Sequential gearchange direction
Discussion
Hi Danny
The gearchange direction is really person preference, i have driven about 30 Radicals so far and each time have to check with the owners the direction of their shift ! To be safe if it is forward for up i just use the palm of my hand for up-shifts to avoid going the wrong direction.
It snowed in Guadix last weekend but was still great fun !
Nigel
The gearchange direction is really person preference, i have driven about 30 Radicals so far and each time have to check with the owners the direction of their shift ! To be safe if it is forward for up i just use the palm of my hand for up-shifts to avoid going the wrong direction.
It snowed in Guadix last weekend but was still great fun !
Nigel
This is something which always interests me (well, a bit anyway).
To my mind, it seems most logical to have a forward press for down and a backward press for up. I think this is logical in terms of the g forces acting on the driver at the time.
However, there seems to be a roughly even split between this way round and the other, though I can't reason an explanation for doing it the other way round.
To my mind, it seems most logical to have a forward press for down and a backward press for up. I think this is logical in terms of the g forces acting on the driver at the time.
However, there seems to be a roughly even split between this way round and the other, though I can't reason an explanation for doing it the other way round.
It all depends what you're used to. I don't think it takes long to get used to either way. BUT if you're just beginning, then backwards for up is more logical for your body if not your mind. I was seriously considering racing something else until I realised that it can be reversed on the Radical to be the correct way around. :-)
Well, on road bikes pushing down (like pushing forward) changes down, and pulling up (like pulling the lever back) changes up. So the "standard" Radical set up feels a bit non intuitive. But apparently race bikes are the other way around anyway. I'll probably get used to it pretty quickly anyhow I hope!
Just an observation from the 'blade, but it's push forward to change up, and pull back to change down. As I hire the car out, I can confirm that this is the less 'instinctive' way round for most drivers, who naturally want to pull back to change up. However, once used to it, I can give a good reason for it to be a 'better' direction. I can think of no time when you'd want to change up multiple gears in one go, but lots of time when you have to change down multiple gears at once - say 6th to 4th. Pushing the lever forward means moving your whole arm, while pulling it back means just using fingertips, so it's a lot quicker doing multiple shifts pulling back [with fingertips] rather than pushing forward, thus pulling back makes more sense for downshifts....all IMHO etc.
WB
>> Edited by williamball on Tuesday 15th April 11:26
WB
>> Edited by williamball on Tuesday 15th April 11:26
Nildram said: My gearbox positively loves it (and you're wasting time if you do use the clutch). Besides, you'll blow your engine long before you wear out the gearbox... :-)
Not sure about that one. I recently had to replace the 3rd/4th gears on the 'blade as they were pitted where the hardening had come off. Even though the dogs are fairly hefty, it still can transmit the imact through the gear teeth.
WB
Nildram said: Yeah, but dogs will wear whether you use the clutch or not. These boxes change so sweetly without the clutch that I doubt there's significant extra wear on the dogs, and you save something like 0.1s on each gear change...
Don't think I was talking about the dogs - I did say they were plenty meaty enough, it's the gear teeth I'd be concerned about. I'm guessing that there will be more impact on the teeth without the clutch when the dogs bang together. I only base this on the fact that I had wear, impact style wear, on the face of a few gears. Not true that the engine will blow before the box wears though.
Each to his own though; I personally choose to use the clutch, as having had the motor apart it seems relatively fragile in the box, but I'm quite sure others will change clutchless and never have a problem.
WB
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