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Realized I was rev-matching wrong for 10 years after a buddy rode with me last Tuesday
Turns out I was blipping the throttle way too early on downshifts, like before I even had the clutch in, and he just laughed and showed me the proper timing. Anyone else figure out a basic driving habit they'd been messing up forever after someone finally called them out?
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alice92811d ago
Did you ever figure out if the noise you were making sounded good or just wrong? I had a friend who timed it perfectly but his exhaust note always sounded off because he was revving too high for the road speed. Once I matched the revs to the actual gear instead of just winging it, everything clicked into place.
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young.thomas11d ago
Funny you mention the noise thing, @alice928, because mine sounded like a dying robot gargling gravel. Turned out I was revving to 6k for a 2nd gear corner when I should have been at 4k, just totally oblivious for a decade. My buddy said it sounded like I was trying to summon a demon instead of downshifting. At least now I know I was earning my "bad driver" badge with honor all those years.
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charles83611d ago
@alice928 seems to have stumbled onto the real secret there. Matching revs to the actual gear instead of just guessing is the difference between sounding like a pro and sounding like you're trying to communicate with aliens from inside a tin can. Did your buddy ever let you forget about the demon summoning thing, or is that still coming up every time you drive together? I've got a feeling that badge of honor is going to be a permanent part of your driving resume.
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