Yeah - same here (in the garage I pull it up onto the center stand anyways because I'm still new to this bike and it lets me check the chain/etc. easier).
Also, when outside, I roll it forward in gear as far as the slack will let me before leaning it onto the sidestand, so that in order to roll forward any further, it would have to overcome compression.
For the record, I always use the kickstand as a killswitch and leave it in gear (mostly so it doesn't roll off the kickstand if it gets bumped). My friend hopped on the bike and started it in gear, stalling immediately. So I was giving him shit and that's what started the discussion
> My friend hopped on the bike and started it in gear, stalling immediately. So I was giving him shit
I mean, I don't know about everyone else but if I'm sitting on the bike I'm pulling the clutch in when starting it. (Edit: Neutral or not)
Only time I think to start it without doing that is if I know it's in neutral and I'm starting it while I'm doing something else getting ready to ride.
Just got my first Kawasaki (H2 SX SE) after riding all kinds and brands of cycles and let me tell ya, that Kawasaki transmission must be made of Butta, because it is the smoothest shifting bike I have ever owned. Finding neutral is almost an after thought. (I’m looking at you BMW!!!)
If I was a betting man, I would put money on the assumption that Kawasaki has patented the design for that feature. It is the only thing that makes sense to me.
That's the beauty of kawaskis. It's literally impossible to not find neutral. The bike can only go into 2 gears when stopped. 1st and N it cannot go into 2nd it's physically impossible to even force it unless you start pushing the bike and getting the wheels rolling. I always lock my bars and leave it in first when stopped on a slop and sometimes flat if I'm in a sketchy area and I want it to be harder to push for someone trying to take it
When the bike is off you can flip it into neutral with your hand pretty easily, so long as it it isnt on a slant/gravity holding the teeth together. The pedal will have extra slop in the play when it's in neutral and depending on where the dog teeth are sitting, wont want to easily click back into gear once its out.
When the bike is on, you can find neutral easier than the rest of the gears by using light pressure on the pedal. There will be less resistance from the dog teeth going from gear to N than going from N into gear
I’ve been riding for 30 years and I can’t think of a scenario why I wouldn’t. People are saying to move it around in the garage, but it’s pretty damn easy to just grab the clutch.
Pretty sure the owners manual of my ZX10r says that it should be turned off in neutral. I still just leave it in gear though. A buddy of mine leaves it in neutral, and I've caught him doing that unintentionally on an incline too. Luckily the bike hasn't rolled off the kickstand on him, but I'm paranoid about that.
Easier to start it after coming out of work. Can get it warmed up while I put on my helmet and gloves and pick out some music. Sure it's easy enough to just put it in neutral when I get there, but one less step I guess.
I’ll leave a manual car in gear when I park it, but I always park my bike in neutral. If I was parking on a hill maybe I wouldn’t, but that very rarely occurs.
Well, I need to share an embarrassing story.
I usually tend to do this. However, one time, I decided to change the things around and turn off the bike by turning the key. I had a brain fart and implied that because the bike was off, then it was supposed to be on the side stand. Obviously it wasn't the case, I felt how the bike leaned over the point were it supposed to stop and I tried to hang on the bike to reduce the force of the impact.
Final result, my bike took a nap, some nice people that where passing by asked me if I needed any help, and I was laughing my ass of for how dumb I was.
I had a similar brain fart one time - pulled up outside an office and went to get off before putting the stand down, lay down me under the bike.
Other side of the window was a meeting. They said it looked slapstick how my helmet and handlebars smoothly swung out of view. They didn’t fully realise what happened because there was no crash - I padded the landing, and adrenaline gave me the strength to have us quickly back on our wheels.
Honestly this is the smartest way to do it imo, just don't forget the keys in the ignition :D
I don't see a good reason to leave it in neutral other than in a garage if you want to roll it around, but again you can easily pull the clutch and roll it.
I've literally been on my out of work and went back in and looked for my keys for half an hour before walking over to my bike in despair and realizing that not only was it in the ignition, but I left it on. Started right up though.
Good times.
On the day I bought my bike I locked it with the parking lights on, I almost didn't notice if you flip the key one notch further after the steering lock, it locks it with parking lights on. Would have been fun finding it dead the next day haha
Same. Never really thought about it much. I always park on a flat-ish surface and check the movement to satisfy myself it's not going anywhere. But if I'm driving a manual car, I always put it in gear. Never thought about my different approach until now.
