R50/53 sixth to third anyone?
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 3
From: Okemos, Michigan
eMINI, you described EXACTLY how I shift! Self taught....it just feels natural to me. I always have to bite my tongue riding with someone who just grabs the shift **** and forces it into gear. Not smooth at all. Thanks for confirming what I already knew...I'm the best driver in the world!!
4th Gear
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 450
Likes: 0
From: Hurricane Alley, FL
Originally Posted by Squirlz
eMINI, you described EXACTLY how I shift! Self taught....it just feels natural to me. I always have to bite my tongue riding with someone who just grabs the shift **** and forces it into gear. Not smooth at all. Thanks for confirming what I already knew...I'm the best driver in the world!!
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 949
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte, NC
Originally Posted by Squirlz
eMINI, you described EXACTLY how I shift! Self taught....it just feels natural to me. I always have to bite my tongue riding with someone who just grabs the shift **** and forces it into gear. Not smooth at all. Thanks for confirming what I already knew...I'm the best driver in the world!!
"Officer, I'm sorry.
I really didn't mean to exceed the posted limit. I was doing research on shifting techniques... Yeah, it's research... In the interest of science, could you maybe make this a warning?
I really didn't mean to exceed the posted limit. I was doing research on shifting techniques... Yeah, it's research... In the interest of science, could you maybe make this a warning?
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
I've done 5th to 4th accidently more often than 6th to 3rd which might have happened once. So far I have managed not to hurt anything. Years ago I did a track day on a 125cc GP bike (reverse shift pattern) and late in the day coming out of a fast right on a hot lap following a fast guy I was so stoked I kicked up a gear... but I forgot... up is down. Talk about raising hairs. Glad it wasn't my bike.
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,288
Likes: 0
From: ann arbor michigan
With the new gearing in the '05 mcs third gear ends right around 80 so you should be fine, just make sure you rev match! Y'know the more I think about it the gearing in the 05's is strikingly similar to that of the six speed in my jetta!?
3rd Gear
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 253
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte, NC
I do frequently "forget" what gear I'm in. I'm used to a 5spd Mustang with completely different gear ratios, and I regularly hop from one car to the other. So if I'm not paying attention, I'll try to shift to phantom gears.
Where's that 7th gear when you need it? I'll be cruising in 6th, and just out of nature hearing the higher RPMs (I'm an 80 cruiser), I instinctively go for another gear. Oops! That's 5th!
Where's that 7th gear when you need it? I'll be cruising in 6th, and just out of nature hearing the higher RPMs (I'm an 80 cruiser), I instinctively go for another gear. Oops! That's 5th!
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 949
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte, NC
Steve -
You certainly do represent both ends of the spectrum. I'm not surprised to hear you say you're looking for an upshift at 80 in 6th while cruising. For therapy, I'd like to suggest you adopt Battle Cattle's approach for a week. He recently learned the car has a 5th and 6th gear. For fun, I've been doing my commute in the first four gears. I've found the throttle response and SC whine quite enjoyable.
You certainly do represent both ends of the spectrum. I'm not surprised to hear you say you're looking for an upshift at 80 in 6th while cruising. For therapy, I'd like to suggest you adopt Battle Cattle's approach for a week. He recently learned the car has a 5th and 6th gear.
For fun, I've been doing my commute in the first four gears. I've found the throttle response and SC whine quite enjoyable.
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Pankeyguy
I don't remember shifting from sixth to third but I do remember going from fifth to fourth when I wanted sixth. When my car was new the detent in the shift mechanism was very tight and centered on the third/fourth slot. I had to concentrate and push right when going to sixth to get there. Now, nearly two years later, the shifter is looser and I am "programmed" to get it right. Now I am thinking about a short shifter to get back some of that feel.
Enjoy!
Dave
Sunny San Diego
2003 DS/B MCS with stuff
Enjoy!
Dave
Sunny San Diego
2003 DS/B MCS with stuff
2nd Gear
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Louisville, KY
Originally Posted by ElonCooper
Not by accident yet. Fortunately, I think a few people here have confirmed my curiousity on what is the proper gear choice when cruising on the highway (say 60), and lets just say there is a need to "take off as quickly as possible". It sounds like the proper choice is 6 to 3rd. 6th to 4th didn't seem adequate to me.
6th to 4th didn't seem adequate to me.
while I've gotten pretty use to 6 --> 4 (no longer worried about hitting 2nd accidentally
) I haven't tried the feel of going up to third (and not hitting 5th...no biggie there, or OMG - 1st! 
)
1st Gear
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
1st to 2nd - pull back and slightly left using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm nearly vertical and facing the driver's door. The movement is in the wrist, not the arm.
2nd to 3rd - push forward gently using the palm of the hand; the self-centering nature of the shifter will do the rest.
3rd to 4th - pull straight back using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm horizontal and facing the floor. Again, use your wrist.
