The cars and bikes thread!

[Raza]

Apparently so, yes. I wasn't sure if flipped vertically meant flipped on its axis that bisects the image vertically. I'm not sure I agree with the opposite....

England:


Australia:

[tribe125]

^

Correct.

[Samanator]

Yeah, it’s so much better. Even though my phone connects to the car now, I’m so used to having my Z4, where you couldn’t have a conversation on the phone while driving even if you wanted to, I’m used to driving without distractions. And even being in traffic, I very much prefer to be in a manual. I borrowed my brother’s S5 a lot and nothing about it was fun. It was fast, sure, but that’s it. I never really enjoyed driving it and part of that was due to the automatic. There’s more to it than just that, sure (I mean, I also borrowed his S4 a lot and that was better to drive even though it was also an automatic), but the automatic part always stuck on me. Maybe I’m insane, but I like the way interiors look with a manual better than an automatic (especially now that everyone has such weird automatic transmission designs) and I like looking out my window and peering into my car window and seeing the shifter slotted neatly into 1st.

I mean, can you tell me that this weird alien joystick thing:


Looks better than this?

If only every drive was on an open road with turns and no traffic lights or signs, then manual would be the most wonderful thing in the world. Hit 18 successive traffic lights in a 3 mile stretch and the manual starts to wear thin. Be stuck in hardly ever moving stop and go traffic for 2 to 3 hours and that automatic looks like a godsend. When the second two become the norm and the first one they exception automatics are pretty damn good. I like manuals but in many areas it’s limited use makes it not even an option.


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[Raza]

If only every drive was on an open road with turns and no traffic lights or signs, then manual would be the most wonderful thing in the world. Hit 18 successive traffic lights in a 3 mile stretch and the manual starts to wear thin. Be stuck in hardly ever moving stop and go traffic for 2 to 3 hours and that automatic looks like a godsend. When the second two become the norm and the first one they exception automatics are pretty damn good. I like manuals but in many areas it’s limited use makes it not even an option.


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I accept that I’m weird, but I even prefer driving a manual in traffic. It’s nice when you’re stuck somewhere to be able to take your feet off the pedals and not creep forward (of course you have to worry about rolling back, but if you live in a relatively flat area, it’s not that much of a problem). When I was driving an automatic regularly again, I had to remember to hold the brake when I was in stop and go traffic because I wasn’t used to it anymore. And I found that way more annoying than clutching in and out a bunch. When I drove the 435i back from Pittsburgh, I got caught in a huge traffic jam (should have expected it, that road is almost always jammed) and after about 3 minutes of it, being back in a stick felt so much more natural than standing on the brakes all the time. I mean, if I were in a vintage 911, I could see it being a pain because those clutches are so heavy and I have a left knee that’s literally hurts 24/7, but while the BMWs have a good weight to the clutch, they’re the right amount to be easily modulated and not so heavy that it causes noticeable pain above the baseline.

I mean, I live in a city, I know what you mean. I drove a 6 mile roundtrip yesterday and it was about 45 minutes of stop and go traffic. And yet every shift made me smile.

[Samanator]

I accept that I’m weird, but I even prefer driving a manual in traffic. It’s nice when you’re stuck somewhere to be able to take your feet off the pedals and not creep forward (of course you have to worry about rolling back, but if you live in a relatively flat area, it’s not that much of a problem). When I was driving an automatic regularly again, I had to remember to hold the brake when I was in stop and go traffic because I wasn’t used to it anymore. And I found that way more annoying than clutching in and out a bunch. When I drove the 435i back from Pittsburgh, I got caught in a huge traffic jam (should have expected it, that road is almost always jammed) and after about 3 minutes of it, being back in a stick felt so much more natural than standing on the brakes all the time. I mean, if I were in a vintage 911, I could see it being a pain because those clutches are so heavy and I have a left knee that’s literally hurts 24/7, but while the BMWs have a good weight to the clutch, they’re the right amount to be easily modulated and not so heavy that it causes noticeable pain above the baseline.

I mean, I live in a city, I know what you mean. I drove a 6 mile roundtrip yesterday and it was about 45 minutes of stop and go traffic. And yet every shift made me smile.

It's not weird it's more where you drive. If I lived in a city that has decent public transportation or can use Taxi or Uber for daily commutes, and drive on open road other times, then a manual makes sense to me. For the last 30 years that was not the case so a decent auto-manual made more sense. Having a wife that prefers automatics ( and can drive a stick)is also a factor. Now that I live where everydays dives (if I even do drive) are less than four miles round trip or a long rural trip (get to speed and never shift again) to like Costco with a stop and go segment going or coming back from of maybe fivem miles. The automatic is superior here, but the manual would be acceptable. Live where my dad does in rural PA and I'll take the manual.

[Raza]

It's not weird it's more where you drive. If I lived in a city that has decent public transportation or can use Taxi or Uber for daily commutes, and drive on open road other times, then a manual makes sense to me. For the last 30 years that was not the case so a decent auto-manual made more sense. Having a wife that prefers automatics ( and can drive a stick)is also a factor. Now that I live where everydays dives (if I even do drive) are less than four miles round trip or a long rural trip (get to speed and never shift again) to like Costco with a stop and go segment going or coming back from of maybe fivem miles. The automatic is superior here, but the manual would be acceptable. Live where my dad does in rural PA and I'll take the manual.

Yeah, but I live in a city and never take public transport. I take an Uber many places, sure, but that’s more about parking than the driving. Even when the Z4 was out of commission and I was driving my brother’s automated S5, I still took Ubers everywhere because of the parking situation. It’s just my preference. I’d rather do a stick in gridlock than an automatic anywhere.

[happyscrappyheropup]

A good manual is a joy to drive, especially as light as factory clutches are - it's not difficult to sit in traffic with them.

Ordered belts, undertail, rearsets, and exhaust for my Monster. The bike came to me from the original owner, he had the dealer install Termis and flash the ECU. The new can saves 3.5kg and should sound a little nicer than the Termi exhaust.



Still waiting on belts and rearsets. I don't ride this one when there is salt on the roads, so no rush.

[gnuyork]

I’d rather do a stick in gridlock than an automatic anywhere.

I'm with ya.

Even climbing up steep rugged Italian mountain roads in the rented Jeep Renegade was so good with the manual. I'm actually surprised the little Renegade made it, but it was quite capable (non 4WD too).

[Fantasio]

I’d rather do a stick in gridlock than an automatic anywhere.

I drove stick for 30 years before my first automatic. Not going back.

I understand the appeal especially with sports car, but I guess I’m just lazy and like the comfort.

[Raza]

I'm with ya.

Even climbing up steep rugged Italian mountain roads in the rented Jeep Renegade was so good with the manual. I'm actually surprised the little Renegade made it, but it was quite capable (non 4WD too).

I know I’m a low slung, sports and GT car kind of guy, concrete is my nature and skyscrapers are my trees kind of guy, but damn that looks like a fun day. I often harbor secret dreams of doing off-road driving (not like mudding or anything like that, maybe overlanding, I think they call it?) as a sort of modern day exploration, ever since the off-road winching stages in Uncharted 4. And that looks like you had one hell of a time and got some beautiful views to boot.