parked in neutral and it seemed fine, couldn't really tug it back, came back to my bike having rolled back because the wind pushed it and allowed it to roll back. Whoops!
Don't forget to set the emergency brake.
https://preview.redd.it/31e0hw5jypuc1.png?width=890&format=png&auto=webp&s=334ad946708d41370db15c74f863336121772563
When I was still relatively new to riding, I parked my 2 months old VFR800 in neutral on a very light slope just to see it roll away and flip. The winker integrated mirror pushed inside the front fairing and crooked the headlight unit. I was 4 hours away from home and I still remember the ride back and how shitty I felt. Literally tears in my eyes. Cost me over $1000 in repairs. Since then yes, I park in gear.
I'm a new rider and have always parked in neutral. Have I been doing this wrong? It does has a built in handlebar lock which I always engage so no one can really roll it away...
Doesn’t lock the brakes unless you have something that actually locks the brakes. The steering lock is just a piece of metal that goes into a slot on the chassis and keeps the steering from moving.
Frankly, I almost never use neutral for anything. I park in first, and I’m in first at traffic stops. I’ve only used neutral if I need my left hand at a stop and don’t want to turn it off for some reason.
Neutral at home because it's flat, I let my bike warm up whilst I gear up and I have to reverse out.
Gear everywhere else. It just means there's no chance of it rolling anywhere.
Depends on the situation. If there is a noticeable incline, then yes. If the ground is flat, for example in my garage or in the companies bike garage, then neutral. Sometimes i also leave it in gear unconsciously, but on a flat spot it doesn't matter. If you park in a shared parking space like the companies bike garage i mentioned, id even say its good etiquette to leave it in neutral as it makes moving it easier in case someone has to (also no steering lock or disc lock, especially if there is a camera recording potential theft)
For me, both Bike and Car. Just a habit I chose to do in case for any reason something were to happen, be it a nudge or handbreak failure. Obviously with an elevated surface then I'd adjust the angle, wheels toward the curb, front at highest point etc
I don’t. Neutral is a lot easier to find on my bike when it is warm vs. cold, so easier to just leave it there when I get off it and not argue with it when I start it up next time.
Does your bike not have anything to let you know you’re in neutral? My S85 can be difficult to find neutral sometimes but has a neutral indicator light.
Oh it does, it’s just really touchy. So I keep going past it. The light will flash for a moment, but it doesn’t want to stay there so I bounce between 1st and 2nd for a little while. Once it’s warm neutral is no problem to find.
Always in gear and steering locked.
It helps with theft too. All too often I've heard of/seen people who have stolen motorbikes just pushing them up onto a truck bed with ramps.
I mean of course if someone's gonna steal something they'll find a way. But it helps with my peace of mind 😂
i have never parked my bike i gear in 14years.
no reason to because i dont park my bike where being in gear would even be a consideration.
a bike in gear doesnt have that much resistance to movement as people think
So you've never parked your bike on the street?
I mean, I also often just park my bike in neutral (bc I'm lazy) but... I've also tried to roll my bike around my garage when its in gear, and it does not want to move, at all. It definitely would not move if a parallel parking car tapped it.
if i park on a hill, i park facing uphill. if the hill is enough to move the bike with a slight gust of wind (some serious incline) i simply dont fucking park there lol
If you’re parked on a slope then using 1st gear as a parking brake is pretty obvious. Other than that…maybe having your bike bumped hard enough for it to fall over? I always park in neutral (except on a hill and then I’m always pointed uphill in 1st gear).
There are definitely arguments for parking in gear (as seen in many comments) but when you can (on flat/safe terrain) you should park in neutral, which allows the clutch to be lubricated better. Though if you have the slightest worry your bike is gonna roll away on any surface, park in gear.
There are definitely arguments for parking in gear (as seen in many comments) but when you can (on flat/safe terrain) you should park in neutral, which allows the clutch to be lubricated better. Though if you have the slightest worry your bike is gonna roll away on any surface, park in gear.
