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[adkg12]

Just curious.  When you come to a red traffic light, how many of you shift to neutral and let go of the clutch  and just chill?  Also, do you all use engine braking when slowing down?
Glen

[Twolanerider]

Stay in low with hand on the clutch.  Doing so always trying to stop far enough behind vehicle in front to have a route out if see it's needed.  That way can scoot in a hurry is see coming that warrants getting out of its way.

[ultrarider123]

Stay in low with hand on the clutch.  Doing so always trying to stop far enough behind vehicle in front to have a route out if see it's needed.  That way can scoot in a hurry is see coming that warrants getting out of its way.

Let me be the first to say amen to that...

I never felt comfortable sitting in neutral/hand off the clutch at a traffic light.  I want to be on ready at all times...either to pull away (after looking both ways) or to get out of the way.

And to the engine/compression braking, absolutely!

[Fired00d]

Stay in 1^st with clutch engaged... like said above always be ready to move/get away from any dangers that could present themselves. I do use engine braking.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[03Lightningrocks]

Let me be the first to say amen to that...

I never felt comfortable sitting in neutral/hand off the clutch at a traffic light.  I want to be on ready at all times...either to pull away (after looking both ways) or to get out of the way.

And to the engine/compression braking, absolutely!

Aman!!! Right foot on brake, left foot on ground. Watching mirrors for traffic coming up behind me. I have actually been close to getting slammed. I pulled in between two cars and the ding dong lady smacked right into the car I was sitting behind. She was texting.
That said, I swear on all that is holy I see almost nobody else doing this. I have been on group rides and darned near wet myself when the light turns green and all I hear around me is clack clack clack as all the other bikes are putting her in first to go.

[J-Carr]

Yes, I engine break. And I stay in first gear 90% of the time, angled slightly with room to evade.  So all I have to do is rev and drop the clutch and I'm out of the crunch zone.  I always check the mirrors and the angle I stop at is enough that in case of a chain reaction or the idiot behind me suddenly accelerates it will push me out to the side.

I say 90% because I'm rural and there are times when I can see that there's no one who can get anywhere near me from any direction before the light changes.  In those rare case I occasionally will use the opportunity to put it in neutral and make some adjustments to the boys.      These old 110s get intentsly hot and sometimes you gotta breath.

[JCZ]

Location, location, location.

At most red lights I keep it in 1st with the clutch pulled in.  However, going down Orange Ave. in Coronado you'll sit there for four or five minutes in between signal changes (have to get all the sailers onto the island on to their respective bases and when traffic backs up over the bridge it's backed up on to I-5).  Speed limit is only 25 mph on Orange so I wait for two or three cars to line up behind me then shift to neutral and let the clutch go.  Get to the next corner and repeat it. 

It's that way during commute hours trying to get thousands of sailers on to that island and then trying to get thousands of sailers off that island that's why the lights are set for so long in the north/south direction and for a very short period of time east/west direction. 

And yes, I engine brake.

[kiro]

As JC indicated, location has much to do with going into neutral or not. I almost never do because our lights aren't that long, but have on occasion like in a long line of traffic in stop and go. Also engine brake and always allow enough room when approaching a vehicle to move out of the way to either side just in case. Situational awareness is always paramount so I keep an eye on what's going on around, behind, front, etc. You need more space from a stop anyway because you'd be right on top of a cage at normal take off speeds at a light.

[adkg12]

I was merely curious.  I agree in that its about the situation and location.  I do both.  Almost always engine brake though.  I read a debate once that engine braking prematurely wears the rear tire.. but I really havent seen any hard evidence to promote or support that. 
Glen

[03Lightningrocks]

I was merely curious.  I agree in that its about the situation and location.  I do both.  Almost always engine brake though.  I read a debate once that engine braking prematurely wears the rear tire.. but I really havent seen any hard evidence to promote or support that. 
Glen

I engine brake A LOT! I sure hope it is not wearing my tires out. I try to save the rubber for my "smokey burn outs".

[TNCarters]

Usually stay in gear at lights unless the light is known to be really long or I'm in stop and go traffic and getting tired of constantly holding clutch in for the 20th+ stop.  I too engine break slowing to a stop.  I would think it would be harder on the clutch than the rear tire.  Always thought about going to neutral when I had bikes with cable clutch just in case a cable snaps but now with hydraulics I just leave it in gear.  Afraid I have a habit of pulling up too close to have an escape. 

Rear-ending is popular around here.  My wife's been hit twice, me once and daughter once all in our cages.  My daughter was hit so hard on a flat straight road that it totaled her Accord.

[03Lightningrocks]

I am curious, I have attended more than one MSC. Several actually and they taught this in every coarse I have had for years.

Of those that do keep her ready to go(cocked and locked...LOL), how many of you have taken a MSC or two or three?

[Ironhorse]

There is no right or wrong, only what you are comfortable with. That said, location, location, location.

[J-Carr]

I am curious, I have attended more than one MSC. Several actually and they taught this in every coarse I have had for years.

Of those that do keep her ready to go(cocked and locked...LOL), how many of you have taken a MSC or two or three?

Three MSF Advanced rider course - Once on a sporty once solo on the dresser and once two up on the dresser.  Yeah they teach it here too.

[tweeter13]

When I first started riding, I was at a light in town with all my buddies.  I was mid pack and watch my mirrors and bikes started just getting plowed over behind me and I drove up and on the curb and into the grass and just dropped the bike there and when I turned around this pick up truck was already passed where I was at.  2 of my friends were not so lucky that day.  They went to hospital with broken legs and and multiple other problems others were just banged up.  Bikes were destroyed.   The gentlemen that ran into all of them had a stroke coming up to the light.  He was the only one that day that lost his life that day.  It was sad.  He had a Purple Heart license plate and when he was slumped over I new there was something wrong.  But you never know what may happen.  I wish we would have had cell phones back then.

 Always in gear checking mirrors and looking around.   I don't keep a foot on the brake I use the front brake must be from the old Moto cross days.   
Todd