I like to slip it into neutral at 100 mph

 

Motorcycle and car driving is different. I'm no MSF instructor, but I have put over 50k on several motorcycles, 90% on the street not highway. No wrecks on the street, knock on wood. First of all, on the damn bike you have to go down through the gears. You MUST be prepared because it's a matter of having your legs attatched to you after the wreck. Also, you can actually DO something about it on a bike, for example you can usually fit inbetween cars. In any car, 99% of the time all you can do is slam on the brakes, there are already cars on your sides.

How often does stopping at a red light or stop sign turn into an 'emergency situation'? You guys seem to think you are on the track going to work in stop and go traffic. I probably stay in gear more than most people do, but there is no reason to have the car in gear if you are going 30mph and the light turns red in front of you. If something DOES happen, you take 1/2 sec and put the car in gear. If you can't spare that time, you are screwed anyways.

mikegarrison, read this, then go into your car. Go 60mph in 6th gear. Decide to stop. Try shifting from 6th all the way to 1st as quickly as you can, letting the clutch out for each gear. Do it as smoothly and even remotely as quickly as putting it in neutral and simply hitting the brakes. You can't, it isn't possible I don't care if you are Senna, it ain't going to happen. I'm talking specifically about knowing you are going to stop, which is usually the case when driving on the street.

Speaking of motorcycles, we have a saying, use your ENGINE to BRAKE and it will BREAK.

I'm am a very good driver of many cars, if not the best, in my circle of friend's/fellow road/drag racers. I've raced at most drag strips in TX, and most road courses except the 'new' one near Houston which I'm doing in a couple months. I'm done here, I have nothing to prove/argue.

 

Exactly. In fact, as I said I'll usually row the gears down in a stoplight situation, because the light might change. Stop signs never change, so I just slip the car into neutral rather than rowing down.

I'm not talking about halfway down the block, I'm talking about right about the same time I start braking.

Oh, and I can't think of the last time I was in sixth gear at 60. In fact, I'm usually in fourth at 60 on the freeway, and third on the track.

 

That can be considered a "semi" emergency stop (brisk stopping manouver). I already stated this as a caveat earlier.

I'm sorry, but "we" does NOT include the trained motorcycling public. As a former M/C instructor, "we" taught rev match downshifting. If you do it right (and most students are taught this), nothing is going to break.

At 60 mph (or about 100 kph), if I'm on a long hiway cruise, I am ALWAYS in 6th and CC set. You may drive for performance on your freeway. I drive for fuel economy on my highway. When I do a 3500 mile journey, I'm going to try and get as many miles out of a gallon of gas that I can. 4th gear ain't gonna cut it.

 

[QUOTE=xviper,Jul 4 2006, 06:54 PM] At 60 mph (or about 100 kph), if I'm on a long hiway cruise, I am ALWAYS in 6th and CC set.

 

Yes, 4.44s. But even when stock, a road trip would always see 6th gear for fuel economy.

 

You should downshift for both heel/toe practice and safety. It is not as cumbersome as you may think. For instance, when I am crusing around town I am usually doing 45 in 5th or 6th gear. I'll downshift to 3rd, then 2nd, then coast 2nd gear down to 5-10 mph, then neutral. You can really do a lot in 2nd gear as far as slow speed evasive manuvers. This is my 'best practice' driving method in any manual I am driving (adjusting for gearing accordingly).

 

When I'm approaching a red light, say at 60km/h in 5th or 6th gear, I do one of the following:

1. Down shift and rev-match every single frickin' gear until I get to 1st gear just for fun -- this obviously wastes gas, and is not the most environmental-friendly thing to do -- or

2. Keep the shifter in 5th/6th gear and brake until the car is about to bog (~10km/h?), then I clutch in and put the shifter into neutral. If I need to get going all of a sudden, I just shift into first and keep the car going (I do double clutch or do simple rev-match, depending on mood).


Never "cruise in neutral" per se -- i.e. just jam the shifter into neutral when your car is still moving @ 60km/h and brake til you stop (this is dangerous).

 

You drive in 4th gear @ 60mph? I don't even normally use 4th for 60km/h when I'm just cruising in the city! I guess this really boils down to personal preference ...

 

Bad habit....but an easy one to break.

You should always downshift to a stop as already stated for CONTROL reasons. Shifting to "neutral" or coasting to a stop is one.... lazy and two..... for rookies.

Rev-matching the downshift will make the transition smooth. So the guy bitching about how it jerks him and his passengers around is clueless and doesn't know how to drive regardless of what he types. IMO.

The guy who commented about he would rather spend money to preplace brakes and pads over and engine and tranny is also clueless IMO. Engine braking is part of driving a manual tranny car and it is recommended. Braking with the car in neutral is NEVER......NEVER.... "RECOMMENDED".. Show me where it is. In fact it is ALWAYS written or stated as NEVER to do so.

Don't be like these other drivers who make excuses for their lack of ability to properly execute a manual transmission car. Learn the proper way, practice the proper way and execute the proper way. It's not only safer for you....but everyone else around you. Does that mean that you have to rev-match every downshift?.... no. It just means pick the proper gear for the speed you are decelerating in and continue to do so until you stop. No need to bang the gears every time....just be "IN" gear.

I agree that there is more than ONE way to drive a manual car. But for those who claim that they are just LAZY to downshift...... I just If there was a way for them to not have to upshift.... I bet they would do that too.

My 3 cents.

Tim