"Improper Use of Gears: Automatic"

[Foxtrot]

I would claim the opposite.

 

When your concentrating on the road/your car/your ability in the car, you're at your best. No matter if your going 25, 85 or 120.

 

I can powershift into second gear, most cars (with a 6000 RPM guage) falls in around 4250, depending on the tranny and such, all that you just need to feel out and learn the car.

 

 

First gear in a typical american car, at 4250 RPM is roughly around 35-40 MPH. Can be lower, can be higher, depends alot on the engine of torque vs. speed.

 

So no, I don't have to be racing to power shift. As I said, I find it easier then using a clutch - mainly because I drive an automatic everyday. So when I get a chance to use a car, with a Manual transmission, I use it to the fullest extent possible.

 

A 'bad' driver, on the other hand is this:

 

Someone who is talking on the telly, trying to put their make up (or such) on, eating breakfast (lunch, or dinner) all at the same time as driving.

 

Why? Because they're not paying attention to cars around them, signals around them, or anything else for that matter.

 

Which is exactly how I got in my only accident - I got re-ended. Lucky, left no damage on my truck because the girl hit my trailer hitch, which promptly went through her car, and hit her frame before it hit my truck.

 

She had blade tires. (So, Not good maintains to her car - her fault, there's tread wear bars for a reason.)

 

Was talking on her cell phone.

 

On her way home from work (light drizzel) eating Mcdonalds.

 

 

Combination of which, left her unable to pay attention to the road. Which ment, I had a little dodge neon slam into the back of my Dodge ram 1500. - As I said, no damage, but to her car - which massive was done. She hit me hard enough ( i was at a complete stop) To make my truck hop forward 15 feet. Roughly at 20~ mph.

 

This is an interesting debate, keep the questions coming. So far I've seen no reason why powershifting is bad.

 

People say it's for racing, I say it's for performace. Same reason why I have a 5.4L 351 V8 in my new F150. Which is soon going to get a RAM air kit, a complete headers down exhast, and eventually - if I get the money instead of spending it on a dirt bike - Super Charger, which would boost the horse power up around 650-700~.

 

Do I need it? No.

 

Does it come in helpful? Yes. When I can pull onto the freeway from a dead stop, and out gun a neon who's going 65, it makes me happy.

 

 

But in turn, we need to put this into perspective.

 

America - theres alot more driving then in England. For example, It takes me 4 hours to get, driving around 80 mph, from the house where I live now, to where I am moving to.

 

Where in England at the same speed... I would guess you could be nearly across the entire country, right? Just guessing really. Not saying it's a bad thing. But freeways offer a.. different challenge to drivers then city streets.

[doc_newstead]

For example, It takes me 4 hours to get, driving around 80 mph, from the house where I live now, to where I am moving to.

 

Where in England at the same speed... I would guess you could be nearly across the entire country, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Depends if you use the M6 or not

[Foxtrot]

Depends if you use the M6 or not

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Can't say I know the roads over there too much. But I would probably equate your M6 to our I80. Which goess across America.

 

Then theres also I70, I60, etc. etc.

 

One thing that is truely 'american' is the freeway/turnpike system.

 

Having a 12 lane road isn't... rare. In america.

 

Having a 6 lane road is common place.

[doc_newstead]

Gotta remember that Texas alone is about 3x bigger than the entire UK, 'cept about 3x more people in. Which is what you're getting at I guess?

 

I'd love to take a Yank onto a country road out here. You have to be careful cycling down them

[Foxtrot]

Exactly

 

 

Not saying its a bad thing... but spending a week to get from one point to another via. Car is not too big of a deal.

 

Spending a day or two driving is no big deal.

 

It takes me 36 hours Straight, to get from my house, to my hunting cabin out in colorado.

 

My dad, Me, and 3 of his friends, did it last year, straight. Because we had horses. We had to stop about every 6 hours to get them water + hay + walking time.

[Crazy_Harry]

doc, old pal old mate.

 

my job is to stop threads from spinning out of control and, on those occasions when they've already done their spinning, to apply a padlock to stop the madness.

 

you develop an eye for these threads, and I could SEE this thread getting into a bit of a "I'm better than thou", "yeah? well Yo Moma!!!" style free-for-all.

 

I'd prefer this not to happen, hence me posting above.

 

sure, it might seem arbitrary, and sometimes it must seem hard to figure out where I'm coming from, but believe me when I tell you I am just doing it to make my life easy and to spare arnie the hassle of having to kick people off the boards for brawling constantly.

 

The reason I read slightly more into some threads than, perhaps, the regular guys do, is because thats my job, to be a suspicious, nosy bugger who sees trouble everywhere he looks.

 

yes, I'm like a parent, but thats because you lot can so frequently act like kids. no offence meant. well, ok, a bit, but not enough to lose sleep over.

 

ok? hope that sorts things out for everyone.

[Xaccers]

Does it really take people that long to depress the clutch while changing gears though?

What effect/risk of damage does it have on the synchromesh?