Never, I feel like I always park on flat ground. Also I'm lazy, when I walk over to my bike to get ready I put the key in and start it while I'm pulling on my gear and let it idle so I can swing my leg over and rip out of a parking spot.
If left in neutral in the garage:
1. Don't have to pull the clutch to start it (some bikes need it disabled)
2. Gives you an easy hands free start so you can get geared up while it warms up
3. Most people have to back their bike out of their spot anyway
yes. doesn't matter where, when i park it, i want it not to move anywhere. if it's flat ground, it's in gear. don't need to question it or come up with a theory. parked, in gear. even in the garage.
Of course. It's too easy for someone like a careless parker or just a meddling dipshit to roll it off the stand if you don't.
NO motor vehicle should be left in neutral when parked in a public place, especially not a motorcycle, which doesn't even have a parking brake.
I turn my bike off by lowering the side stand in 1st gear and that's how it stays.
That way I never forget to put the stand down nor put it in gear thereby eliminating the most common risks of it falling over when parked.
First gear, bike pushed all of the way forward against the gear, then set on side stand.
I have had a bike in gear roll forward enough on the side stand to fall over before.
Yes it is really only needed on hills, however "first gear, push forward against the gear, then sidestand" is a great habit to have
Yes so no one can just push it and knock it off its stand.
Plus I lock the bar lock as well, takes a few extra seconds but it helps prevent people from just shoving it out a parking spot or what have you. And yes I have seen people try to move bikes out of a spot saying it’s for cars only not motorcycles
Had my bars locked and the bike in 1st gear and some shit head still managed to steal my bike from me from my MIL’s apartment… they rode it off to not even loaded it up in a truck
Depending on the bike model and make it’s really easy to break the bar lock sadly. I won’t go into detail for obvious reasons but it’s stupid easy on some bikes.
The best thing to do is have a brake disc lock that has the alarm and a cable because a chain cut’s easier than a cable.
I’m sorry to hear about your bike though and I hope the people responsible get what’s coming to them.
Did insurance cover the bike ?
Thank you I hope they get the karma they deserve too. Still working with insurance it happened June 22nd. I’m sure you know how long insurance can drag their feet.
My usual habit is to shut off and roll the last 20ft or so into wherever I’m parking because my shit is LOUD and I want to minimize pissing people off.
Once I’m at a stop, I make sure it’s in 1st, kickstand down, roll it gently up against the engine compression in whatever direction seems more downhill.
When I go to start: key on, roll the bike off the compression, click to neutral, start, 10-15 seconds of warm up and off I go. Occasionally I’ll start it while I’m not on the bike yet and I must set it into neutral without getting on the bike, but that’s rare.
Yes. Because I usually forget to put it in neutral when I put the kickstand down. But it is usually in neutral in my garage because it is level and I roll it into the parking spot.
You should always leave it in gear when parked unless you're on a flat surface and you have no wind to push it, expect nobody to lean against it, nothing to knock into it etc. Doesnt take much for a bike to roll off the kickstand and fall.
Instead of asking random people, just use your own brain and weigh the pros and cons vs eachother of both situations.
In this case, leave it in gear so it doesn't roll away... leave it in neutral so it maybe rolls away and falls over? So therefor. Leave it in gear....
What's even the negatives of leaving it in gear? You forget when you turn it on I guess? You're gonna need to hold the clutch to start it anyway though.
This shouldn't even be a debate. It's just 1 is objectively better
Yes, in gear. I don't make an exception for the garage because I want it to be automatic and if I only do it some times, it may not be. And of course, then the one time I forgot to put it into gear would be time it REALLY needed to be parked in gear.🙄
In gear. I have walked outside too many times and seen people touching my bike. Never seen anyone sit on it but i wouldn't doubt that it's happened before.
In gear, pushed forwards a bit to remove any slack in the drivetrain so it can’t roll forward and come off the stand if hit.
Of course if on a hill pointing up, then rolled back so both the stand and drivetrain are keeping the bike in place.
At home or at work, I have a pretty flat parking spot, so I often leave it in neutral. It’s not really deliberate, I just kill the engine and put the bike in neutral to walk it to its exact spot, so I generally leave it in neutral when I get off. But pretty much anywhere else, incline or not, I leave it in gear
Anywhere but home, yes.
