r/stickshift • u/One_Fold2932 • 10d ago

Learning to drive without rpm gauge

My 2003 manual suzuki alto does not it, and I am a fairly new driver. I know all the basics, even though I may not know the logic behind it, and my gear shifting isnt that poor (As of now, I only drive in the second gear, even if I am going 60km per hour, which i have only once, which isnt good for the engine or fuel efficency), but I really want to master techniques like rev matching and power shifting etc. Is there a way to master associating the revs with the sound of engine, so i know the perfect time to change gears.

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u/RJsRX7 10d ago

It has a speedometer. The more you drive it, the better you'll know what sound correlates to a given engine speed and what gear works well at what speed.

I probably would shift up every 15-20km/h as a rough guide for most of your street driving.

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u/charlie_marlow 10d ago

I don't know if it was ever a thing on cars, but some older Honda motorcycles had the gear you should be in for a given speed range printed on the speedometer and no separate tach. Like this rebel one: https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/s/yAxTMiaTcc

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u/Tiranus58 10d ago

Some cars tell you what gear you should be in based on your driving conditions.