Trouble finding neutral.

Ok, Ive done a search and find plent about the sv gearboxes but cant seem to find anything like my problem.

My problem is with finding neutral while the engine is running, I simply cant!

It will flick between 1st and 2nd sometimes being a little stiff, but as soon as i turn the engine off with ignition on, the easiest thing in the world to find is neutral! Why is this?!

Slightly annoying as I have electric gates in to an underground carpark which i need to put bike in neutral to get buzzer out of my pocket and turning the engine off each time is kinda annoying..!

Forgot to mention: My bike is a 52 reg SV 650

Have you adjusted the chain, cleaned and lubed the chain, and adjusted the clutch at the worm drive?

I have only cleaned and lubed the chain.. Perhaps Ill ask my mechanic friend to do the other stuff you mentioned. Cheers buddy

Yea, try adjusting the chain tension. Make sure your mechanic adjusts the worm drive and not just the cable tension (the worm drive is hidden behind the front sprocket cover). Actualy, that one you might be able to do yourself, I do mine...and I'm a bit scaredey of doing things on my bike (I let my dad adjust the chain tension, although I understand how to do it)

Anyway, dead easy to do - take off the front sprocket cover (3 x 8mm bolts, need a long socket), then slack the clutch cable right off at both ends. Place a flat-headed screw driver in the slot for the worm-drive, hold it, and undo the 10mm nut (might need a bit of a tug, dont skin your knuckles!). Turn the worm drive in with the screw driver until it just touches something, then back off 1/8 of a turn. Hold it there, and tighten the 10 mm nut back up. Re-tighten the clutch cable (remember to leave a little slack for when you turn the handlebars side-to-side). Oh, get some oil on the worm drive mechanism and some on the gear selector shaft to it all runs smoothly

Matt

sounds like a problem i was having and it was the clutch and like alpine says, you can do it yourself quite easy, just take the cover off and adjust the bolts to make it a bit tighter, but mien was where the clutch cable had stretched and the clutch wasn't engaging when pulling in except for when i was moving.

whenever i can't find neutral i roll forward half a foot and try again ^.^ best of luckies

Originally Posted by Thingus

whenever i can't find neutral i roll forward half a foot and try again ^.^ best of luckies

Ah, the good ol' neutral shuffle.

I once almost wrote a song about such a dance

That's a floor filler i'm sure =D

may sound obvious but you havent got too much oil have you? thats a classic and makes finding neutral a bugger!