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Stick shifts

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r0dubs
Posts: 1764 - Karma: 19
i have an issue.

I need to learn how to drive a stick shift and it's becoming rather frustrating. 
every single time, im either keeping the clutch in for too long or dumping it.  And it stalls.
every
dam
time

i can't feel when the gears are starting to mesh. 
the parents constantly yelling and calling me retarded and the biggest disappointment since the "Star Wars Christmas Special isnt helping much either. 

Just wondering if any stick shift drivers on NS could help me out, tell me what they did in order to understand, so that i can actually learn how to do this whole driving thing right
Jan 21 2010 12:42AM
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Jamestown
Posts: 4002 - Karma: 51
Haha, I just started singing that song Stickshifts and Safetybelts by Cake.

Yay. Cool story hansel, I know.
Jan 21 2010 12:44AM
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nipples-the-cat
Posts: 643 - Karma: 28
i raced motocross for a few years, worked like a champ..
Jan 21 2010 12:44AM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
think about it this way, this really helped me:

clutch 100% of the way in - gas 0% in
clutch 75% of the way in - gas 25% in
clutch 50% of the way in - gas 50% in
clutch 25% of the way in - gas 75% in
clutch completely out, and you're off

obviously the gas should not be floored, but it gives you a way to picture the transfer.

and always remember, starts are the hardest, once you're in first gear, it's really easy

depending on your car, you really don't need to be above 2k rpms while starting, just remember (at least when you're learning) LET THE CLUTCH OUT SLOW!
Jan 21 2010 12:45AM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
shit takes time, you don't learn it overnight.
tell your parents to shut the fuck up.
slowly disengage clutch until car starts to "shake". that is your engagement point. (sweet spot).

all you really need to learn until you get a feel for it is to get to about 2k on the tach and slowly let out the clutch keeping the same reading on your tach. you are then in 1st gear and after that it's easy going. you're not going to be great right away, but you should be able to get going after a few tries.
Jan 21 2010 12:45AM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
you have to listen to the engine.

try practicing by yourself, its natural once you get it..

clutch
shift+ a little gas
/clutch with a bit more gas

its all about the rpms man...
Jan 21 2010 12:46AM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 427
It's all about the follow through. always is
Jan 21 2010 12:46AM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
clutch.....gone?
Jan 21 2010 12:46AM
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Jballz
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 79
dont wear shoes so you can feel the clutch better, dont worry about damaging the car and just go for it. rev the car high and drop the clutch once and back it off from there
Jan 21 2010 12:47AM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
definitely this, and when you have a perfect start (especially on a hill with a car up your ass) it feels so rewarding.

just remember, let the clutch out slow. you're gonna have a slower start than an automatic, but you'll get the hang of it until you can start pretty fast.

and as for the "shaking part" i feel that that happens when you're just a tad under-revving, so if you feel that, you should be fine for that start, but give it a tiny bit more gas the next time.

again, once you get some good, smooth starts under your belt, you'll be able to for the rest of your life, a la bike riding

sorry for the hella long posts, but i hope it helped!
Jan 21 2010 12:48AM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
?
Jan 21 2010 12:49AM
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r0dubs
Posts: 1764 - Karma: 19
sick, thanks for helping out
im gonna try again tommorow
def +k though
Jan 21 2010 12:50AM
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ski_ENDUB
Posts: 2535 - Karma: 86
first off stop calling it stick shift, you sound like a damn newb, and if you sound like a newb you're going to drive like a newb. call it what it is which is a manual transmission and then own that shit like a champ.
Jan 21 2010 12:51AM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
haha nevermind. and the shaking i'm talking about isn't when starting out, that's when you aren't giving it enough gas. i'm talking just sitting in 1st and slowly letting out the clutch (very slowly so you don't stall) and you'll feel the car try to pull forward a little and shake. that's just your engagement point.
Jan 21 2010 12:52AM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
or just refer to it as a 5/4 speed...
Jan 21 2010 12:53AM
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josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
that's wrong, you can have a four or five speed auto.
Jan 21 2010 12:55AM
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Tinga
Posts: 11349 - Karma: 2,333
i always like rolling back a lot before they get up to you and then when they stop roll forward to get some space.

