Driving and Shifting
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Driving the RUSH SR is very simple. It’s doing it fast that’s going to take you a bit of practice! The clutch is only used to engage 1st gear to get going, and again when you come to a stop. You will be starting in Neutral so depress the clutch and use the left-hand paddle to shift down to first.
Remember, neutral is between first and second on a motorcycle transmission! Your selected gear is always visible on the dash.
The clutch is pretty fierce so you’re going to stall unless you give it considerable revs. Go to 3,000-3,500 then gently find the bite point to get the car rolling.
During demos we get someone to give the car a push, since most people will just stall the car. If you stall, press the clutch, press the NSel button, and upshift to neutral to allow the car to be restarted.
The car does not have a reverse gear. Plan accordingly.
The Rush Auto Works GCU takes care of shifting for you, complete with blipping the throttle on downshifts, and cutting it on upshifts, so you don't need the clutch during normal driving.
The GCU takes care of determining the correct pressure to place on the shift lever and the amount of time to cut or blip throttle. You don't need to hold the paddle for a specific amount of time, just depress it fully and it will shift. The car will only shift once each time a paddle is pressed.
Upshifts (increasing gear) can be made with the right-hand paddle. Upshifts must be made under power, and if you lift off, it typically won’t work. The GCU will automatically cut throttle for you to unload the transmission and ensure a smooth clutchless shift.
Downshifts should be made with the left-hand paddle while off the gas. If you’re on the gas it won’t work. The GCU will automatically blip the throttle for you, so you can downshift while on the brakes, without the clutch!
DO NOT try operating the gear box through the range of gears (other than to find N and 1st) while stationary, as this can result in damage to the gearbox's shift forks.
While in the paddock, perform a few brake checks to make sure you are finding the brake pedal. Wear proper shoes! We had one demo driver with large shoes manage to depress the wrong pedal!
If you are unable to start the car, you may not be in neutral. Sometimes the dash will read N when it really is still in 1st or 2nd. Try wiggling the car to unload the gearbox and/or have a friend wiggle it for you.
If the air compressor is working often, even when you are not shifting, you may have an air leak in the pneumatic system.
If shifts in a single direction (up or down) are difficult to regularly perform, the connection between the pneumatic shift cylinder and the shift lever may be misaligned. Make sure that it has equal range of motion in both directions. If it does not, you may need to loosen the red circled bolt and realign.