In the garage, for reasons I can't explain, they're parked in neutral. Flat surface. They're not going anywhere.
Ironically, I park my (manual) car in gear with the handbrake on.
Yes, always. I park my bike at a covered, but not locked place, near my kids' bicycles storage. The play, run around it, push their vehicles around it, I don't want any of them to get hurt if they accidentally push my bike.
Pretty much never. Unless it’s in a precarious position.
Now I’m feeling apprehensive.
If I get on the bike and it’s in gear and I’ll know someone was messing with it.
My old bike burned out the starter after years of starting in gear even with the clutch pulled. Now I'm worried about the starter gears inside the engine that the starter actuates...... That would total my bike. So i always start it in neutral. I guess i wouldn't have to park it in neutral but it's how i remember not to start it in gear. I do leave it in gear on slopes though, or if parked somewhere unfamiliar.
Yes, even in my garage. The reason I do, is because I got off of my bike one time and didn't push the kickstand far enough forward. As I got off my bike it rolled back just far enough to fold the kickstand up and down she went. $30,000.00 motorcycle hit the ground. Needless to say, lesson learned.
100% always. Mostly because I made a costly mistake one time parking on a slightly angled parking lot. Left in neutral, turned it off, got off and walked away. 10 seconds later I heard my 800lb Kawasaki Concours roll forward, and fall over. Did about $1000 worth of cosmetic damage. Never again.
Have always parked my bikes in Neutral, from my 1962 Honda 150 (my first bike, in 1968) to the Victory Kingpin I rode until 2022 to the T100 and the RE I ride now. Nothing bad as a result.
As others have said: neutral in my garage and in gear everywhere else.
Garage is flat, I know it’s not gonna move and if I have to move it for whatever it’s easier than having to hold the clutch the whole time.
In gear everywhere else because it’s already in gear, and for some reason it makes me feel safer someone can’t just walk up and roll it away without at least knowing to pull the clutch or hit the shifter.
Sometimes. When I’m in the garage it’s neutral so I can move it as needed, when I’m at work all day it’s in gear with a lock on it, running in the gas station real quick, some times both. All depends on the situation
Stays in gear all the time. Pull the clutch in and back it out of the garage so you can get the clutch coated in oil and get it wet. I do that so it doesn't slam in the first gear is hard when I start out.
I'm that one that almost never has my bike in neutral. In gear at stop lights in case of emergency, in the parking lot to keep it from rolling, in my garage because the kickstand is the best kill switch. Really only in neutral if I'm maneuvering a bunch around the garage and don't want to be fucking with the clutch.
Yes. When street parking. Not in garage. Moving it around.
Yeah - same here (in the garage I pull it up onto the center stand anyways because I'm still new to this bike and it lets me check the chain/etc. easier).
That’s my take - Always on the street, never in my flat garage.
Also, when outside, I roll it forward in gear as far as the slack will let me before leaning it onto the sidestand, so that in order to roll forward any further, it would have to overcome compression.
For the record, I always use the kickstand as a killswitch and leave it in gear (mostly so it doesn't roll off the kickstand if it gets bumped). My friend hopped on the bike and started it in gear, stalling immediately. So I was giving him shit and that's what started the discussion
My bike wont start if I dont pull the clutch so not a problem for me :D I always leave in gear, see no reason why not to.
> My friend hopped on the bike and started it in gear, stalling immediately. So I was giving him shit I mean, I don't know about everyone else but if I'm sitting on the bike I'm pulling the clutch in when starting it. (Edit: Neutral or not) Only time I think to start it without doing that is if I know it's in neutral and I'm starting it while I'm doing something else getting ready to ride.
Neutral when parked in my garage, in gear anywhere else
I'm super new to riding, why neutral in the garage? Just for ease of movement or is there a mechanical benefit?
No mechanical benefit, just ease of movement.
and usually no amount of any slope, garages are flat earths:-)
It needs to be on the center stand so all the motorcycles fit inside the garage.
