baldheadracing
Senior Member
- First Name
- Craig
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2017
- Threads
- 44
- Messages
- 1,248
- Reaction score
- 1,382
- Location
- Canada's capital
- Vehicle(s)
- FK8
- Thread starter
- #1
"Shifter feel is precisely what we've come to expect from Honda: absolute precision." - Car and Driver
"Shift action is as slick as we've come to expect ..." - Motor Trend
"The shift quality of the manual 'box was one of the best bits about the outgoing car, and the engineers proudly state that its 40mm shift stroke is just 5mm more than that of the S2000." - EVO
"Moreover, the Type R absolutely aces the contact points that really matter: ... the small alloy ball of the gearlever ..." - EVO
"Honda nailed the short, stubby lever and satisfying mechanical shift action yonks ago." - Top Gear
"Honda's alloy-topped short-throw shifter makes every change a joy, with an oily precision that far surpasses every other contender." - Car (UK)
"The titanium gearknob is a terrific piece of automotive art, and the throws of the gearbox are wonderfully short. But the engagement of gears in their gates could be snappier still." - torque (SG)
So, the magazine reviews were overwhelmingly positive for the shifter in the FK8 Type R - and the video and website reviews were just as effusive.
Myself ... I wasn't impressed. I mean, the shifts were fine and everything. I only occasionally caught stuck in neutral between shifts, but that could easily be me getting used to the car.
However, this was the first cable-shifter car that I've owned. All of my previous manual cars were rod (mechanical) shifters. Porsches, Audi's, BMW's, M-B's, Ford's (Hurst shifter!) - all mechanical. I'm not saying rod shifters are better than cable shifters - that is more a function of the particular application. There are good and bad shifters, and the technology used is only part of the equation. However, as a sweeping generalization, the feel is different. A good rod shifter is like cycling a bolt-action rifle. I wanted to get closer to that feel.
This forum is a great resource; there was already a lively discussion about shifter improvements from two companies: Sirimoto and Acuity. http://www.civicx.com/threads/sirimoto-krispy-vs-acuity.14133/ With all the press reports showering praise on the Type R shifter, I wasn't sure how much difference these aftermarket items would make - sure, they could improve the regular CivicX shifters, and maybe the Si's, but the Type R's? I was skeptical. Acuity wasn't even sure that their shifter bushings would work on the Type R.
So I contacted Acuity. I said, I'll buy the Stage I shift kit, be a guinea pig, and see if the bushings work. Russ offered me $20 off, and gave me a couple windshield banners when I promised to get some pics of my car with the banners.
As of now I can say that the Stage 1 shift kit does fit the Type R. I did the install this weekend. I'll update this thread once I've had a chance to use the kit more. Whether the kit makes a big enough difference for me to justify the price, and the non-trivial installation - see the fourth post in this thread.
Full disclaimer: I am making notes and taking pics for Acuity's Type R install guide. I may also be fortunate enough to try out some of Acuity's future products.
"Shift action is as slick as we've come to expect ..." - Motor Trend
"The shift quality of the manual 'box was one of the best bits about the outgoing car, and the engineers proudly state that its 40mm shift stroke is just 5mm more than that of the S2000." - EVO
"Moreover, the Type R absolutely aces the contact points that really matter: ... the small alloy ball of the gearlever ..." - EVO
"Honda nailed the short, stubby lever and satisfying mechanical shift action yonks ago." - Top Gear
"Honda's alloy-topped short-throw shifter makes every change a joy, with an oily precision that far surpasses every other contender." - Car (UK)
"The titanium gearknob is a terrific piece of automotive art, and the throws of the gearbox are wonderfully short. But the engagement of gears in their gates could be snappier still." - torque (SG)
So, the magazine reviews were overwhelmingly positive for the shifter in the FK8 Type R - and the video and website reviews were just as effusive.
Myself ... I wasn't impressed. I mean, the shifts were fine and everything. I only occasionally caught stuck in neutral between shifts, but that could easily be me getting used to the car.
However, this was the first cable-shifter car that I've owned. All of my previous manual cars were rod (mechanical) shifters. Porsches, Audi's, BMW's, M-B's, Ford's (Hurst shifter!) - all mechanical. I'm not saying rod shifters are better than cable shifters - that is more a function of the particular application. There are good and bad shifters, and the technology used is only part of the equation. However, as a sweeping generalization, the feel is different. A good rod shifter is like cycling a bolt-action rifle. I wanted to get closer to that feel.
This forum is a great resource; there was already a lively discussion about shifter improvements from two companies: Sirimoto and Acuity. http://www.civicx.com/threads/sirimoto-krispy-vs-acuity.14133/ With all the press reports showering praise on the Type R shifter, I wasn't sure how much difference these aftermarket items would make - sure, they could improve the regular CivicX shifters, and maybe the Si's, but the Type R's? I was skeptical. Acuity wasn't even sure that their shifter bushings would work on the Type R.
So I contacted Acuity. I said, I'll buy the Stage I shift kit, be a guinea pig, and see if the bushings work. Russ offered me $20 off, and gave me a couple windshield banners when I promised to get some pics of my car with the banners.
As of now I can say that the Stage 1 shift kit does fit the Type R. I did the install this weekend. I'll update this thread once I've had a chance to use the kit more. Whether the kit makes a big enough difference for me to justify the price, and the non-trivial installation - see the fourth post in this thread.
Full disclaimer: I am making notes and taking pics for Acuity's Type R install guide. I may also be fortunate enough to try out some of Acuity's future products.
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