but yeah just drive it around for like a week and you will have it down no problem.
Jan 21 2010 12:59AM
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zachimo
Posts: 159 - Karma: 10
does your car have a tachometer?

i recommend starting out on a very flat (or even slightly declining) street where it will be harder to stall.
clutch in and put the car in gear
leave your right foot on the brake pedal while you slowly take your left foot out to find the 'friction point'
keep your eyes on the tachometer and when the needle starts to drop and you can hear the car start to subtly lug, then release your right foot off the brake
your car should roll slowly forward and this will help you find your friction point
press the gas slowly and you'll be off and running
practice this a couple times and you'll be set

a little more tough if you don't have a tach
good luck man
Jan 21 2010 1:00AM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
true, but when people are talking... lets say i bought this:

91 k1500 with 350, 5 speed, 3" ruffcountry lift on 33 claws

its obvious the 5 speed is manual, the engine is a 350 chevy v8, it has a 3" suspension lift and sits on 33" tires.

maybe, the 4x4 community is a little different from the other chunks of the automotive world...
Jan 21 2010 1:00AM
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EH_DUBS
Posts: 3080 - Karma: 969
try just letting the clutch out really slowly and not giving any gas. you can start that way and you will get the feel for where your engage point is.

just think of it as while your letting the clutch out its putting two parts together, one of those is spinning and one is not. you give gas to match however fast its spinning. I dont know if thats actually how it works but thats what i thought about and it helped me when i was learning.

its just practice man just dont get frustrated.
Jan 21 2010 1:00AM
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r0dubs
Posts: 1764 - Karma: 19
my dad has this whole sink or swim attitude about the whole thing, so he had me drive my grandparents around tonight for dinner..

i sank
i stalled on all the hills, and go it down fo a little while then panicked and lost it.  Even on easy hills i couldn't go without stalling 3-4 times

how did you stop from panicking?
Jan 21 2010 1:03AM
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nipples-the-cat
Posts: 643 - Karma: 28
first off it is a standard transmission... that is what it was named after automatic transmissions came out... and as for the whole talking like a newb makes you a newb thing. call it what you want, as long as you can shift your shit your be good..
Jan 21 2010 1:06AM
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zachimo
Posts: 159 - Karma: 10
well for me, the panic lasted a few weeks
try going driving with the rents on weekdays late at night when nobody is on the roads so you become comfortable with the areas that you drive in
also if you're out at night, you don't really feel the pressure when you stall because no one is around to give you evil glares
Jan 21 2010 1:07AM
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ECfreeski3
Posts: 12019 - Karma: 126
dont worry about it youll get the hang of it. the hardest part is starting and its all easy from there. just see if your parents will let you practice starting by yourself without them staring you down to make you nervous, and as you get more comfortable with it, practice the balance between gas and clutch by doing it on a hill and do it til you can keep the car just sitting there (not rolling back, not going up the hill at all). once you have that balance down youre good to go
Jan 21 2010 1:13AM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
if possible, try not to drive with your dad. he seems too impatient to learn anything from. starting out on hills if you still have trouble on flat ground is just dumb. get good enough until you can start out good every time on flat ground. then go to a SLIGHTLY inclined hill and practice that. just work your way up. you can also pull the e-brake too so you don't drift back but i never could master that until after i really learned how to drive a standard, i think it was too much to do at once.