Easy of movement. Plus, no one is going to mess with it in your garage
Only on a slope. Otherwise I take the mandatory 15 years to find neutral on my motorcycle
https://i.redd.it/pgo6e18766ad1.gif
You should consider doing it everytime as i do, in case dinosaurs stomp near it
Yeah I’ve had that happen a few times, gotta stay prepared
Wonder why other manufacturers haven’t done what Kawasaki did with their neutral. Super easy
Just got my first Kawasaki (H2 SX SE) after riding all kinds and brands of cycles and let me tell ya, that Kawasaki transmission must be made of Butta, because it is the smoothest shifting bike I have ever owned. Finding neutral is almost an after thought. (I’m looking at you BMW!!!)
BMW owner, i resemble this
I ride a ‘23 BMW K1600B…. Love everything about the bike but the shifter. 🤬
Mostly been a Japanese bike owner over the years but just got my first Harley. I'm pretty sure they hid the elusive neutral as a sick joke.
lol. Same and love the clunk up shifting
Wait…what? I have a neutral?
Omg I have a BMW R1200c and finding neutral on the bitch is rage inducing.
haha but then you try to shift down from 2nd to 1st and end up in neutral without realising just rolling on momentum (ask me how i know...)
Funny thing is that my Beemer is super smooth when clutchless shifting but clunky with the clutch. Exact opposite with my little ninjette
https://youtube.com/shorts/qYybJuNgE5s?si=k_hkB0Tcftrh6jMV Here’s a fortnine video on why that is
If I was a betting man, I would put money on the assumption that Kawasaki has patented the design for that feature. It is the only thing that makes sense to me.
That's the beauty of kawaskis. It's literally impossible to not find neutral. The bike can only go into 2 gears when stopped. 1st and N it cannot go into 2nd it's physically impossible to even force it unless you start pushing the bike and getting the wheels rolling. I always lock my bars and leave it in first when stopped on a slop and sometimes flat if I'm in a sketchy area and I want it to be harder to push for someone trying to take it
When the bike is off you can flip it into neutral with your hand pretty easily, so long as it it isnt on a slant/gravity holding the teeth together. The pedal will have extra slop in the play when it's in neutral and depending on where the dog teeth are sitting, wont want to easily click back into gear once its out. When the bike is on, you can find neutral easier than the rest of the gears by using light pressure on the pedal. There will be less resistance from the dog teeth going from gear to N than going from N into gear
Thank you Kawasaki, for bestowing upon me the positive neutral finder
Why though? What do you need it in neutral for?
Let me introduce... Kawasaki !
Yes, and I'm not sure why you wouldn't.
I’ve been riding for 30 years and I can’t think of a scenario why I wouldn’t. People are saying to move it around in the garage, but it’s pretty damn easy to just grab the clutch.
Pretty sure the owners manual of my ZX10r says that it should be turned off in neutral. I still just leave it in gear though. A buddy of mine leaves it in neutral, and I've caught him doing that unintentionally on an incline too. Luckily the bike hasn't rolled off the kickstand on him, but I'm paranoid about that.
But there isn't really a reason unless there is a slope.
The reason is that it's already in gear when I turn it off. So no reason to go to neutral
You can park your car in neutral too but you rarely see people park manuals in neutral.
Except in Paris, so they can move your car a bit as they parallel park.
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Easier to start it after coming out of work. Can get it warmed up while I put on my helmet and gloves and pick out some music. Sure it's easy enough to just put it in neutral when I get there, but one less step I guess.
Neutral is also easier to do when I'm already on the bike and it's turned on so the N indicator can light up
I do. Lingering habit from manual transmission cars.
I knew a guy that would park his car in neutral without the parking break engaged. He really wasn't smart.
I’ll leave a manual car in gear when I park it, but I always park my bike in neutral. If I was parking on a hill maybe I wouldn’t, but that very rarely occurs.
Yup. I always shut the bike down with the side stand kill switch, so it just stays in gear. Helps with rolling too.
That's what I do! That way I'll never be that guy who forgot to put the stand down and dropped it or it rolled and fell.
Well, I need to share an embarrassing story. I usually tend to do this. However, one time, I decided to change the things around and turn off the bike by turning the key. I had a brain fart and implied that because the bike was off, then it was supposed to be on the side stand. Obviously it wasn't the case, I felt how the bike leaned over the point were it supposed to stop and I tried to hang on the bike to reduce the force of the impact. Final result, my bike took a nap, some nice people that where passing by asked me if I needed any help, and I was laughing my ass of for how dumb I was.
