I do too slightly when doing standing starts on dirt bikes but I also don't put maximum force on the shifter. I apply a small amount of load first and then lift slightly along with pulling harder on the shifter. I think the small amount of load is starting the gear change as I lift off the throttle slightly and therefore I don't have to time my upshift exactly at the right time. Right now, LFS is putting essentially 100% force on the gearbox system and the second the throttle is cracked, the gear shift is made cleanly. If I didn't make that second move to complete the upshift in real life, usually I get a lot of chatter in the gearbox from not fully disengaging the current gear or not fully engaging the next gear.
Yes, and that's how I do it now for every shift but the shift from 5th to 6th and 90% of the time I get it right. I've adapted to what works best with LFS and it's becoming less of an issue but I'm pointing it out now that there is something different about how you have to upshift and the timing required. It's not all LFS fault as the hardware doesn't function exactly as it would in real life. In fact it's probably impossible to do it any other way without introducing other compromises along the way.
Yes but that is very unrealistic. It doesn't work that way in real life. You can't preload the gearbox like that and magically shift whenever the throttle is cracked momentarily. The effort required to keep the gearbox from trying to pull itself out of one gear into the next isn't enough to actually shift cleanly. Again, I think part of the difficulty in shifting up is the fact we have to use a switch to shift instead of a lever allowing a variable load. I do shift as you say for the higher gears but it feels wrong to me to be holding the shifter back for 4 or 5 seconds while waiting for the revs to climb. It is faster this way unfortunately as your lift can be much smaller.
Last edited by TomM, .
No I'd say the downshifts at the moment are as they should be. If anything the upshifts require you to be far too precise. That I would attribute to pulling on a switch where you either are 100% trying for a gearchange with the button or not at all. In real life you are putting a load on the gear lever and obviously we don't have the hardware to simulate that.
Hey Ian
The Dash gave very basic info. Water temperature, oil temperature, oil pressure, fuel pressure, lap time, rpm, and speed over two pages. The dash is very basic and was essentially impossible to read at a glance. I can't actually recall if the lap times were listed. I feel like they were and each time you tripped the timing beacon the dash would display in bigger numbers your lap time for a given period but I'm not sure.
Also, regarding the ignition cut 'trick'. That should work theoretically but I doubt anyone has ever done that in real life.
The car should also shift gears when bouncing off the limiter too as that is a trick some drivers used for a faster shift. However, it was inconsistent and sometimes the shift wouldn't happen right away resulting in losing time sitting on the limiter waiting for the car to shift. Again, any car with a hard ignition cut for an RPM limiter, like the FBMW has, can be shifting without lifting by shifting and touching the limiter at the same time.
Last edited by TomM, .
That spike in RPM that corresponds to the throttle blip is the motor revving up from the blip and not the gear change. If it were the gear change you'd see the steering much more active than it is keeping the car straight plus the RPM's would maintain at a higher RPM for longer and come down more gradually. The spike in RPM's is nearly identical ascending as it is descending.
Not sure if this is what you meant, but the braking pressure measured is purely front brake pressure. How you downshift would have no effect on that measurement.
Also remember that the brakes are slowing the car down more than the engine could. So you won't feel any change in deceleration from the downshifts since the braking generates far more G forces than purely downshifting could. The only difference that makes is a brake balance in the car. If you make your downshifts such that you keep the RPM's very high you'll shifting a braking balance in the car to the rear some.
Last edited by TomM, .
Not quite. You can blip to raise the revs while passing from one gear to the next. I've done it like that on every sequential I've driven. It clearly is a timing thing but it can be done.
Just for example. This is GT2 Porsche 911 RSR in a gearbox that is said from the factory has to be downshifted which the clutch. Clearly not the case and any sequential gearbox can be downshifted without the clutch and when done properly is no harsher on the gearbox than using the clutch on the downshifts.
In short, I'm able to blip on the downshifts right now without the clutch with no problem and no ill-effects on the clutch.
Last edited by TomM, .
Also the clutch in the car is very easy to overheat. Two uses and its essentially overheated and unusable. You'd really have to ride the clutch for a lap to even notice a difference. Now, within seconds you can completely ruin it which isn't very realistic. I've never heard of a clutch on the FBMW going bad from normal use, let alone misuse, and there is definitely some misuse. I used the clutch on downshifts when I raced in 04 (then moved to GT cars and left foot braked, backwards I know) and had zero problems with the clutch.
In real life, at least in 04 when I ran the series, the differential power and coast settings were locked. I believe it was 40% power and 20% coast. The preload could be adjusted though from 5nm to 30nm if I recall. I'm sure the rules changed slightly as the years went on but thats how it was in 04. There were also fixed gear ratios.
The car is a delight to drive. Top speed seems a bit down though even with very little wing and the downhill run you get at Blackwood. We saw 142mph at Indianapolis and at Road America and that was gear limited in the draft. Bump drafting even at Road America
Very nice representation of the car though. Not much power, just enough downforce, extremely late braking, and a very drivable car. LFS version fits that to a T.
The car is a delight to drive. Top speed seems a bit down though even with very little wing and the downhill run you get at Blackwood. We saw 142mph at Indianapolis and at Road America and that was gear limited in the draft. Bump drafting even at Road America
Very nice representation of the car though. Not much power, just enough downforce, extremely late braking, and a very drivable car. LFS version fits that to a T.
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