i never really panicked because i just figured that most people driving i hate anyways so if they have to wait for me that's funny. idk i guess i'm an asshole. then again my friend drives an old shitty camaro and any car that sucks up on his bumper on hills he will slowly roll into and tap their bumper and then proceed to take off. total dick move, but if you drive a standard you know how much you hate that shit.
Jan 21 2010 1:15AM
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ECfreeski3
Posts: 12019 - Karma: 126
yeah no offense to your dad at all but he sounds like he may not be the best teacher, or youre too nervous about it. see if you can have a friend or someone teach you who's a little more patient and a little less intimidating. driving a manual is easy all you need to do is relax and learn the basics and get used to it, soon youll love it i promise
Jan 21 2010 1:21AM
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r0dubs
Posts: 1764 - Karma: 19
no my dad means well, he just has a different method of teaching
i tld him next time to try to keep his mouth shut so that maybe it would help me focus a bit better
Jan 21 2010 1:52AM
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Frostfired
Posts: 3090 - Karma: 35
ya you have to learn to feel your clutch, and you need to find the friction point, after that it becomes alot easier, basicaly your friction point is where it starts to catch, it is also when your rpms will start to drop and it is where you need to start to add gas to keep the car from stalling out. Best way to get the feel of your clutch it to do what is called a no gas start, and then once you get the hang of your clutch you can move on to regular starts. A no gas start is basically what the name implies, don't put your foot on the gas, instead slowly start releasing the clutch, until you get to the point where your car starts to rumble a bit, this is when the engin catchs and the rpms start to drop, dont panic, keep the clutch at this point for a few seconds and you will see your car will start to move a little bit, this is the point you want, only now should you start adding gas. Using these no gas starts helps you get the feeling of your clutch and it is one of the most importent things to know where your friction point is, once you start getting good at getting to this friction point that is when you can start doing it wile raising the revs to 1500 which is basically a regular start, finding the frinction point will be tricky at first and your first reaction will prob be ohh crap im gonna stalll and then push the clutch back in, dont do that, slow it down and you will get it, as someone said standard driving is something you can't learn overnight, but it will eventualy become second nature to you, and trust me when you learn it you will enjoy it alot more then driving auto, just stick to it hope that helps
Jan 21 2010 2:34AM
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B.Snow
Posts: 1859 - Karma: 92
Hold your clutch in all the way and gas it till you're at 2000 rpms... then slowly let your clutch out... This way you'll be able to feel out where your clutch catches

thats how I learned to do it at first
Jan 21 2010 2:55AM
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benk
Posts: 1342 - Karma: 988
I learned on a diesel split shift..and if you have a chance with a diesel its a lot easier to get a hang of letting the clutch out smooth since the rpm's are much lower. most of the time you dont need to give much gas.

one thing that helped me was to let the clutch out very slow. so slow that I didnt really need gas to get going. then just try to add a little more gas each time
Jan 21 2010 3:03AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,944
Get a subaru. put it into first gear, and slowly let out the clutch. it will be like you're idling in a automatic transmission car. You nearly cannot stall it out. I taught the blondest chick alive how to drive stick in about 11 minutes - even I was blown away, because I learned in a porsche, and that took like 5 hours and a few days of practice to get down.
Jan 21 2010 7:40AM
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flexpattern
Posts: 1090 - Karma: 45
i learnt on a manual, only a few times driven an automatic

to get moving:

select first gear with the clutch fully down. - with a manual gear box you have to remember to find the "biting point"

this will be the point that the car starts to move, if you hold the car on the handbrake and gently ease the clutch up you will find the car starts to feel like it wants to move forwards. this is the point that the car will start to move - depending on the power of your car you may need to apply a little bit of throttle, then hold the car on the "biting point" and gently release the handbrake, and a split second later slowly release the clutch fully and the car will start to move forward

changing gears on the go:

became familiar with your gear box layout - memorise in your head the movements from 1st to 5th and back down again

right so when the car is moving get up to speed, and listen to the revs of the engine - just before they peak depress the clutch, take your foot off the throttle (otherwise you will sound like a total noob) select the next gear, slowly raise the clutch while pushing gently on the throttle - try to operate both at the same time -

left foot down - right foot up

left foot up - right foot down

easy peasy!