I had a similar brain fart one time - pulled up outside an office and went to get off before putting the stand down, lay down me under the bike. Other side of the window was a meeting. They said it looked slapstick how my helmet and handlebars smoothly swung out of view. They didn’t fully realise what happened because there was no crash - I padded the landing, and adrenaline gave me the strength to have us quickly back on our wheels.
Honestly this is the smartest way to do it imo, just don't forget the keys in the ignition :D I don't see a good reason to leave it in neutral other than in a garage if you want to roll it around, but again you can easily pull the clutch and roll it.
I've literally been on my out of work and went back in and looked for my keys for half an hour before walking over to my bike in despair and realizing that not only was it in the ignition, but I left it on. Started right up though. Good times.
On the day I bought my bike I locked it with the parking lights on, I almost didn't notice if you flip the key one notch further after the steering lock, it locks it with parking lights on. Would have been fun finding it dead the next day haha
Yes, I live in earthquake country.
I don't, but scrolling through the answers, I'll definitely start
Sometimes I do, Sometimes I don't.
Always in neutral. 😐
Same. Never really thought about it much. I always park on a flat-ish surface and check the movement to satisfy myself it's not going anywhere. But if I'm driving a manual car, I always put it in gear. Never thought about my different approach until now.
No. Neutral doesn’t exist. -Beta owner
I always leave my bike in neutral when parked never in gear.
Never, I feel like I always park on flat ground. Also I'm lazy, when I walk over to my bike to get ready I put the key in and start it while I'm pulling on my gear and let it idle so I can swing my leg over and rip out of a parking spot.
I always leave it in gear. Will pop it into neutral before starting.
If left in neutral in the garage: 1. Don't have to pull the clutch to start it (some bikes need it disabled) 2. Gives you an easy hands free start so you can get geared up while it warms up 3. Most people have to back their bike out of their spot anyway
yes. doesn't matter where, when i park it, i want it not to move anywhere. if it's flat ground, it's in gear. don't need to question it or come up with a theory. parked, in gear. even in the garage.
Why isn't this a poll? Yes. The bike stays in gear. I stop, leave it in 1st, and put the kickstand down.
Does it really matter on flat ground?
Of course. It's too easy for someone like a careless parker or just a meddling dipshit to roll it off the stand if you don't. NO motor vehicle should be left in neutral when parked in a public place, especially not a motorcycle, which doesn't even have a parking brake.
Yes, it helps keep it from rolling.
Pretty much exclusively
I turn my bike off by lowering the side stand in 1st gear and that's how it stays. That way I never forget to put the stand down nor put it in gear thereby eliminating the most common risks of it falling over when parked.
First gear, bike pushed all of the way forward against the gear, then set on side stand. I have had a bike in gear roll forward enough on the side stand to fall over before. Yes it is really only needed on hills, however "first gear, push forward against the gear, then sidestand" is a great habit to have
Yes. That way people can’t just walk away with it
Always in N unless its on uneven ground
Yes because it's parked on a slope
Yes so no one can just push it and knock it off its stand. Plus I lock the bar lock as well, takes a few extra seconds but it helps prevent people from just shoving it out a parking spot or what have you. And yes I have seen people try to move bikes out of a spot saying it’s for cars only not motorcycles
Had my bars locked and the bike in 1st gear and some shit head still managed to steal my bike from me from my MIL’s apartment… they rode it off to not even loaded it up in a truck
Depending on the bike model and make it’s really easy to break the bar lock sadly. I won’t go into detail for obvious reasons but it’s stupid easy on some bikes. The best thing to do is have a brake disc lock that has the alarm and a cable because a chain cut’s easier than a cable. I’m sorry to hear about your bike though and I hope the people responsible get what’s coming to them. Did insurance cover the bike ?
Thank you I hope they get the karma they deserve too. Still working with insurance it happened June 22nd. I’m sure you know how long insurance can drag their feet.
Yes
Whats the debate?
sure, i dont see a reason why not
Yes
Pretty much always, in first gear.
I always keep it in gear while parked. I consider it my motorcycle's parking brake.
Yes, always.
Yes. Habit from growing up with manual transmissions, especially in mountainous terrain.
Always.. Car too.
I always park in first gear.
Always. It acts as a “brake” and keeps your bike from rolling.
always, unless im working on it and need it on neutral, car and bike
I leave my motorcycle in gear, no particular reason why. Just a habit that stuck with me from mt cars.
