First Drive

What you leave with

Clear skill — not just a tick on a sheet.

You can hold first and second gear on flat, uphill and downhill stretches, and use MSM so every move is announced and controlled.

Drills we cover · 12

1. 2.1

   MSM

   Mirror → Signal → Manoeuvre: the habit that keeps other road users in the loop before you change course.

2. 2.2

   Controlling vehicle at 1st gear - min speed

   Steady crawl in first without stalling when traffic or a gate forces you slow.

3. 2.3

   Controlling vehicle at 1st gear - ideal rpm

   Matching revs so first gear feels willing, not strained, on short urban hops.

4. 2.4

   Gear shifting 1st to 2nd - plane road

   Upshift timing on level ground until the hand finds the gate without looking down.

5. 2.5

   Gear shifting 1st to 2nd - downhill

   How gravity changes the shift — and how to avoid runaway speed on the way into second.

6. 2.6

   Gear shifting 1st to 2nd - uphill

   Bite, gas and release timed so the car does not roll back when you leave first.

7. 2.7

   Gear shifting 2nd to 1st - plane road

   Downshift preparation for turns and stops without grinding or lurching.

8. 2.8

   Gear shifting 2nd to 1st - downhill

   Engine braking into first so the foot brake is not doing all the work on a slope.

9. 2.9

   Gear shifting 2nd to 1st - uphill

   Selecting first early enough to climb without bogging down mid-hill.

10. 2.10

    Controlling vehicle at 2nd gear

    Settled pace in second for neighbourhood roads — eyes up, feet quiet.

11. 2.11

    Handling tight situation in bitting point - 2nd gear

    Recovering bite in second when traffic compresses and you must creep without stalling.

12. 2.12

    Handling tight situation in bitting point - 1st gear

    The same composure in first when a junction or steep short ramp demands it.