Kids first truck

I've got him just running through the gears with engine off. And feeling when the clutch let's out..he's getting a feel for it.

 

find a dirt road or big parking lot

sometimes learning stick is one of those things where "you just gotta be thrown off the dock" to learn how to swim

or just drop him off alone a few towns over and you take the bus, tell him to figure it out or dont come home lol

 

If he's mechanically oriented, sometimes having some understanding of what's happening with the clutch/shifter/throttle will help folks learn to coordinate them.

And if you get to the point of being interested in improving the finish in a DYI manner, check out www.monstaliner.com

 

He'll learn. I think it's just all new to him. I might have him watch some videos on clutches.there's no tach, so he's kinda struggling with the engine revs.

 

If he can ride a 10 spd, remind him how shifting is easier when the gears are turning, but not under full load (of your pedal effort) especially on a budget bike. That will help with the concept of lightening the throttle when shifting.

Also, just going back and forth (R to 1st) on a length of driveway gets the clutch engagement feel practice, as starting off is always the trickest part.

 

Thanks, great idea..think we'll have him going up and down a dead end street. Just 1st,then back up and 1st again

 

Id recommend a larger area....Ive taught significant others at a HUGE church lot, where you could drive circles around the building.

That way once they do get it successfully going in first, the second shift isn't bad, and you can idle it around almost while explaining the next move. It is nice having room to talk without stopping the truck each time. Can almost do it all in slo-mo with enough room.

Then you can throw in reverse at a slightly later time too.

Without having the opportunity to add in 2nd and 3rd I could see that being stressful with how jumpy and short 1st and reverse are.

 

Tell him about the "sweet spot".. and when you get there, to smoothly get through that area of the clutch pedal movement. Otherwise known as the friction zone. Try to get him to do this just idling. That's a good way to teach him to finesse it. You should be able to get it rolling purely from an idle, so long as you're on flat ground.

 

Sell this one to me for $1000 and find 2 more $500 ones like it.


Cool score and cool first vehicle for the kid..............

 

YouTube has videos for everything.

 

For some reason, when I went to buy my first car at 18 I knew I wanted a stick shift...even though I had never driven one before. So I bought this piece of shit 1998 Dodge Dakota with a 2.4l 4cyl motor (it was an absolute dog, but that's besides the point) because it was a stick shift and I could afford it at 18 years old.

My dad had to drive it home for me and I spent the next 3 weeks unable to get it further than the end of our street without stalling it. My father even suggested at one point that we take it back and I take the hit on it as a lesson learned. I eventually got the hang of it, but it took me awhile. 13 years later and all I've ever driven are stick shifts (got rid of the Dodge shortly after I finally learned how to drive it because it was the biggest POS car ever made).

I'd say just give him some more time, some people don't pick up on it as quickly as others. I went to teach my ex girlfriend once and she picked it up right away, it was crazy.

 

except on how to get the feel of something. Hands on trumps video on that. Mechanics of doing something, yes........feel for it, not so much. The feel of the clutch and timing using it with gear changes will only come with hands on and practice practice practice

 

Yea, it's his first car.he spent his own money. I just got him a deal from work.he takes his driving test later this month. He's 18. So he's got time to learn.

 

He's was in the dw running through the gears. Once he gets the shift pattern down,will work on clutch finessing. .

 

Using a stick will keep him occupied with driving task more of the time vs. all the other potential distractionary things with the free time of just putting it in drive and mashin the pedal.

 

He was looking at some awful cars just cause they were automatic. Would've blew his whole savings on a clapped out saturn.couldn't let that happen

 

Haha nice, my dad had me running the hills at the local school parking lot after an hour or two of flat ground. Make sure he doesn't become a clutch abuser.

 

This is the way to go.Toyota truck with hydraulic clutch is easy.I taught both of my sons.Flat ground,no gas,let clutch out till you fell it grabbing and the gas.Once they master that go for slight incline,teach him to hold the truck in one spot without using the brakes.This is the biggest fear of new manual drivers (rolling backwards on a hill)after that shifting gears is the fun part.

 

I learned on dirtbikes and quads so the idea of slipping out a clutch was pretty much the same same but different