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Hello again. As some of you know I just bought 2001 Rebel for my wife. Or I should say, 'we bought it.' We love the bike and after spending Saturday adjusting the carbs, changing the oil and getting all the tar off the tires and chain it looks brand new. There's only one issue with the bike - it is occasionally very difficult to get into neutral. Most of the time - and just about every time while out riding thankfully - it just pops right in. But sometimes - usually when it's parked and right before starting up, either pre-ride or right in the middle of it - it refuses to go into neutral and just pops up into second - rolling it a bit or riding the clutch a little don't seem to help. It's weird, whenever it works, which is most of the time, it pops in as easy as pie... but whenever it doesn't pop in the first time we know we're in for three minutes of fiddling around with it and then all of the sudden it will pop right in. Have any of you ever experienced this before - even with other bikes? Any suggestions on an adjustment I might make that will help?

You must go in and have your toe adjusted for proper alignment.

Some bikes just do this, some more often than others, often when the engine is hot. Yours does it when cold, so maybe you have a new strain of the disease. Useing a good synthetic oil can help many bikes.

I'll just call the Toe truck - he probably knows how to adjust it...

I just posted a minor difficulty about this bike... but I also wanted to post our first impressions. I can't imagine a safer/more appropriate first bike - esspecially for smaller people. What a fun little bike! It's perfect for riding around town and to be honest, it's quicker than I thought it would be. I can get it up to 40mph lickety split and that's all you'll ever need riding around an urban area like where we live. You're sitting down so low it just feels almost impossible to lay the bike down. And it's so light the smallest person can manhandle it and move it around easily. For a starter bike for someone who isn't especially large or tall or a little bike to scoot around in an urban environment, it really is the perfect bike. Light, safe and plenty quick. The motor isn't very powerful once you get up into 4th or 5th gear, but that's not really what this bike is for. I know there are some people who tour on them but I don't think I would. Anyway, my wife is happy and she feels good on this bike and that's what counts.

hey cb,
If anybody can help you with you rebel these guys can. great bunch of people really helpful.
http://www.surfmaine.com/rebelforum/

one time my bike refused to go into neutral. i just started it and was warming but i had to move it so i put it in first rode maybe 30 yards, went to go into neutral and it wouldnt. spent a minute trying just wasnt happening. it didnt even feel like it was trying to go in neutral just right to into gear. had to get off the bike so i just killed it, a minute later i got on and it went right in to neutral. no idea what was up, first time it happend and hasnt happend since...

on another note, i do wish i when the motor is off i could go into neutral then back into 1st without starting the bike. some times i need to push it into another paking spot and dont want to hold the clutch, but dont want to start it just to get it into first. i assume its a safety 'feature' though. but i leave it in 1st when parked so it doest roll or if some kids climb on it it wont/cant roll unless they know how to make it etc.

cool - thanks for the tip.

Personally I'd rather hold the clutch... I find the placement of neutral btwn first and second fairly dangerous and stupid. On my bike, I have ended up with it in neutral a few times while going from first to second, and used the same amount of force as the other times when it shifts normally!

Personally, I would put neutral past 5th, being that I always put it in 1st at stoplights anyway. (I'd probably say different if my clutch wasnt so light).

OK - I checked the Rebel forum - apparently the neutral issue is very common to Rebels. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of posts on the issue. Sounds like something we'll just have to live with from time to time. I did pick up a couple of tips that might be helpful if anyone else is thinking about this - it's apparently simpler to get into neutral from second - and give the shifter a good lube. Not that big a deal and I don't think it's a safety issue... more like a pain in the butt that I can live with if I have to.

Mine does that from time to time, but only when the engine is running.