[jgold56]

2018 RM Classic with dealer installed heal toe.
About to start on a ride with a group. Green N light on, kick stand up, go to start and it surges forward in gear. Think ok, maybe I missed something and wasn't really in Neutral.
End of ride. Kick stand DOWN, green N light on and says it is in Neutral. Start it and it surges forward throws up kick stand and on it's side. No damage to bike.
Now, it obviously thinks it is in neutral, as it let it start with kickstand down and green light on. But it is actually in gear.
Going to bring to dealer, but anyone experience this ever. Any thoughts?

 

[Caprock]

Sounds like a problem with your gear position sensor. When riding the bike, is the correct gear that the bike is in being displayed?

As a side note, I always shut off my bike with it in known neutral, with the very rare exception when I am forced to park it on a downward facing slope and there is not a curb to rest the front tire on. Then depending on the slope I may leave it in 1st gear. Quite a few bikes are wired where they won't allow the starter to turn over with the kickstand down, unless the clutch is first pulled in. I like that our Indians aren't configured that way, but caution needs to be taken in cases like yours.

 

[driver10]

That has been posted here several times. Gear position sensor is bad. I always start mine with clutch pulled in just in case this happens. If this was happening on a car or truck there would be a recall pretty darn quick.

 

[dieselgman]

Gear Position sensor is reliant on a couple pins in the end of the shifter spool and their accurate contact with an electrical switch body, all while bathed in oil that sometimes also contains contaminants. This issue is documented in service bulletins and is a required maintenance issue. Get the bike repaired and use your clutch when starting to reduce risks of damage or injury.

 

[ForPop]

If the heel/toe is a new install? There's a slight chance when the install was done they did a poor job adjusting the shift rod. It may be as simple as backing off the current shift rod adjustment, making certain the gear selector is neutral, then, adjust/set the shift rod accordingly.

Just thinking out loud.

 

[jgold56]

Thanks all. I did notice a long delay in gear notification. And the heal toe was installed before delivery 5K mikes’s ago. It does sound like a sensor issue.
Bringing it in this week.

 

[WillyH]

Gear Position sensor is reliant on a couple pins in the end of the shifter spool and their accurate contact with an electrical switch body, all while bathed in oil that sometimes also contains contaminants. This issue is documented in service bulletins and is a required maintenance issue. Get the bike repaired and use your clutch when starting to reduce risks of damage or injury.

^^^ Best advice right there ^^^ Sensors and dash lights can/will eventually fail and lie to us.

 

[2Cool]

That gear sensor indicator. I wish I didn't have one, I've ridden all my life without one and mine has been nothing but a problem. I simply do NOT trust it.

 

[WillyH]

N light on or not, I physically check for neutral. And even when I know bike is in neutral I still pull in the clutch before starting the bike. So far that's worked well for 50 or so years, for me.

 

[pablo94]

Just roll your bike around a bit and make sure it is neutral prior to starting it. I don't agree with those that say, "always start it with the clutch pulled in." Well that doesn't help while servicing the bike and many other scenarios. Plus I am old school when the bike is cold I like to start it up and run if for 3-5 minutes before taking off. Thus that is the time I put on my helment, glasses, gloves, etc. prior to take off. Especially on a cold start in the morning.

With that said, mine acted up for a few months and then quit. Then acted up 6 months later for like a few days.

I find a good hose rinse up and under the fender and around the sensor seems to help. I assume some particulates and the magnet inside the sensor over reacts with the grime build-up or perhaps metal particulates it picks up on the road.

I also think as some have suggested the clutch switch and cable adjustment could have an effect on the gear indicator switch.

 

[dieselgman]

Just roll your bike around a bit and make sure it is neutral prior to starting it. I don't agree with those that say, "always start it with the clutch pulled in." Well that doesn't help while servicing the bike and many other scenarios. Plus I am old school when the bike is cold I like to start it up and run if for 3-5 minutes before taking off. Thus that is the time I put on my helment, glasses, gloves, etc. prior to take off. Especially on a cold start in the morning.