practice makes perfect and welcome to the world of driving like a real man!
Jan 21 2010 8:03AM
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twin-tip-hero
Posts: 2896 - Karma: 277
just find that friction point on that clutch and give her some gas.
Jan 21 2010 8:05AM
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flexpattern
Posts: 1090 - Karma: 45
sorry for the dub post but i forgot to say when you are moving off especially up hill add a little bit of throttle to stop you from stalling out, every car is different but you get a feel after a while for the car. driving stick especially offroad or round a nice country lane is so much fun you feel like you are part of the machine

pm me or any other european people if you have any other problems - it seems that it is only north america that have a majority of automatic owners!
Jan 21 2010 8:12AM
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berzy
Posts: 11 - Karma: 10
Depends on the car but play around with the clutch and find the biting point (if you release the clutch to the point that the car judders). Apply throttle and release the hand brake. Keep an eye on the Rev counter and see how many revs you need to stop it from stalling and use this as a reference point! Soon You'll have it and be shifting in no time at all!
Jan 21 2010 8:34AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
omg, i've been driving stick since i was 5y old :P

my dad teached me in an old jeep with the worst clutch ever; basically you release the clutch until you hear that the engine is losing revs; then give a little more gas, release clutch some more till either the car drives away or you need to give some more gas...

just listen to the engine, if it's about to fall out, give a little more gas...

then once you have that under control; drive alot and it'll go automatically... no more thinking required...


Jan 21 2010 8:35AM
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naturday
Posts: 493 - Karma: 238
Dont drive with your dad, mine yelled at me to the point where i thought I would rather ride my bike for the rest of my life. Start on a flat place, hills are tough at first. make sure to let the clutch out slowly once you can shift out of the first and second gear you should be fine. once you get manuel down its a lot more fun to drive then automatic. good luck
Jan 21 2010 9:49AM
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Hogis
Posts: 551 - Karma: 393
Its all about finding the grip point of the clutch. When I learnd my dad said its about letting the pedals meet. Gas down = Clutch up. Ive been exerciserunning (dunno what its called in english, driving with my parents as supervisors) in 2years now. When you once learnt it it will go automaticly and for starting in hills some carschools says it easier to use the handbrake.

Sucks to live in Sweden and taking a driverslicense.
2,5months left til 18, stoked!
Jan 21 2010 9:51AM
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Leveroni
Posts: 367 - Karma: 11

Yeah dude you cant drive with your parents. They are the worst possible option for a teacher even if your father is Jeff Gordon.

I had my cousin come over and help me out, then i just chilled in my neighboorhood and practiced. Alot. i think i put like 80 miles on it before i have it down good.

When i finally went out of my neighboorhood to any busy streets i made sure i had my cousin with me. And then within a week everything is second nature, stopping, starting, reverse, hills. It all comes quickly once you get the basic 1st gear and the concept of going into neutral to stop.

Patience is the key word here.

It also helps that you down learn on a old ass school car or some dubbed out ricer. They have a much tighter shift spot.

Jan 21 2010 10:00AM
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sarahskis
Posts: 1587 - Karma: 41
try not to drive with your parents, if they keep getting frustrated with you you'll just get really frustrated at yourself.

if you can supply a car and  have a friend that drives, or even a friend of the family or something, that might help a lot more.  When i was learning and was just getting the hang of it my friend took me out and I picked it up way more quickly than I did with my parents chirping in my ears.

Go with those percents that were up there /\/\
clutch 100%, gas 0%
clutch 75%, gas 25%
clutch 50%, gas 50%
clutch 25%, gas 75%
clutch 0%, gas 100% <-- you should be rollin'
Jan 21 2010 10:06AM
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Leveroni
Posts: 367 - Karma: 11

forgot this. It also is a big help if you learn where you clutch catches the gear.

You do this my riding the clutch out, take your foot off the gas completely. and in first slowly slowly slowly let off the clutch, youll feel the car start to move, let it roll a bit, slowly taking your foot off the clutch, eventually the car will have picked up enough so that you can completely let off the clutch.

You can also try starting on a bit of a downhill surface it helps the car start moving quicker so it easier for you because its much lighter on the gas. What i even did was on a hill, going down, i wouldnt even use the gas i would do the above, clutch only.

and for hills youll get those eventually. One trick my dad taught me that i never used but is good to know, the handbrake, you can use the handbrake up hills. So you would just be doing clutch + gas and release the handbrake.

thats just a few things that helped me out

Jan 21 2010 10:07AM
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bstuck1
Posts: 426 - Karma: 46
Don't know if it has been said, but when starting on a hill, to help with the nerves, pull the e-brake to keep you from rolling back. Then let of the brake as you let off the clutch. The rolling back is all mental, you're not really rolling back as much as you think.
Jan 21 2010 10:26AM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
all great advice and info on the workings of a clutch.