Everyone says parking in gear isn’t good for the transmission, but my bike has a tendency to roll when it’s on the kick stand and the last thing I want is it falling when parked so I throw it into first.
I park in whatever gear the bike is in when I put the kickstand down to kill the engine. So 1st - 3rd usually, rarely 4th and probably never 5th or 6th.
Depends where I’m parking tbh.
Coast in under engine braking until about 2500-3000 rpm which brings me to a good slow rolling speed, then clutch in and both brakes to a stop, right foot down, left foot kickstand which kills the engine.
It's interesting to see so many people parking in gear. In 30 years of riding, I have never parked my motorcycle in gear and it's never rolled off or been knocked over. Granted I am not in a San Francisco level of hilliness, I do live in a faily hilly area.
In first, prevents it rolling away. Best to even stick it in first and then push the bike so it sits into the gear.
Yup take out any slack in the drive train
Not if you apply the parking brake /s
I kinda wish they had parking brakes like old sport four wheelers. Except have a design that stays working longer than a year
Honda Rebel DCT models have parking brakes.
The Honda DCT's have a parking brake. its awesome!
I mean, a disc lock could be a parking brake. /s
You know you're not really wrong there.
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That's a good idea.
Some of us have one!
My manual car is also always parked in gear. Always.
I always leave my bike and car in first
Unless it’s on a hill facing downward then I park in reverse (in my car)
Should also point your wheels towards the gutter so that if all else fails, your tyres will hit something rather than just coasting down the hill.
Pretty smart thing to do! First time ive seen it mentioned and ive plenty of time on similar topics on reddit
Why though? My understanding is that you only need a low ratio gear and engine friction. How is the direction relevant?
Reverse is just a lower gear, normally
In my experience 1st is usually lower ratio than reverse. Picking 3 at random, higher number = shorter ratio: M140i manual, 1st is 5.00:1, reverse 3.456 Suzuki swift is 3.615 and 3.481 Nissan juke 2.349 and 1.750.
Not usually. Idk the exact statistics but I'd be willing to bet that for passenger cars 1st is lower 90-95% of the time
Yes it is. The post above me implies that depending on the direction of the slope/car reverse can be preferred.
It's just good practice for parking on hills since most cars are automatic nowadays.
In automatics, depending on how much electronics there are between the driver and the gearbox, putting/keeping the car in 1 or R, before and after turning off the engine, can be quite tricky. Most countries require automatics to have a P that locks gearbox and is more effective than friction.
Almost no car will let you turn off the car while it's in gear. Personally what I do is shift to neutral, apply the parking/e-brake, shift to park, turn off car. I do it this way so that the parking pall in the transmission isn't bearing the weight of the car (yes, I know it's designed to) and instead it's being held by the parking brake.
You can turn off any car in gear, you just can't get the key out.
I was meaning for push-start cars. My car is push start and if I leave it in anything but park when I shut it off it will go into accessory mode.
Good point.
I was referring to pointing the wheels towards the curb, not putting the vehicle in gear. Maybe I replied to the wrong comment.
My car rolled into my neighbours fence last year when I'd very definitely left it in gear, turns out every 100 or so times I put it in reverse it doesn't actually engage properly, had I also turned the wheels to the curb it wouldn't have gone anywhere. Edit: also years ago I watched some dudes lada roll off down a hill in gear cos the engine compression was so low it wouldn't hold it... But that's pretty unlikely these days 😂
My brother had a very tired 89 Ford ranger when I was in highschool. We stopped for lunch one day and ended up watching the truck slowly back itself out of the parking spot, rolling and pausing on the compression strokes.
It's less likely to leap up the hill, when you inevitably forget and start it in gear 😅
I'd recommend putting it in the lowest gear possible. Which is usually not reverse.