With that said, mine acted up for a few months and then quit. Then acted up 6 months later for like a few days.

I find a good hose rinse up and under the fender and around the sensor seems to help. I assume some particulates and the magnet inside the sensor over reacts with the grime build-up or perhaps metal particulates it picks up on the road.

I also think as some have suggested the clutch switch and cable adjustment could have an effect on the gear indicator switch.

The gear position sensor is the main device under discussion causing the false neutral indication. It is located inside your transmission so no way to clean it up without first pulling drive belt cover etc.. and the switch/sensor. Use of clutch is just for general safety and only intended to get bike started and confirmed in neutral before releasing it and allowing engine to warm up. We all develop our own habits, I figure err on the side of safety. O/P said the bike took off on initial startup, that is a big issue for him (and anyone else in the way).

 

[Dr.Shifty]

My gear position sensor played up last year and was fixed under warranty by the dealer, but I don't know what they did to fix it.

It can be very dangerous that the bike might start in gear when it says neutral. Another aspect of the failure is that the cruise control only works in the higher gears and if the sensor is lying to the VCM then cruise control won't turn on.

 

[dieselgman]

Here is the sensor/switch and the working parts. Transmission spool has two spring loaded pins (on left). These contact the switch (on right). As the spool rotates through the various gears it will contact different combinations on the switch. Problem with these is sometimes poor contact is made through the pins and switch. They must be cleaned up with Scotch Brite (or similar) to restore good electrical contact.

 

[dreamalaska]

Here is the sensor/switch and the working parts. Transmission spool has two spring loaded pins (on left). These contact the switch (on right). As the spool rotates through the various gears it will contact different combinations on the switch. Problem with these is sometimes poor contact is made through the pins and switch. They must be cleaned up with Scotch Brite (or similar) to restore good electrical contact.
View attachment 506214

Can either of these be removed easily? Or is it a bear to do?

 

[dieselgman]

It is difficult only due to its location... Slightly below and forward of front drive pulley.

 

[pablo94]

The gear position sensor is the main device under discussion causing the false neutral indication. It is located inside your transmission so no way to clean it up without first pulling drive belt cover etc.. and the switch/sensor. Use of clutch is just for general safety and only intended to get bike started and confirmed in neutral before releasing it and allowing engine to warm up. We all develop our own habits, I figure err on the side of safety. O/P said the bike took off on initial startup, that is a big issue for him (and anyone else in the way).

I know where it is. I think shit gets up around the attachment point and causes issues. I wrote an entire post about how pissed off I was that this was happening on my bike. Then I started blasting water when I clean my bike up and under that sensor attachement on the side of the tranny above the pulley and voila my sensor issue stopped...

I don't know why but it worked!

 

[dieselgman]

I know where it is. I think shit gets up around the attachment point and causes issues. I wrote an entire post about how pissed off I was that this was happening on my bike. Then I started blasting water when I clean my bike up and under that sensor attachement on the side of the tranny above the pulley and voila my sensor issue stopped...

I don't know why but it worked!

Maybe yours was having some sort of wiring issue? But more than likely, it is an intermittent internal contact issue as outlined elsewhere. These are not too well designed in my opinion.

 

[17NDNSTL]

That has been posted here several times. Gear position sensor is bad. I always start mine with clutch pulled in just in case this happens. If this was happening on a car or truck there would be a recall pretty darn quick.

Or clutch adjustment needed and/or leather grip wraps added without adjustment made.

 

[Geoff-3]

At least it has been established that it was the gear shifting sensor or connection to it. Main thing is that there is always help here when you need it or at the very least great advise .

 

[Gaebril22]

Had the same problem on my 2018 scout, the dealer had to replace the sensor. No problems on my 2019 Chief DH.