Originally Posted by Chris L.
Well, there's certainly no sensation of "lugging" with either car starting out in 2nd....keep in mind these are always...mild accelerations from a stop.
Chris, just because you can't sense" it, doesn't mean that it isn't happening. The simple fact is it takes more power to get the cars moving from a stationary position in a higher gear than it does in a lower gear. Your engine is simply operating more effenciently in stop and go driving using the lower gears. Try taking off from a dead stop on a 10 speed bike in a higher gear and you will feel the "sensation" I'm talking about.
Once you get the car moving, try "skip" shifting.
Lots of times I only use 1st. 2nd. 3rd. and 6th.