300EX Skipping Neutral

[Kels300]

I have a 1998 300EX and sometimes when I am in first gear and shift up to put it into neutral, it skips neutral and goes into second gear.

When it does this, if I shut my bike off then try to put it in neutral without the engine running, it goes into neutral no problem. :huh

Has anyone else had this problem or anyone have any suggestions.

[lil400exman]

hmmm thatsa hard one all i can think of is your shifter forks in the case are going bad in it or your shift shaft is running like how should i say it bald not teeth to hold it that is all i can think about soory ifi am not much help

[lil400exman]

btw where in ohio do you live?i live in near dayton

[ATV_MAN]

My 99 300ex does the same thing and i have to shut it off to put it in neutral. I dont know what the problem is. Once in awhile i will get lucky though and it will go into neutral when it is on but it is very hard to do that.

[Rastus]

Sounds like you need to adjust your clutch.
I live next to marietta.

[Kels300]

Well, I am glad it is not just me. Yeah sometimes, when my quad is running it will go into neutral but other times it is hard and I have to shut it off turn the key back on and then shift up and then it goes back into neutral.

I live in Northeastern OH. About an hour south of Youngstown. Dayton is about 3 hours south of me. Sorry!:(

[flyin300]

same thing happens to me.. oh and 250xer.. I live in pomeroy.. just off the river..

[Rastus]

Cool, ill have to look ya up, and well go ridin somewhere :)

["BLAHH"300!!]

....it's not your clutch,you got a 98' and that other guy has a 99'
so it's not your clutch unless you ride the clutch..i don't and it still happens to me,....

here's a tip..... stop, put it in first, pull in the clutch, let out the clutch just a tad, not enugh for it to catch, give it a little gas, while pulling up on the shifter.....work's for me...
i don't know what make's it do this not want to go into neutral, sometime's i just turn mine off too. it shouldn't be your clutch, or clutch cable's. couse i've already checked all mine.

hey does the 250ex shift like the 400 and the 300..down 1st and up ----5th? neutral in between?

nope a 250ex shift pattern is nutral>1>2>3>4>5

[phatswinn]

blahh that exactly what i do, its common for that to happen on everything with a manual clutch, i think its cuz wen you go into first and start riding then you pass nuetral and go to secand instead of stopping at nuetral, so it would have to shift into second easy

["BLAHH"300!!]

...when you try to get ur rpms up from first through-----, your hammerin' first and ...RIINNNNNN!!!! bamm you hit neutral..

before i got a sport bike i wondered why it was set up with neutral in the middle, but after being on it, and hammering through a trail and knowing first is alway's under you, i like it better.

[nj300exr]

hey i got the same problem, 99 300, i just tach it up a lilk and it goes in smooth. you should check your clutch cnle though and adjust it to the proper tension

[RedRider300]

I've been having the same problem, and everyone i ask doesn't have an answer for me. Glad i'm not the only one having this problem. The only time I can get it to shift into neutral is when i'm hammering it going down a trail, when I don't need to get into neutral. Is there any way that this problem can be fixed or not? BTW, i've got a '96.

[250rampage]

Tighten up your clutch cable. If the clutch is engaged at all (IE. lever not pulled all the way in, or cable is too loose), it won't go into neutral easy. Trust me, give it a try, I just put a new clutch lever on my 400 and it's one of the first things I encountered.

[Kels300]

Well, I am glad I am not the only one with this problem! Too bad we haven't figured out how to fix it yet though.

250rampage- If I tighten up the clutch cable, this will work?

[Rastus]

Yes. It works. Ive encountered this before. Fixed it about 20 million times on other peoples 300's

[250rampage]

Yep. Just gotta make sure you have it tight enough, but not so tight that doesn't fully engage...gotta find the sweet spot.

[300EX]

same thing on my 96 300ex too, I found that when you are trying to put it into neutral pull in the clutch rev it a little and while it is still reved pull up on the shifter and usually goes right into neutral, no prob. hope I helped.

[87Warrior]

on my friend's 300 i either go into netral while im still moving or i go into 2nd on purpose and lightly tap the shifter down, werks most of the time