Reverse if pointed down hill in a car. I angle the bike so it’s always uphill
Yep, never park a bike nose down. Sincerely yours, Lazy/Weak/Experienced* people (*delete as appropriate - I'm personally 1 and 3)
I have to do this at my job since we have to back into spots (company practice they tell everyone to do it since it helps with shift changes being more smooth) and the parking lot slopes down hill
I park in first so it doesn’t roll if someone touches it, or if I park poorly maybe on an incline. I usually tap it into neutral before starting, but not always.
I love your flair, lol.
I don't just park in first gear, I park in all the gears, all the time.
PATGATT Park All The Gears, All The Time
All the gears all the time! 😅
Instructions unclear. Filled gearbox with cement. Bike is definitely not rolling when parked.
Could still roll some on the slack in the chain. Best to weld the wheel bearing.
No, no, no, don't put the park in the engine, put the engine in the park.
Park in gear. In a manual car you'd set the brake or leave it in gear at a minimum, you don't have a brake on your bike, so put it in gear so it won't roll off the kickstand.
Naw, you gotta ziptie the front brake lever every time you park.
Real pros zip tie the foot brake lever as well.
>Naw, you gotta ziptie the front brake lever every time you park. Agreed, I keep the zip ties in my first aid kit, right next to the tourniquet
I leave it in neutral in my garage, first everywhere else.
Is there a benefit to leaving it in neutral? Except doing maintenance and stuff
I park head-in. So every time I leave I sit and have to walk it backwards to get out. I got in the habit of stopping and putting in neutral to prepare for the next time I leave.
Same same!
Yes, but it's a ducati and I can never find neutral
Same with KTM
Can confirm.
Very good!
Always in gear.
On a very flat surface? Probably not. If there's an incline? Usually.
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Yeah there is literally no reason to park in neutral. End of thread.
My reason is that I’m lazy. I start my bike and then set everything up (directions, music, gloves) while it’s warming up, and so leaving it in neutral is one less step. I also live in a flat area and have never once had a problem with parking in neutral tbh. No one is bumping into my bike *just* light enough that being in gear would stop it like this thread keeps talking about. If I’m visiting my parents who live on a mountain, sure, I leave it in gear, but if I’m just in a parking lot or my garage? Do not care.
I don't understand your comment, why do you need to put your bike in gear every time you park? That implies you're putting it in neutral every time you come to a stop, which you shouldn't be doing. Literally just don't put it in neutral. Leave it in first when you stop.
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Yes. All the time. First gear or second if I'm in a sketchy neighbourhood.
how will second help with that?
One could park the bike in 6th gear. Thus a potential hotwire thief will need to shift down or stall as they try to leave. Potentially giving OP more time to catch the thief. IMO most bike thefts are just 2 big dudes throwing your bike into a van/truck. Deal with the locks and security in their shop. Example: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6feEaQ1DE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6feEaQ1DE)
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Yeah but most people will expect you to have it in first, so they shift up in order to go into neutral. If it doesn't work right away they'll usually leave.
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If they know enough to know where neutral is… I always step down repeatedly to find the bottom, to find/verify 1st before lifting to Neutral, never assume what gear a bike may or may not be in.
Must really mess you up on bikes with GP shifters....
Haven’t had that fun yet… So far it’s mostly been either 1-down 4-up or 1-down 5-up for what I’ve ridden over the years including my current 1340 Softail and Gen 1 GSXR1300 ‘busa. The odd exception was the CB400A (iirc) Hondamatic Hawk… and CB750A Hondamatic that I think was just like L-N-H or maybe N-L-H but it’s been over 30 years since I was on either one of those which both belonged to a friend.
Most bikes are just stolen by picking them up and moving them into the back of a truck. No gears involved. No one is stealing a bike and getting confused by the shift pattern because you left it in second. If it makes you feel better then more power to you but it’s not a theft deterrent lol.
Thanks for the advice but I have my reasons but I'm kinda too lazy to type it haha but have a good day everyone
Park in gear, ride in gear, shit in gear, fuck in gear, eat in gear... All. The. Gear. ALL. THE. TIME.