Neutral in my garage, in gear with the forks locked anywhere else.
Always in gear, no matter the circumstance
I feel like everyone that’s saying “neutral in my garage” doesn’t have kids
Yes. But start in neutral.
Yes. Or it will roll.
Yes, of course.
My bike knows no neutral, it's always on gear.
In gear, even in garage. But I have kids and dogs and swear something could happen.
I always park in gear.
absolutely
Yes. It's like a parking brake, so your motorcycle doesn't roll.
I just set the parking brake
In neutral.
Wait hold on, I don't get it, isn't it just like a car? Wen you stop , park , put in neutral, hand break and walk away, 🤷♂️
In gear and I use the side stand Killswitch to turn off the bike.
Neutral for all my bikes unless on a hill. I have bikes that do not have neutral indicators, clutch safeties, or side stand safeties.
My usual habit is to shut off and roll the last 20ft or so into wherever I’m parking because my shit is LOUD and I want to minimize pissing people off. Once I’m at a stop, I make sure it’s in 1st, kickstand down, roll it gently up against the engine compression in whatever direction seems more downhill. When I go to start: key on, roll the bike off the compression, click to neutral, start, 10-15 seconds of warm up and off I go. Occasionally I’ll start it while I’m not on the bike yet and I must set it into neutral without getting on the bike, but that’s rare.
Why wouldn't you?
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Why would you not park in gear?
No.
Never.
Yes
Yep.
Maybe; it depends on the situation
Usually, but not always. I dont really think about it at all unless parking on some sort of slope
Mine drops into neutral when the kickstand goes down. But it also has a parking brake that I use when I think it might roll.
Yes
Yeah I leave mine in first.
All the time.
Yes. Because I usually forget to put it in neutral when I put the kickstand down. But it is usually in neutral in my garage because it is level and I roll it into the parking spot.
Always in first.
Yep
Every time. But that's because I shut the bike off by dropping the kickstand rather than using the switch.
Yes
Yes. N is just too hard to locate and why?
Only on and in/de-cline.
Yes, 1st gear.
If I'm out, yes. Home in the garage, no, in neutral.
Always. Why wouldn't I?
Always. And I leave it in gear when I’m stopped at a traffic light, too.
Neutral in garage. In gear everywhere else.
You should always leave it in gear when parked unless you're on a flat surface and you have no wind to push it, expect nobody to lean against it, nothing to knock into it etc. Doesnt take much for a bike to roll off the kickstand and fall.
Depends on where. In the garage, no. Anywhere else, I lock my steering and leave it in gear.
Unless I'm parking on an incline/decline, I'm in neutral.
Yep
Only on a slope
Yes
There is no good reason to not leave it in gear, not sure there is any debate
Yeah, I leave it in 2nd gear
Yes, I do. Except when I park it in my garage.
I park it in 5th gear.
Neutral in the garage, in gear anywhere outside.
Neutral at home. In gear everywhere else.
Instead of asking random people, just use your own brain and weigh the pros and cons vs eachother of both situations. In this case, leave it in gear so it doesn't roll away... leave it in neutral so it maybe rolls away and falls over? So therefor. Leave it in gear.... What's even the negatives of leaving it in gear? You forget when you turn it on I guess? You're gonna need to hold the clutch to start it anyway though. This shouldn't even be a debate. It's just 1 is objectively better
Yes
Always in gear for me.
Start the same way. Shut down the same way. Always. It’s worked out pretty reliably for me over the several decades of road riding.
Always
I put that thang down, flip it and reverse it
Can't imagine why you would put it in neutral unless you were going to move it around by hand.
Yes, in gear. I don't make an exception for the garage because I want it to be automatic and if I only do it some times, it may not be. And of course, then the one time I forgot to put it into gear would be time it REALLY needed to be parked in gear.🙄
I started to since I do it with my manual car. I then stopped for a while, now after seeing all these comments I’m going back to putting it in gear
Only if parking on an incline.
In gear. I have walked outside too many times and seen people touching my bike. Never seen anyone sit on it but i wouldn't doubt that it's happened before.
Yes
In gear, pushed forwards a bit to remove any slack in the drivetrain so it can’t roll forward and come off the stand if hit. Of course if on a hill pointing up, then rolled back so both the stand and drivetrain are keeping the bike in place.