 

Just trying to think of the rpm/mph of my car, I rarely take it higher than about 2500 unless I'm accellerating hard or doing over 70mph on the motorway. It's one of those 2nd nature things, when driving I know x rpm in y gear = z mph.

Last car was 90bhp and 3000 was about 95mph, this one is 120bhp and 3000 is about 110mph which was a bit of a oops moment when I first got the car and noticed I was going over the ban limit!

[doc_newstead]

Of course. And I didn't mean to tread on your toes I was merely exercising my democratic right to protest

 

/CH arrests me under the Anti-Terrorism Act...

 

[Gene]

well, ok, a bit, but not enough to lose sleep over.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

*Wakes up in cold sweat*

"Oh, I'm so offended! Damn you Harry! Damn yooooou!"

 

[/lame joke] (they just keep comin recently)

[Foxtrot]

doc, old pal old mate.

 

my job is to stop threads from spinning out of control and, on those occasions when they've already done their spinning, to apply a padlock to stop the madness.

 

you develop an eye for these threads, and I could SEE this thread getting into a bit of a "I'm better than thou", "yeah? well Yo Moma!!!" style free-for-all.

 

I'd prefer this not to happen, hence me posting above.

 

sure, it might seem arbitrary, and sometimes it must seem hard to figure out where I'm coming from, but believe me when I tell you I am just doing it to make my life easy and to spare arnie the hassle of having to kick people off the boards for brawling constantly.

 

The reason I read slightly more into some threads than, perhaps, the regular guys do, is because thats my job, to be a suspicious, nosy bugger who sees trouble everywhere he looks.

 

yes, I'm like a parent, but thats because you lot can so frequently act like kids. no offence meant. well, ok, a bit, but not enough to lose sleep over.

 

ok? hope that sorts things out for everyone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Sorry mate, guess it's partly my fault. Yes, I am arrogent when it comes to Cars/Driving. Am I the best? No, I'll never say that. But I have been through the training, as well as the experiance of things that the majority of the driving populace has not. Racing 4 wheelers, and dirt bikes, as well as riding all my life.

 

It was not the 'I am better then thou". "yeah? well Yo moma!!!" but more or less...

 

I am better then these people: Because I've had this training, and I have these reasons to be, and these Credintials back these facts up.

 

 

Kinda like why a University Professor.. is just that.

[Crazy_Harry]

no argument from me foxtrot, its just the internet seems to have this weird effect on people that brings them out in a rash of injured pride.

 

currently its all hunky-dory, I just wanted to get the word according to CH in before someone else wanders in and decides what would really help the situation is to start taking sides.

 

and democratic right to protest?!

 

never heard anything so funny in all my life (take him away corporal...)

[Hissing_Sid]

I'd love to take a Yank onto a country road out here. You have to be careful cycling down them

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To digress slightly...

 

I was working down near Bradford, near that famous bypass (forget the name - the one that had all the tree huggers up in arms).

Anyway, I was working for an Australian company. They flew all their people into Cardiff (I think) airport and bussed them out to the area where we were working.

 

Their first (and only) look at british roads was all country lanes of the sort where you might expect to meet ###### Turpin or a horse-drawn coach around every corner.

 

After we'd been there for a month I had to fetch a bunch of stuff from Manchester. I took an Ozzy guy with me.

We drove for an hour back to the motorway (M5 I think, and then onto the M6) after about half an hour this guy looks at me and say "Thank f**k for that. I was starting to wonder if there were any proper roads in this country!"

 

Turns out that a lot of Ozzys DO have this image of the UK as being rolling hills, dry stone walls (with bumpkins sat on eating pickled onions) and sheep wandering along rutted tracks.

He said common sense told him there must be motorways around somewhere but he was starting to think England WAS like the image in his head.

 

[edit]

Can't believe the spell checker won't allow ###### Turpin.

 

It did it again! Doh!

[Crazy_Harry]

personally, I'd see evry motorway scrapped, cars banned, and everyone apart from me flung into the north sea.

 

But then, I like a quiet life, and people can be so noisy at times...

[Megalomaniac]

Oi, alright my car has two drives, Driver and Overdrive, WTF does Over Drive do, only thing I noticed was a loss in acceleration.

[Hardcore_Mitsuko]

Motorbike tests are notoriously easier however for the emergency stop at a random point on the test the examiner will step out in front of you and you have to stop. Anyway my dads mate knocked him down 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Getting back in the direction of driving tests.....

 

I passed my CBT for motorbikes last summer, because unlike a car where you take as many lessons as you need, you have to have the certificate to say you've done a training session. In practice it's the same as lessons, but before you can take the test for a full bike license you need to have this other certificate.

 

Having not made any move towards getting a car license, I wouldn't be able to compare how much easier it is to pass a bike test. However, the instuctors seemed to like me and said I was a natural My emergency stop was fairly easy too, but then again they make you practice repeatedly very early on in the lesson so they know you can do it well.