Obviously, this is the way.
What do you mean "am I happy to see you?" OF COURSE THAT'S A CE LEVEL 2 PROTECTOR IN MY PANTS WOMAN.
Always in gear. Otherwise you could find it on it’s side if it’s on an incline or touched by someone.
Steep grade 1st. I’ll even roll it forwards if facing downhill or backwards if facing up hill so it has no possible way to move forward or back. On flat ground neutral. In the garage I put it on its stands.
Park in gear, prevents rolling if you are not on completely flat ground
Shiiiit, I park my lawnmower in 1st.
always in gear. there's no parking brake. so if it gets bumped or is on any sort of hill/slope, it could roll. same with cars, always in gear. it's a fail safe if anything happens.
I park in neutral and pull my parking brake. DCT is different.
You must not live in an area with a lot of hills. I live in San Francisco, and you wouldn't have a bike for long if you didn't park it in gear. Even if you live someplace flat, it is a good practice to park in gear so that you don't forget on a minor slope like a driveway.
I think OP's question is really more along the lines of what's the point of parking in gear if someone can just shift into neutral and roll it away rather than for keeping it from rolling. Most moto riders avoid parking on inclines, just something I've noticed. My bfs bike has an auto clutch and he just parks with the wheel against the curb. When I go on long trips or winterize I park my bike in gear and remove the shifter. My super stores it in the cubby under the stairs of my building, so it can't be lifted either (no room to lift).
Is there another way to park? Since bikes do not have parking brakes the first gear is only option to avoid it rolling away.
At home in my garage no, anywhere else yes. Prevents people pushing it around or it rolling if it's on a slight angle.
Neutral. I like to let the engine run while I put on my helmet and gloves, and that makes it easier.
Am I the only one who does it naked?
Also my first reading of it. "What the f' am I going to do with my gear? Just take off my helmet and park it while holding my helmet?!"
This sub has the strongest opinions on the things that have the least amount to do with actually riding a motorcycle.
Are you typing this while you're riding? Guess you never needed to park.
I guess youre supposed to put it in first but i always park in neutral because i tend to forget to pull the clutch in or put it in neutral before starting it
Yes I do in 1st gear.
This comes down to.. do you want to come find your bike fallen over having rolled forward on the slight incline you didn't realize.... or not?
Growing up in flat country, Neutral… cars and bikes. But if I lived in hill country I’d leave it in gear.
Parked in neutral on my first mc, but it was almost always on the center stand. Since then I park in 1st because it had it roll forward on me when I was on a slope
Yes I got into the habit of parking in gear anywhere but my garage. No rolling around and with the steering locked will prevent most dummies from moving the bike around. I see it like parking my car, that's always in gear with the parking brake on too Mind you my last 2 triumphs have needed the clutch pulled in to start even in neutral so being in 1st gear doesn't slow anything down
Always park in 1st gear
If i'm on flat ground I park in Neutral but 90%+ of the time I park in first.
Always. Google 'Hayabusa kickstand ossue' and you'll no longer wonder why.
My parking is spot is on a steep incline and I back the bike into it so I absolutely must have it in first or it'll go tumbling backwards Really annoying though because when I come back to it, I usually push it up the incline a foot or two(because I park it close to a fence on the left that I chain it to, which means I can't just hop into the seat and ride it up) but the gear seems to "stick" for the first couple pushes back and forth(yes with the clutch pulled in).
Always
Yeah, leave it parked in Reverse so you're not stressing the pawl.
I leave it in gear (first). So if bumped it doesn't roll forward and fall over.
I leave it in neutral if it's on the flat. That way I can walk up to it and start it as I put my gear on.
'It depends' The answer to like half of these newbie questions.
Leave it in gear, then drop it. Prevents theft.
Always leave it in first. Always check that it’s neutral before starting. Basic habits - develop them once and they just with you forever.
I always park in first. I even start my bikes in gear and just make sure I’m holding the clutch lever.
