1st or Neutral????

[Aleziel]

I was wondering what everyone does at a stoplight. Do you put your bike in neutral or 1st gear? I see a lot of people put their bike in neutral and "relax" when they are stopped. I have personally been taught and always do keep my bike in 1st just in case some idiot doesnt decide to stop and I need to get out of the way in a hurry.

tho it depends on the stoplight (if i know its a short wait then i hold the clutch) i generaly put neutral to give my hands a rest.

and by the way.. regarding the people that might not stop behind me. a) when im at a stoplight, i watch the stoplight and perhaps the intersection in front of me, NOT my RV mirrors, b) i dont think you can avoid someone coming from behind if youre in a full stop.c) since im always filtering the only thing that can hit me in a stop is other bikes.

 

[rjo3491]

I leave it in 1st until I have 2 - 3 cars already stopped behind me, that way if somebody does get rear-ended I have a buffer Zone.

Agree. Sometimes neutral is a welcome break for the wrist, back, butt and everything else that can hurt.

 

[MRGM]

Most of the time I keep it in 1st. But if it's a long light and traffic is stopped all around me I'll put it in neutral.

 

[reiobard]

The majority of the time i am in 1st gear, but i have been in the mood to relax if i know it is a particularly long light.

 

[LERecords]

im in 1st probably 90% of the time.. i occasionally shift to netrual if i have to adjust a glove or something.. otherwise, im usually in 1st waiting to continue to ride :_

 

[benjfoster]

I will usually leave it in first. If my hand is getting tired I will shift to N when there are a few cars behind me at the light.

 

[buccs40oz]

usually in first gear. if i have been out for a while non stop i put it in neutral for a little wrist break then back into first

 

[goker]

In first gear until I have somebody stopped behind me. If I think there is still a long wait at a light, switch to neutral to give my hand a break (looks to be majority here). Only thing I may be doing differently is (I didn't see anybody mentioned this), once I am in neutral, I also switch which foot I have on the ground and keep my foot where I can kick into gear if I need to in a hurry. I do keep my hand on the break the whole time.

 

[Pyro]

I leave it in 1st until I have 2 - 3 cars already stopped behind me, that way if somebody does get rear-ended I have a buffer Zone.

Same here, especially if I know it's a long light.

 

[Hoshiko]

I am the same as Jerdman89 and Targa 222.
Try to keep it on 1st unless i have to get the feeling back to my hands or if my rist is tired.

 

[FizzySix]

First.

For the folks concerned about the clutch giving way at a stoplight, I think that if you dump the clutch at idle with the brakes on, I would anticipate that the bike would stall rather than surge into the intersection.

 

[Arlis]

Neutral most of the time. I was told as a youngster holding the clutch would wear it out. I know this is probably not accurate, but it stuck.

 

[Gorgamel]

I like to keep it in 1st gear. But if i know it´s a longer stop (like a train is passing or so..) i put it in neutral.

I don´t think that being overrun by a car from behind is my biggest fear when im riding my bike.

 

[tmilheiser]

N if i know the light and that ill have a min.

 

[Pickax]

I keep it in first because I usually don't put my right foot down. I can't flat foot both sides at the same time so I just keep the right on the rear brake. It makes coming to a stop a little smoother when I gently let off the front and use the rear for the very last bit of the stop.

I watch my mirrors but I'm not sure I would roll out into an intersection if I got nervous about someone hitting me from behind unless I was totally sure they were going to. I guess I could just bail from the bike if there wasn't a second turn lane beside me. But that puts up a new set of risks based on what's around. It seems like it would be hard to judge it in time to make a decision and have time to act. Someone bearing down on you and not seeing you is a pretty no-win situation.

 

[sfcali86]

depends in my wrist and if i need to stretch but mostly 1st

 

[joe1971]

1st 90% of the time, I also stop to one side or the other of my lane angled slightly.

 

[Grape]

I always put it in neutral (if the stop will be longer than 5s). I believe holding the clutch will wear and tear on the clutch components (release bearing) in the long run. This applies to cars at least, I am not sure if the clutch works in the same way in the bike. But I think its better to be on the safe side.

 

[champion221elite]

At traffic lights, I'm in 1st gear 95% of the time. On occasion, I'll click into neutral to adjust something, or just shake my arms out.

I try to get back into 1st gear as quickly as possible in case a cager decides my bike would make an excellent hood decoration.

 

[Kazza]

I always keep it in 1st. If I need to get out of there in a hurry I can just go. Always ready.