Got A Problem

I did something today I don't normally do. Bike was on the jack both wheels off ground. It was on first gear and I hit the starter without pulling clutch on. The starter engaged!!!! Neutral switch seems to work since the light comes on when in neutral. Here is the question: is this normal???? Like I said I never tried this starting in gear without clutch. Japan bikes won't engage.

Wow! I feel lucky now, that I didn't do this and drop the bike!
All these years of riding it became second nature to just put it in neutral or pull in the clutch to start. I went through the schematics and couldn't find a circuit that would prevent this.

my 94 wide glide and 2000 road king will crank starter in gear. i sometimes leave my bike in gear on an uneavan parking spot so just beware.

I'm pretty sure it was '07 for the 1st year to have the neutral safety switch in civilian bikes....only cop bikes had them before that....gotta keep your mind on what you're doing

Wanna have some fun fatboy,try kickin' one while it's in gear...I promise no one will laugh at you layin' there

Lucifer, way to funny that would be adding insult to injury

NO! No fun for me.

07 was the year,I broke a clutch lever in Reno ,they put an 06 lever on and it would not start unless it was in nutral ,there's a little tang in there that let's it start in gear as long as the clutch is pulled in.

My '03 cop bike won't start in any gear or neutral unless the clutch is pulled in...

The Harleys made for forign shipment have had the clutch/nuetral inter lock for some years. My 09 has no such device. I start in 1st w'clutch pulled,just to avoide that (loud to me) "clunk" ever since my tranny re-build.

So you can start your bike in neutral without pulling the clutch in?? My cop bike is from Connecticut,but they(cop bikes) have had that feature for a number of years... part number in Police Model parts book has 71584-96 as a part number, but Harley's switches changed in 96 too so it would have been around before that too....what they do is cut the power from the ignition circuit if the lever is not pulled in...you need to pull in the lever to close the switch to get juice to the ignition circuit....basically the same as the handlebar brake light switch,you have to pull in the brake lever to get juice to the brake light...

Yes. If I'm in gear and don't pull in the clutch lever my bike WILL start and go. I always pull in the lever anyway for safety. That's what was taught many years ago. So, to avoid that clunking when shifting into first, I pull in clutch,grab front brake,hit start.

One of the first things to learn,at least back in the stone age,'Always pull in the clutch before starting.

MY 12 Street Glide will start in neutral without clutch. But not a habit to get into.

The reason why we learned to always pull the clutch in even if the bike is in neutral AND also hold the brake on was the wet clutch bikes used to have the tendency for the clutch plates to STICK when cold. My '05 Fatboy will start in neutral without pulling in the clutch, it will start (safely) when in gear WHILE PULLING IN THE CLUTCH. BUT, BUT, it will also start in gear without the clutch = crash. The old Japanese bikes never would do that. Now that I discovered that my harley will start in gear without the clutch pulled in, I'm in a shirt load of trouble! :roflmao: :witsend:

Can't, just spent all my loot on the Iphone5 !!!! :roflmao: