Why is it that neutral is between 1 and 2? Is it convention or is it due to how gearboxes are put together? Also, I read in some bike reviews about “false neutrals”. What causes these?
Always wondered this. I have no clue how bike trannies work, and barely understand car ones,
Capn
When you shift a car transmission, you’re doing two things: selecting which pair of gears you want to shift, and shifting into one gear of that pair. For example, if you want to shift into low, you move the stick sideways into the first-second gate, then push forwards to engage first.
Motorcycle transmissions do the same thing, but they do it indirectly by using a sector to select each gate and gear. The sector is a rotating drum with slots cut into it to engage each of the gears in sequence. The shifter ratchets sequentially through the gears.
Neutral (yes, I’m finally getting to it!) isn’t so much a position between first and second; it’s really just a resting point halfway between first and second. You can usually find a false neutral between any two gears, just shift halfway to the next gear. The neutral detent is near first gear to make it easier to shift into first.
And yes, transmissions are put together that way because it’s the conventional way of doing it.
The first motorcycle I rode, a well-used 1964 Yamaha 80, had “one down/three up”. When I got my first bike, a purple Yamaha 100 LT2 Enduro, it had “one down/four up”. Woohoo! Another gear! Now we have “one down, five up” And I still want one more gear… 
4 gears? Ha! get yourself a Mito, 7 gears and only just enough power to make use of them.
When I was a kid I had a Yamaha dirt bike with nuetral on the bottom, 4 speeds-all up. It must have been very unusual because no one ever belived me until I showed them.
I belive nuetral is between 1 and 2 to lessen the chances of accidently shifting into nuetral. If you are unexpectedly in nuetral it could be dangerous.
I don’t know if it’s done for engineering purposes or not, but I think it is smart design nonetheless. The set-up gives you fast and unerring access to first gear – just keep pumping the pedal down a lot, no matter if you overdo it. That is a handy thing since you want to find first to get out of a stop.
Why not make neutral the default bottom gear? Why? You’ve got the clutch at your fingertips regardless of what gear your in.
Interestingly, race bikes go through gears in the opposite fasion. pushing down changes up gears and vice versa (sp?). I’m not sure where neutral is, or if they even have one.
I had the same bike when I was about 10. It was a kid-sized Yamaha 80cc dirt bike (the “Mini-Enduro”) with an orange paint job. Made in the late 60s/early 70’s.
That shift pattern was, I think, simplified to make it “easier” for new riders. I found it awkward, having also ridden bigger 1-down, 4-up bikes.
But that little guy was a LOT of fun to ride, since it was finally somthing small enough that I could really thrash it.
Back to the OP, false neutrals are signs of a less-than-ideal design that could have you inadvertently missing a shift at a bad time, or getting a half engagement which then pops out, perhaps damaging the gearbox or over-revving the engine.