When I am drag racing....er I mean driving first and second gear seem to be really slow. Once I get up to third gear, the car absoulutely takes off, and I know its not the way I am shifting or anything because I used to have...don't yell at me, a civic and had none of the same kinds of problems with it. Any ideas anyone or is everyone else experiencing the same thing I am with the P5's

 

Probably due to different gearing. It seems like first gear in my car (Pro5) is fairly short; maybe a bit too short if you ask me. As far as second being short, I can't say that I've noticed anything.

 

In a full-throttle run, the useful part of the curve is spent relatively quickly in first due to its short gearing. The 1st to 2nd upshift hits second gear as torque and power are already beginning the drop (torque peaks around 4500 RPM and HP around 5500 RPM).

It may seem like 3rd gear "takes off" because at the 2nd to 3rd upshift, you're hitting the fat part of both curves.

 

yeah I think 2nd is much longer than most civics (I don't think any civic's hit 60 in 2nd), so it doesn't fly through it like some other boxes...But you actually get to 60 faster, with the lack of a 2nd shift into the 3rd...

 

hmmm my rev limiter cuts in just before 100kmph (60mph)
it cuts in at like 95 - 100 kmph .... most of the time i shift from second at about 80 - 85 kmph.... while pushing the car i'd take it into the red line a little more...

hmm do the newer 3rd gens (2.0Ls) have a rev limiter a lil bit more higher in the rev band... cuz mine hits at about 6750RPM ... i know it doesn't let it reach 7000RPM for sure.

and i love my second gear ... cuz i can nicely push the engine to its limits in that gear with out going too much over the speed limit... doing it in 3rd makes you go way over the speed limit

 

I feel that on my MP3 too, once u are at 1st gear, u move the car, right after, u need to shift to second.....
Honda's gear is much longer.....
like the prelude can reach 100km/h at the 2nd with no problem and 200km/h at 4th....

 

100klm/hr is 62mph about, so you probably are hitting 60 in 2nd just before the rev limiter...Its close but you hit it in 2nd...

 

our car has a rev limiter at 6750 and bounces to 7kk, but with stock intake manifold, cams and timing, your cars hp drops off horribly around 6k...so the only gear that should go above is first, then each gear after that, its useless to go above 6 or so.