View Poll Results: What would you do with the S2000 gearing if you had your choice?
Voters: 65. You may not vote on this poll
Is the S2000 geared too high or too low?
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 13,832
Likes: 1,550
From: Chesterfield VA
I voted to leave it alone. Pointless poll, of course, as the car has been out of production for 8 years. 
Last weekend's 300 miles were mainly in I71 and mainly in excess of 80mph or about 4200rpm. Traffic was moving pretty fast. Fuel measured right at 27mpg. My Gernby tune rarely needs a downshift for passing on the interstates and hardly ever needs two less gears on the back roads.
-- Chuck
Last weekend's 300 miles were mainly in I71 and mainly in excess of 80mph or about 4200rpm. Traffic was moving pretty fast. Fuel measured right at 27mpg. My Gernby tune rarely needs a downshift for passing on the interstates and hardly ever needs two less gears on the back roads.
-- Chuck
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,128
Likes: 19
I have played with gear ratios on many cars, mostly Vettes and Mustangs. However considering the relatively peaky F20, I have a hard time complaining about the gear ratios. I wouldn't go lower, because already there is a lot of shifting and the engine cruises at a fairly high RPM. I wouldn't go higher because the tq multiplication makes the F20 more responsive. The spacing is also pretty good. On the street and track it will stay on the cam fairy easily.
At first I thought the F22 transmission may be more ideal. Once I started doing track work, being able to carry 3rd and 4th a little longer is a big help. The roll out is a little slower, but its not a drag car or a stop light racer. For a purely street car I could see the advantage of the F22 trans with a F20 engine. For track work and overall, I think the factory AP1 trans works well.
At first I thought the F22 transmission may be more ideal. Once I started doing track work, being able to carry 3rd and 4th a little longer is a big help. The roll out is a little slower, but its not a drag car or a stop light racer. For a purely street car I could see the advantage of the F22 trans with a F20 engine. For track work and overall, I think the factory AP1 trans works well.
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 305
Likes: 51
From: South East Queensland Oz.
On most of the country roads in Oz, where I really enjoy my AP1 S2000 the speed limit is 100Km/H, [62 MPH]. At that speed in top gear the Honda has just a little less hill climbing performance than my 1980 Triumph TR7 in top. I would not like to lower the cruising revs, it would make the car fussy to drive.
For overtaking 3Rd gear gives me very good acceleration from 80 to 130 Km/H, [50 to 80 MPH] the speeds where most overtaking is done. I would not like to alter the speed range of 3Rd gear.
I guess you could say I find the gear ratios almost perfect. If you spend all your time buzzing around the suburbs, or cruising down an expressway you could perhaps find a change of ratio useful, but for the full range of driving conditions, I doubt any change would be of much use, or even desirable.
For overtaking 3Rd gear gives me very good acceleration from 80 to 130 Km/H, [50 to 80 MPH] the speeds where most overtaking is done. I would not like to alter the speed range of 3Rd gear.
I guess you could say I find the gear ratios almost perfect. If you spend all your time buzzing around the suburbs, or cruising down an expressway you could perhaps find a change of ratio useful, but for the full range of driving conditions, I doubt any change would be of much use, or even desirable.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 34,131
Likes: 126
From: Canton, MA
I voted to leave it alone. Pointless poll, of course, as the car has been out of production for 8 years.
Last weekend's 300 miles were mainly in I71 and mainly in excess of 80mph or about 4200rpm. Traffic was moving pretty fast. Fuel measured right at 27mpg. My Gernby tune rarely needs a downshift for passing on the interstates and hardly ever needs two less gears on the back roads.
-- Chuck
Last weekend's 300 miles were mainly in I71 and mainly in excess of 80mph or about 4200rpm. Traffic was moving pretty fast. Fuel measured right at 27mpg. My Gernby tune rarely needs a downshift for passing on the interstates and hardly ever needs two less gears on the back roads.
-- Chuck
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 34,131
Likes: 126
From: Canton, MA
I have played with gear ratios on many cars, mostly Vettes and Mustangs. However considering the relatively peaky F20, I have a hard time complaining about the gear ratios. I wouldn't go lower, because already there is a lot of shifting and the engine cruises at a fairly high RPM. I wouldn't go higher because the tq multiplication makes the F20 more responsive. The spacing is also pretty good. On the street and track it will stay on the cam fairy easily.
At first I thought the F22 transmission may be more ideal. Once I started doing track work, being able to carry 3rd and 4th a little longer is a big help. The roll out is a little slower, but its not a drag car or a stop light racer. For a purely street car I could see the advantage of the F22 trans with a F20 engine. For track work and overall, I think the factory AP1 trans works well.
At first I thought the F22 transmission may be more ideal. Once I started doing track work, being able to carry 3rd and 4th a little longer is a big help. The roll out is a little slower, but its not a drag car or a stop light racer. For a purely street car I could see the advantage of the F22 trans with a F20 engine. For track work and overall, I think the factory AP1 trans works well.