4th to 5th - push forward gently and slightly right using the palm of the hand with your palm angled toward the passenger side floorboard.
5th to 6th - pull back and slightly right using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm angled toward the passenger side floorboard. As before, it's in the wrist.
The downshifts are very similar:
6th to 5th - push forward gently and slightly right using the palm of the hand with your palm angled toward the passenger side floorboard.
5th to 4th - pull back gently using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm mostly vertical and facing the driver's door. The self-centering nature of the shifter will do the rest. As always, the movement is in the wrist, not the arm.
4th to 3rd - push forward gently using the palm of the hand with your palm horizontal and facing the floor.
3rd to 2nd - pull back and slightly left using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm nearly vertical and facing the driver's door.
2nd to 1st - push forward and slightly left using the palm of the hand with your palm angled toward your left leg.
Skipping gears is not something everyone agrees on. I do it all the time, on the street (eg. 1-2-4) and on the track (eg. 5-3). It generally involves beginning one technique and switching to another when the shifter is in the neutral position. It becomes very natural with time.
These techniques may not suit everyone. However, they do have advantages. The soft touch is helpful in really feeling the gears engage. When combined with the postioning, the likelihood of selecting the wrong gear is greatly reduced. Sometimes people want to move the shifter very quickly and forcefully, especially when they're engaged in spirited driving. However, this increases the chances of grinding gears and selecting the wrong gear. And , it's harder on the synchronizers and shifter linkages. I used to think I had to shift really hard and fast to drive fast. But I've learned that there's almost nothing to be gained be shifting so aggressively.
Give it a try. Use these techniques for a week. I think you'll really like it. If not, you can always do something else. This is just how I do it, you may have another way that you like better. I'm totally ready to admit that there's more than one way to skin this cat, so let us know what you like.__________________
2nd to 3rd - push forward gently using the palm of the hand; the self-centering nature of the shifter will do the rest.
3rd to 4th - pull straight back using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm horizontal and facing the floor. Again, use your wrist.
4th to 5th - push forward gently and slightly right using the palm of the hand with your palm angled toward the passenger side floorboard.
5th to 6th - pull back and slightly right using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm angled toward the passenger side floorboard. As before, it's in the wrist.
The downshifts are very similar:
6th to 5th - push forward gently and slightly right using the palm of the hand with your palm angled toward the passenger side floorboard.
5th to 4th - pull back gently using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm mostly vertical and facing the driver's door. The self-centering nature of the shifter will do the rest. As always, the movement is in the wrist, not the arm.
4th to 3rd - push forward gently using the palm of the hand with your palm horizontal and facing the floor.
3rd to 2nd - pull back and slightly left using index, middle and ring fingers with your palm nearly vertical and facing the driver's door.
2nd to 1st - push forward and slightly left using the palm of the hand with your palm angled toward your left leg.
Skipping gears is not something everyone agrees on. I do it all the time, on the street (eg. 1-2-4) and on the track (eg. 5-3). It generally involves beginning one technique and switching to another when the shifter is in the neutral position. It becomes very natural with time.
These techniques may not suit everyone. However, they do have advantages. The soft touch is helpful in really feeling the gears engage. When combined with the postioning, the likelihood of selecting the wrong gear is greatly reduced. Sometimes people want to move the shifter very quickly and forcefully, especially when they're engaged in spirited driving. However, this increases the chances of grinding gears and selecting the wrong gear. And , it's harder on the synchronizers and shifter linkages. I used to think I had to shift really hard and fast to drive fast. But I've learned that there's almost nothing to be gained be shifting so aggressively.
Give it a try. Use these techniques for a week. I think you'll really like it. If not, you can always do something else. This is just how I do it, you may have another way that you like better. I'm totally ready to admit that there's more than one way to skin this cat, so let us know what you like.__________________
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 949
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte, NC
Originally Posted by rnbradford
I agree with this approach completely. The only thing that I might suggest is that the easier way to remember these ten rules (at least for me) is to just keep in mind that, left to its own devices, in neutral, the shifter will position itself between 3d and 4th gears. Then everything that eMINI said applies - it's just easier to remember when you're thinking of that home position. He said it when he said, "the self-centering nature of the shifter will do the rest." It's just easier for me to keep that in mind. When in doubt (and not in a hurry) I can simply shift into neutral, let the shifter self center, and then go to wherever I want, knowing that I am starting from neutral between 3d and 4th. The hand positions he mentions are still important; it's just that, for me at least, they come somewhat more naturally when I am thinking about it the way I described.
I'm sure there are those of you out there thinking: "Why go through all that? It sounds like a lot to remember." Well, maybe at first. But after mentally controlling the process for a thousand miles, you'll begin to build muscle memory. Eventually it becomes so natural as to require no thought at all. You never know when that kind of thing might just help save your bacon. And even if you never "need" to be able to execute flawlless shifts, they're still just so much fun.
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