Neutral light stays on when bike is in gear

sounds like the clutch is toast though it could be other things assuming its not just stuck ie does the clutch lever return after you press it, if so you could try draining the oil out and pass it through a sieve, if there are bits of friction plate in it then the clutch has definatley disintegrated, if the lever stays in then the push rod may be damaged/stuck or the worm drive may be stuck. does the bike go into gear without pressing the clutch lever or stalling?, if the clutch was slipping prior to it stopping then this is likely a knackered clutch, it could also be the wrong oil in the gearbox or perhaps no oil in the gearbox, does the bike go into gear? does it go through all 6 gears and into neutral? more info is needed and even then without looking its hard to say but my guess would be the clutch is fried

Hi Ron, I would check the clutch interface switch at the clutch lever it sounds as if it is either faulty, broken, come loose or stuck. Some bikes have loads of problems with this beastie. Pull in the clutch lever then try spraying some lube between the lever and the stock and see if you can see the switch plunger move. You might have to remove the clutch lever completely to see this if you do then you should be able to push the plunger in by finger and see it spring back out. The whole switch does in some cases come loose if you look for 2 wires going into the clutch lever stock see it the thing they go into is loose or pushed out, normally they just push back with a slight click. When you operate the clutch lever the switch plunger should move out allowing the bike to start in gear. On my Suzuki you have to operate the clutch lever to start even in neutral. Hope this helps

See if you can push the bike with it in gear and the clutch lever pulled in. If the clutch is stuck, push start the bike, jump on, get to about 10 mph, pull in the clutch lever and hit the rear brake hard. This will usually break a stuck clutch loose.

The clutch master/lever has a safety switch that tells the bike if the clutch lever is in (no power to rear) or out (power to rear). After almost 30 years this switch may have failed, making the bike think that the clutch is engaged regardless of lever position. If you have a multimeter you can test the switch yourself. Since the bike starts properly in neutral (also a safety feature) then the clutch lever switch is your most likely problem. Your bike might also have a side stand switch like mine. It functions much the same way, if the side stand is down and the bike put in gear it will kill the engine.

MGM

The neutral light won't stay on because the gearbox isn't in neutral. try rocking the bike backwards and forwards, kick the gears down as many time as you can (at least 6) and then try moving the gear lever up one until the bike moves freely backwards and forwards. Your bike should then start. It would be easier to identify any problems if you let us know the make and model of the bike.

Instructions

1. • 1 The gears on a motorcycle run in this order: first, neutral, second, third, fourth and fifth. When you are moving, shifting up from first gear will skip over neutral and shift you right into second gear. The only time that shifting up from first will get you into neutral is when you are not moving.
     
   • 2 Pull in the clutch lever and tap the gear lever down until it stops. This will signify first gear. Pressing the gear lever down will shift you down one step and pressing it up will shift up one step.
     
   • 3 Tap the gear lever up one click while still holding in the clutch. This will put the bike into neutral.
     
   • 4 Start the bike. The bike needs to be in neutral to start.
     
   • 5 Hold in the clutch lever and tap the shifting lever down to shift to first gear.
     
   • 6 Release the clutch slowly and give it just enough gas to get moving.
     
   • 7 Listen to the motor to know when you need to shift. If the engine is making a low grumbling noise, then it will need to be shifted down. If it is making a high squealing noise, then it needs to be shifted up.
     

Instructions

1

The gears on a motorcycle run in this order: first, neutral, second, third, fourth and fifth. When you are moving, shifting up from first gear will skip over neutral and shift you right into second gear. The only time that shifting up from first will get you into neutral is when you are not moving.
2

Pull in the clutch lever and tap the gear lever down until it stops. This will signify first gear. Pressing the gear lever down will shift you down one step and pressing it up will shift up one step.

3

Tap the gear lever up one click while still holding in the clutch. This will put the bike into neutral.
4

Start the bike. The bike needs to be in neutral to start.
5

Hold in the clutch lever and tap the shifting lever down to shift to first gear.
6

Release the clutch slowly and give it just enough gas to get moving.
7

Listen to the motor to know when you need to shift. If the engine is making a low grumbling noise, then it will need to be shifted down. If it is making a high squealing noise, then it needs to be shifted up.

clutch plate adjusment or cable adjustment, it sounds like the clutch is staying engaged, try loosening the cable on the clutch until there is lots of slack init and try to start the bike, if it jerks forward then you are going to have to adjust/replace the internal clutch plates hope this helps

dan