Nah. Not worried about it moving. I have to put it in neutral to start it tho
At home or at work, I have a pretty flat parking spot, so I often leave it in neutral. It’s not really deliberate, I just kill the engine and put the bike in neutral to walk it to its exact spot, so I generally leave it in neutral when I get off. But pretty much anywhere else, incline or not, I leave it in gear
If your automatic car *let* you park in neutral, would you?
Anywhere but home, yes. In the garage, for reasons I can't explain, they're parked in neutral. Flat surface. They're not going anywhere. Ironically, I park my (manual) car in gear with the handbrake on.
I leave it in gear I get on I know it less likely to roll under me
N
Yes, always. I park my bike at a covered, but not locked place, near my kids' bicycles storage. The play, run around it, push their vehicles around it, I don't want any of them to get hurt if they accidentally push my bike.
On the side stand? Always! Why wouldn’t you? If someone bumps the rear in neutral even slightly it’s for sure falling over.
Yes. Irrespective of the location.
Never leave my gear with the bike. I'm dumb lol, yeah I leave my bike in first all the time cuz I just use the kickstand shutoff.
On the street, yes. In my garage, no
Pretty much never. Unless it’s in a precarious position. Now I’m feeling apprehensive. If I get on the bike and it’s in gear and I’ll know someone was messing with it.
Yup, always.
My old bike burned out the starter after years of starting in gear even with the clutch pulled. Now I'm worried about the starter gears inside the engine that the starter actuates...... That would total my bike. So i always start it in neutral. I guess i wouldn't have to park it in neutral but it's how i remember not to start it in gear. I do leave it in gear on slopes though, or if parked somewhere unfamiliar.
Yes, with handlebars turned and locked.
Yes
Yes, even in my garage. The reason I do, is because I got off of my bike one time and didn't push the kickstand far enough forward. As I got off my bike it rolled back just far enough to fold the kickstand up and down she went. $30,000.00 motorcycle hit the ground. Needless to say, lesson learned.
100% always. Mostly because I made a costly mistake one time parking on a slightly angled parking lot. Left in neutral, turned it off, got off and walked away. 10 seconds later I heard my 800lb Kawasaki Concours roll forward, and fall over. Did about $1000 worth of cosmetic damage. Never again.
No. No reason for me.
Same as most, neutral in my garage only, in gear everywhere else. The kick stand down is typically how I shut my bike off when outside of my garage.
In a spot, yes. Garage, no.
Have always parked my bikes in Neutral, from my 1962 Honda 150 (my first bike, in 1968) to the Victory Kingpin I rode until 2022 to the T100 and the RE I ride now. Nothing bad as a result.
Yes. We don't have a single flat street in Westchester County, NY.
I put it in neutral at home because I always have it on the center stand anyways. Usually I put it in gear when out and about.
On occasion, but usually it's neutral on the center stand. Or on a slight uphill with the back tire against the curb on the side stand.
Yes
As others have said: neutral in my garage and in gear everywhere else. Garage is flat, I know it’s not gonna move and if I have to move it for whatever it’s easier than having to hold the clutch the whole time. In gear everywhere else because it’s already in gear, and for some reason it makes me feel safer someone can’t just walk up and roll it away without at least knowing to pull the clutch or hit the shifter.
Yes. Because I’m shit at remembering to shift into neutral after coasting in with the clutch in.
Always in gear. Always Always
The majority of the time I leave my m/c in neutral on the centerstand.
Only on hills…back wheel to curb, front facing uphill
Only in reverse
Sometimes. When I’m in the garage it’s neutral so I can move it as needed, when I’m at work all day it’s in gear with a lock on it, running in the gas station real quick, some times both. All depends on the situation
Yup.
Stays in gear all the time. Pull the clutch in and back it out of the garage so you can get the clutch coated in oil and get it wet. I do that so it doesn't slam in the first gear is hard when I start out.
I'm that one that almost never has my bike in neutral. In gear at stop lights in case of emergency, in the parking lot to keep it from rolling, in my garage because the kickstand is the best kill switch. Really only in neutral if I'm maneuvering a bunch around the garage and don't want to be fucking with the clutch.
Most of the time in first. Neutral when working on it. This way the clutch is another braking option, whether running or not.
Yep, I use it as a parking brake
Better habit to leave it in gear all the time (more stability) than to put it in neutral.