Best way to get the hang of it is go to a mostly flat parking lot and do nothing but start and stops for a good half hour or so. Just straightline it, start, stop, start, stop, over and over until you start to feel it. Then move on to a parking lot with a slight hill if you can find one. Schools are good as they are mostly deserted by the mid afternoon.

I've been driving manual for almost 15 years and there really is nothing like it. Only thing that sucks is it's getting harder and harder to find manual vehicles these days, fuckin sheep always want the easy road.
Jan 21 2010 10:49AM
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bermbuster49
Posts: 7445 - Karma: 90
win.

thats the key man, you gotta find the engagement point.  on my Honda Prelude it was almost all the way off the floor when it would engage, my SRT-4 engaged right off the floor, and my genesis engages about in the middle towards the bottom.

every car is different, just try sitting in your driveway, let out the clutch slowly until it starts to engage (NO GAS at this point), if you go too far it will stall, but no big deal it happens, you'll get used to it.  now after you feel it engaging (car might be shaking, you might notice an RPM drop, press the gas slightly and release the clutch fully (dont dump it, just slowly let it completely out)


another thing to try, see if your car will go without gas. my prelude which i learned with, if i was in reverse (i forget if i could do it in gear), if i left out the clutch to the engagement point with no gas, the car would start moving in reverse. so whenever i was reverseing i never even used the gas

unless i was trying a tokyo drift manuver haha
Jan 21 2010 11:01AM
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OhioRiderSPK5
Posts: 968 - Karma: 24
Word. I raced motocross for 5 years an one day my mom was like you wanna drive my new Saturn Sky so i was like Sure. Got in it seen it was a stick an just started thinkin motocross. Got it the first time an never have stalled it
Jan 21 2010 11:27AM
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lineskier53
Posts: 192 - Karma: 21
Yeah, I got one of my friends to help me with it and it was a lot easier than my dad teaching me. I only really started driving a standard over the summer though, and now whenever I get in my car (which is an auto) I always try n put the clutch in to start it. Like everyone said though, it doesn't happen over night, but once you do get it you'll never forget it.

Also, I don't know what you're driving, but if it's AWD it's gonna be harder to learn on since you're spinning all 4 wheels. Try and find something FWD or RWD to learn on if you can.
Jan 21 2010 11:32AM
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tommyp1ckles
Posts: 1337 - Karma: 55
its all practice
Jan 21 2010 11:32AM
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E.Durtschi
Posts: 250 - Karma: 203
don't learn how to drive a manual on hills, its way harder to shift on hills when you don't know what your doing. go to flat land or a giant empty parking lot, get better and then try hills. then your panicking should go down
Jan 21 2010 11:51AM
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BOSSignol
Posts: 593 - Karma: 16
Real talk. My pops taught me at an old military base in sacramento. (hella flat, hardly any traffic) I feel like most folks have helped you with clutch usage and shifting. Downshifting is another thing. come back to us once you have shifting down. However also take pride in your shifts. My dad made this system up as a joke but still its effective. Its called the PCI (passenger comfort index.) Id be mobbin around for the first few days and every shift I took he would rate it from a 1-10. At first I was gettin sloppy 4's and 6's but it helped me step my shit up and get them tens pretty quickly. Make that shit smooth. Cant be drivin your lady around makin her look like a mac dre bobble head on a mechanical bull yadadai?
Jan 21 2010 2:29PM
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richards
Posts: 2177 - Karma: 11
rev it up to 3000 and immediately when it hits that start to slowly let it off maybe even ride the clutch a bit it works the best for learning
Jan 21 2010 2:30PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
you must become one with your machine. both in mind, and spirit.


once you get it though, you'll "have it"... (atleast ive never lost my ability to drive one)
Jan 21 2010 2:32PM
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