 

I had to take four sessions to finally get my CBT (I could have got it in three, if it wasn't for timing issues) but the best bit about the fourth part was that it took place on a really nice summer evening; the weather was perfect, it was really bright for that time of day and the roads were clearing up after the evening rush hour so there wasn't a lot of traffic to give me any hassle. The instructor was taking me to all the notoriously difficult roundabouts to try and give me something challenging, but for some reason they was nothing else on ther roads and every traffic light was green

[Hissing_Sid]

You know that you can do a thing called "Direct Access" if you're over 21, right?

 

You do your CBT, take lessons on a 600cc bike and then take your test.

 

No noncing about with 40kw bikes for a year, or whatever it is.

[Hardcore_Mitsuko]

You know that you can do a thing called "Direct Access" if you're over 21, right?

 

You do your CBT, take lessons on a 600cc bike and then take your test.

 

No noncing about with 40kw bikes for a year, or whatever it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately I was only 17. I would definitely have done it if I was allowed.

 

Basically, if you're 17 to 21 you take your CBT then get your license, BUT you have to ride 125cc bikes for two years. After that, you can ride any size bike you want. If you turn 21 at any point in those two years, you can do your direct access and speed it up a little. Doing direct access means you cut out the two year wait by doing an extended test on a bigger bike, and are allowed to ride any bike straight away. (Not directed at Hissing Sid, just in case anybody was interested)

[Hissing_Sid]

Yeah, but if you learn on a 125 and then take your test, I think you have to pootle about on dog-slow low-powerd bikes for a year, or 3 years, or summat.

 

Mind you, if you're into Harleys that won't bother you, it'll get you used to them.

[Hardcore_Mitsuko]

Yeah, but if you learn on a 125 and then take your test, I think you have to pootle about on dog-slow low-powerd bikes for a year, or 3 years, or summat.

 

Mind you, if you're into Harleys that won't bother you, it'll get you used to them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Basically, if you're 17 to 21 you take your CBT then get your license, BUT you have to ride 125cc bikes for two years. After that, you can ride any size bike you want.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Was I talking to myself?

[Hissing_Sid]

Was I talking to myself?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dunno.

 

Last time I checked you could ride any bike up to something like 600cc but it had to have less than 40kw power or something.

 

AFAIK, there's nothing forcing you to keep riding a 125 AFTER you pass your test though.

[Hardcore_Mitsuko]

Dunno.

 

Last time I checked you could ride any bike up to something like 600cc but it had to have less than 40kw power or something.

 

AFAIK, there's nothing forcing you to keep riding a 125 AFTER you pass your test though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I was reading up on it a fair bit last year and every source I consulted told me that you have to stick to the 125 for two years, but I think some of my books also said something about kw as well. I can't for the life of me think what it is though.

 

After you pass your test, you have to stick to the restricted level for two years unless you do direct access. Basically you pass with one category of license, and after two years it's automatically upgraded to let you use any power level you like.

[Hissing_Sid]

Well, I was reading up on it a fair bit last year and every source I consulted told me that you have to stick to the 125 for two years, but I think some of my books also said something about kw as well. I can't for the life of me think what it is though.

 

After you pass your test, you have to stick to the restricted level for two years unless you do direct access. Basically you pass with one category of license, and after two years it's automatically upgraded to let you use any power level you like.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If it IS 125s then that's a real sh1tter. At least with a 400cc 40kw machine you don't need to rev the b0llocks off it every time you stop at a set of traffic lights on a hill. that is SOOOO embarassing.

[Hardcore_Mitsuko]

If it IS 125s then that's a real sh1tter. At least with a 400cc 40kw machine you don't need to rev the b0llocks off it every time you stop at a set of traffic lights on a hill. that is SOOOO embarassing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had to do an awful lot of practice with hill starts before I was allowed out onto the road, because our area is really hilly so it's quite important. They're *fruitcage* scary when you first try them though, having to coordinate one hand on clutch, one hand on throttle, one foot on the brakes, one foot balancing and the rest of you going "heeeelp, it's rolling backwards!!"

 

Then again, I suppose every area tailors the lessons to emphasise different condiotions to a certain extent. I remember Jeremy Clarkson once having a rant about people learning to drive where there's very few motorways, and something about motorways not being compulsory so you end up with people passing their test but with no idea how to handle motorway driving.

[Crazy_Harry]

yeah, but old clarky-lad spends his life driving on closed tracks and beaches and shouting "ooohhhoohoo! this is the porn stars nipple ring of sedans", so what does he know?

[Xaccers]

yeah, but old clarky-lad spends his life driving on closed tracks and beaches and shouting "ooohhhoohoo! this is the porn stars nipple ring of sedans", so what does he know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Tsk such blatant middle aged, blue jean wearing simili spewing ###### bashing!

CH you should be ashamed

 

I gave up on bikes when a bus went up the back of me at a red light because he thought I was going to go through it!

That and the monthly harassment by the local plod, which once resulted in 3 PC's trying to decide on the legal tyre tread depth by comittee while I stood there repeating "1.6mm over the central 3/4 of the circumference" and then being told I should be grateful for not being given a £40 on the spot fine despite my tyres being legal (scarily one of them said "I know for mopeds it's fine as long as you can see some tread")