Shifting Advice - RotaryNews.com

subject:	SHIFTING ADVICE
author:	FRANCISP
date:	December 24, 2007 - 10:24am

After 104 weeks of logging milage, I find no significant difference
in having fun and driving conservatively, so have fun. While it's
good to rev the engine frequently, that doesn't mean you should
red line it all the time, I get it up there close about once a day.
I usually shift around 4 to 6K. I like to keep the rpms around 3.5K
while cruising. I never rev high until the engine is warmed up.
If anyone cares the average for the logged 104 weeks was 14.87 mpg.
This is roughly 90% city milage. When looking at the logs you can
easily tell the weeks I hit the highway where I come in around 19 mpg.
I have hit 23.59 once on a trip from Allentown, PA to Rochester NY;
averaged 21.4 on the return trip. I have never been able to get close
to 24 again. My answer to you is have fun but don't go nuts!

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subject:	shifting advice reply to FRANCISP
author:	Matthew
date:	December 28, 2007 - 4:02am

FRANCISP,
Thanks man that was just what I needed to hear. I am driving in the manner you have described and will take your advice I WILL HAVE FUN.
Thanks!
Matt

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subject:	SHIFTING ADVICE FOLLOW-UP
author:	FRANCISP
date:	December 28, 2007 - 2:32pm

Matt,

The above advice was just a guideline,
you drive the way you feel comfortable.

The important word there is "significant".
You can improve your milage
by shifting earlier but it's no fun;
I only seemed to save aound .5 to 1 mpg.

My favorite gear is 3rd; I merge onto the
highway in this gear and shift
right into 6th when I hit 65 mph.
The neat thing about 3rd gear is: if you
take the rpms and divide by 100,
that's your speed.
Example: 5K rpms = 50 mph. Pulling onto the
highway even up to 7K rpms is 70 mph.

There are only two gears (1st and 2nd)
that you can redline legally.

There's one on-ramp in Allentown that is my favorite.
(Tilghman St. West onto 309 South) There's a stop sign
before you merge; what's neat is you get to
go 0 to 55 (the flow of traffic travels @ around 65 mph)
from a stop and do it completely legally.
There's where I frequently hear the buzzer.

So enjoy your RX-8, that's what it's for.

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