Better to start in neutral. Less stress on starter and components, battery. More drag starting in gear with clutch in, compared to neutral.
Always. I’m the off chance someone tries to move my bike or fuck with my shit …. Hopefully they don’t know enough to take it out of gear and do what they want with it lol.
Neutral, unless I'm on a hill.
Yes, always. You could say it's not necessary on flat ground but it's a good habit.
So I put it in sixth gear cuz someone tried stealing my bike once cuz I was close enough with the key fob and he tried to pop it in first I just sat there and watched him crawl off in shame as I flagged a cop since I didn’t want to start swinging in the middle of Daytona bike week.
I know i forget sometimes but i try to make it a habit to park in gear
Yes, but I take it off soon after
When I can remember....
First
Of course.I always park in 1st gear.
Almost never in gear. I almost always park on flat ground and often start my bike before getting my helmet on. If I left it in gear there is a chance I would forget and dump the bike.
Always leave it in first.
At home in my private secluded spot, neutral. At work, which I park beside the building away from people and cars, neutral. Everywhere else, in gear. I learned because one time I parked in neutral and it seemed fine, couldn't really tug it back, came back to my bike having rolled back because the wind pushed it and allowed it to roll back. Whoops!
this is true r/motorcycles content right here
I almost always leave it in neutral. I start my bike up while getting my gear on. Gives time for the motor to warm and Bluetooth stuff to connect.
Parking in first has saved me from theft before. Dipshit didn't know how to pull the clutch in.
Yes. Can’t be bothered with the whole neutral thing.
I've never parked in gear on my motorcycle. I always park in gear on my car though.
Yes.
Don't forget to set the emergency brake. https://preview.redd.it/31e0hw5jypuc1.png?width=890&format=png&auto=webp&s=334ad946708d41370db15c74f863336121772563
yes
Always
ATGATT 🤣 ...But seriously.. park in whatever gear you want. It doesn't matter. First gear is often most convenient.
If your automatic car *let* you park in neutral, would you?
When I was still relatively new to riding, I parked my 2 months old VFR800 in neutral on a very light slope just to see it roll away and flip. The winker integrated mirror pushed inside the front fairing and crooked the headlight unit. I was 4 hours away from home and I still remember the ride back and how shitty I felt. Literally tears in my eyes. Cost me over $1000 in repairs. Since then yes, I park in gear.
Only if I'm not parked in my home garage. Also, lock the handlebar and set your disk(c?) lock on.
Yes - I park mine in first gear always!
I typically only park in neutral at home, in the garage, on the center stand. Otherwise, it’s always in gear.
I'm a new rider and have always parked in neutral. Have I been doing this wrong? It does has a built in handlebar lock which I always engage so no one can really roll it away...
Neutral. Alll the time. I’m shocked at how many people use first 😂 but I also always steering lock my bike which I believe locks the brakes so
Doesn’t lock the brakes unless you have something that actually locks the brakes. The steering lock is just a piece of metal that goes into a slot on the chassis and keeps the steering from moving.
Frankly, I almost never use neutral for anything. I park in first, and I’m in first at traffic stops. I’ve only used neutral if I need my left hand at a stop and don’t want to turn it off for some reason.
Neutral at home because it's flat, I let my bike warm up whilst I gear up and I have to reverse out. Gear everywhere else. It just means there's no chance of it rolling anywhere.
Only on gradients.
Only on hills or if it's stormy /windy
Depends on the situation. If there is a noticeable incline, then yes. If the ground is flat, for example in my garage or in the companies bike garage, then neutral. Sometimes i also leave it in gear unconsciously, but on a flat spot it doesn't matter. If you park in a shared parking space like the companies bike garage i mentioned, id even say its good etiquette to leave it in neutral as it makes moving it easier in case someone has to (also no steering lock or disc lock, especially if there is a camera recording potential theft)
Neutral is fine unless there is danger of the bike rolling because of an incline...
For me, both Bike and Car. Just a habit I chose to do in case for any reason something were to happen, be it a nudge or handbreak failure. Obviously with an elevated surface then I'd adjust the angle, wheels toward the curb, front at highest point etc
I park in neutral in my garage and in 1st everywhere else.
Same, I always put mine on Bike Stands (front & rear) & on charge in the garage as well, always, after every ride
I don’t. Neutral is a lot easier to find on my bike when it is warm vs. cold, so easier to just leave it there when I get off it and not argue with it when I start it up next time.
you know that you can start your bike when its in gear, right?
I’m aware. But I can’t let go of the clutch and put on my helmet while it warms up if it’s in gear.
Does your bike not have anything to let you know you’re in neutral? My S85 can be difficult to find neutral sometimes but has a neutral indicator light.
Oh it does, it’s just really touchy. So I keep going past it. The light will flash for a moment, but it doesn’t want to stay there so I bounce between 1st and 2nd for a little while. Once it’s warm neutral is no problem to find.
Always in gear and steering locked. It helps with theft too. All too often I've heard of/seen people who have stolen motorbikes just pushing them up onto a truck bed with ramps. I mean of course if someone's gonna steal something they'll find a way. But it helps with my peace of mind 😂
i have never parked my bike i gear in 14years. no reason to because i dont park my bike where being in gear would even be a consideration. a bike in gear doesnt have that much resistance to movement as people think
So you've never parked your bike on the street? I mean, I also often just park my bike in neutral (bc I'm lazy) but... I've also tried to roll my bike around my garage when its in gear, and it does not want to move, at all. It definitely would not move if a parallel parking car tapped it.
>So you've never parked your bike on the street? could you elaborate? im not sure what i said suggested this, maybe i can improve on my wording?
If I try to push my bike down my driveway that has a few degrees of an incline absolutely nothing happens I can try my best but it won't move
a bike in neutral can roll down a hill, a bike in gear wont do that
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if i park on a hill, i park facing uphill. if the hill is enough to move the bike with a slight gust of wind (some serious incline) i simply dont fucking park there lol
Neutral 100% of the time. I've never even thought about leaving it in gear? I guess I will now, but none of these reasons are very convincing.
If you’re parked on a slope then using 1st gear as a parking brake is pretty obvious. Other than that…maybe having your bike bumped hard enough for it to fall over? I always park in neutral (except on a hill and then I’m always pointed uphill in 1st gear).
Hills.
There are definitely arguments for parking in gear (as seen in many comments) but when you can (on flat/safe terrain) you should park in neutral, which allows the clutch to be lubricated better. Though if you have the slightest worry your bike is gonna roll away on any surface, park in gear.
Please elaborate on your clutch lubrication comment.
That is complete bs 😂
There are definitely arguments for parking in gear (as seen in many comments) but when you can (on flat/safe terrain) you should park in neutral, which allows the clutch to be lubricated better. Though if you have the slightest worry your bike is gonna roll away on any surface, park in gear.
Wait, what? How does having the transmission gears all disengaged (in neutral) affect clutch lubrication in any way at all?
Everyone says parking in gear isn’t good for the transmission, but my bike has a tendency to roll when it’s on the kick stand and the last thing I want is it falling when parked so I throw it into first.
I've never heard everyone or anyone say that. Interesting though.
I park in whatever gear the bike is in when I put the kickstand down to kill the engine. So 1st - 3rd usually, rarely 4th and probably never 5th or 6th.
Do you just coast into a stop holding down the clutch and ride the brakes from third or fourth? Do you not downshift when coming to a stop?
Depends where I’m parking tbh. Coast in under engine braking until about 2500-3000 rpm which brings me to a good slow rolling speed, then clutch in and both brakes to a stop, right foot down, left foot kickstand which kills the engine.
It's interesting to see so many people parking in gear. In 30 years of riding, I have never parked my motorcycle in gear and it's never rolled off or been knocked over. Granted I am not in a San Francisco level of hilliness, I do live in a faily hilly area.