4-Way Adjustable Performance Shifter for the RHD 11th Gen Civic

2025-05-30T12:22:11-04:00

Price: 469.00

SKU: 1981-RHD

Gear throw can be adjusted between 50% shorter and 20% longer than stock, and gate spacing can be adjusted between 35% narrower and 50% wider than stock.

Shift knob height is adjustable within a 75mm (2.95") range, and the shift knob position can be adjusted laterally for driver preference.

Centering is decisive, snappy, and quiet, thanks to a 50% increase in spring force over stock and padded spring legs.

Precision, self-lubricating joints for consistent, quiet operation and stiff, all-metal frame for reduced compliance and improved shift accuracy.

Description

Important: This shifter is designed for use in Right-Hand Drive vehicles like those sold in Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom. For Left-Hand Drive vehicles like those sold in North America and mainland Europe, please see SKU 1981-LHD here.

Robust enough for the track, Refined enough for the street:

Easily the most capable 11th Gen Civic shifter ever developed, this design represents ACUiTY's latest advancements in shifter architecture and delivers an unmatched shifting experience that can be gracefully adapted to a vast array of driving conditions and driver preferences. This design was refined over 2 years and in the process won 1st and 2nd in a 25hr endurance race**, underwent over 10,000 hours of cumulative testing time, and racked up well over 10 million shifts on our proprietary test equipment. The result is a shifter that feels equally at home in anything from an otherwise unmodified street car to a purpose-built race car.

The shifter's unique architecture, premium materials and high precision components grant it an unrivaled shift feel and confidence-inspiring gear engagement in a form factor that still fits under the factory console and shift boot. Seasoned tuners will appreciate the thoughtful touches like laser-marked tech info, wire harness routing points, and how all 4 adjustments can be changed with just a 5mm hex key. Shift knob height is adjustable within an impressive, class-leading 75mm (2.9") range, and slotted mounting points permit the shift knob position to be adjusted laterally (left/right). Gear throw and gate spacing are also independently adjustable and are easily tweaked thanks to ACUiTY's slotted adjustment design. Using the knob height, lateral position, gate spacing and gear throw adjustments, it's easy to tune the H-pattern of your shifter to suit your own unique driving style.

The shifter's frame is built from a combination of cnc-machined billet aluminum and precision die-cast aluminum to achieve extremely high tolerances in a very stiff, lightweight, and aesthetically pleasing design. At its heart is a swaged, clearanced, PTFE-lined precision spherical bearing that ensures consistent, smooth shifting with minimal friction and great long-term wear resistance. Centering is quick, decisive, quiet, and consistent, compliments of a thick, over-wound centering spring, cushioned spring legs, and ACUiTY's patent-pending rocker spherical joint design. When adjusted to a height similar to the OEM shifter, this shifter delivers approximately 50% higher centering force than stock, and if you want to fine-tune your centering action even further, low-preload and high-preload centering springs are available (sold separately, see SKUs 1981-S01 and 1981-S03).

Whether you're shaving tenths off your lap time or cruising backroads on the weekend, this shifter delivers the precision, customization, and durability needed to elevate your driving experience. Built for real enthusiasts, backed by race wins, and engineered to last.

Adjustment Specs:

ADJUSTABLE SHIFT KNOB HEIGHT with 75mm range. Adjust your shift knob height between 50mm taller and 25mm lower than stock to put the shift knob in a position that is most suited to your driving style.

ADJUSTABLE GEAR THROW can be set between 50% shorter and 20% longer than stock and helps to tune your preference for precise, lightning-fast shifts.

ADJUSTABLE GATE SPACING can be adjusted between 35% narrower and 50% wider than stock. Gate spacing is adjusted independently from throw to help your further personalize shift feel.

ADJUSTABLE KNOB POSITION thanks to slotted mounting points that allow you to move the whole shifter laterally to move the shift knob closer to or farther from the driver.

ADJUSTABLE CENTERING FORCE to achieve lighter or more aggressive centering action using the 1981-S01 (low preload) or 1981-S03 (high preload) centering springs (1981-S01 and 1981-S03 springs sold separately)

Engineered to Win:

This shifter’s design builds on many of the great features from ACUiTY’s existing shifters and adds a number of new, innovative touches. Among them are an increased range of adjustments for more customization, less unwanted friction and play for a more premium shifting experience, an increase in overall frame stiffness for improved engagement feel, a reduction in undesirable NVH for driver comfort, and a reduction in unneeded weight to play a modest role in keeping your build light and agile. The height adjustment range of 75mm used on this shifter offers more adjustability than competing designs and any previous ACUiTY shifter. Since height adjustments can positively or negatively impact both gear throw and gate spacing, ACUiTY engineers had to also equip this shifter with more gear throw and gate adjustment range than any of its predecessors. This allows users to achieve both near-stock settings and huge reductions in throw and gate spacing at the lower height settings, and near-stock settings with modest reductions in gear throw and gate spacing at the taller height settings. The lateral adjustment that is achieved via the slots in the mounting base permits users to adjust the shifter left or right according to their preference for shift knob location; the v-shaped slots are a creative way to help identify the center of the slot easily when sliding the shifter left or right. The precision die-cast aluminum frame is perhaps the crowning jewel of the design. This departure from our traditional sheet metal frames allowed our designers to reduce weight dramatically while imparting incredible stiffness to deliver a delightfully rigid shift engagement feel without much additional weight over the OEM shifter. ACUiTY’s engineers opted to retain the OEM die-cast aluminum shifter mounting base because, in testing, it was found to be both surprisingly strong and incredibly lightweight. The end result of this design choice is a shifter that boasts an average of 450g (16oz) lighter installed weight than competing shifter designs while achieving higher fatigue-resistance and frame stiffness, meaning you get class-leading shifts without unnecessary additional weight slowing your lap times down. To ensure we could gain all of these benefits of die-casting while still delivering the high precision ACUiTY shifters are known for, the precision bearing cartridge that houses the spherical bearing and rocker pivot is cnc-machined from billet aluminum, as are the other moving components like the rocker and adjustment body. The primary pivot uses a teflon-lined spherical bearing and is staked and precision-clearanced, an installation method more common in the aerospace industry than in the automotive aftermarket…yet another important way that ACUiTY makes sure it delivers the best shifts possible. This shifter is engineered to perform exceptionally...not just for a race season or two, but for many years. While some competing designs recommend semi annual rebuilds, this shifter will continue to take abuse with grace for many years, delivering the reliability needed for both street cars and race cars alike. And in the unlikely event that you do eventually require a rebuild, ACUiTY does offer rebuild services as needed.

*In vehicles that have no center console as in purpose-built race cars or gutted street cars, it is OK to use either SKU 1981-LHD or 1981-RHD regardless of the vehicle being LHD or RHD. The only appreciable difference between SKUs 1981-LHD and 1981-RHD is the lateral (left/right) position of the shift knob; the difference is to guarantee correct fitment with the corresponding vehicle's center console. Note that the shift lever on 1981-LHD sits further to the right, and the shift lever on 1981-RHD sits further to the left. The spacing between the shift lever positions in 1981-LHD and 1981-RHD is approximately 42mm (1.65 in). If you are building a race car and find the OEM shift knob position to be too far from the driver, using the shifter with the drive-side opposite to your OEM shifter will bring the shift knob closer to the driver, laterally (for example: using a 1981-RHD shifter on a LHD vehicle will offer a knob position that is closer to the driver). If you are like most customers who are installing this product on a street-driven vehicle with the stock center console still installed, you must order the shifter that matches the drive side of your car.

**Referenced race was the 2023 25hrs of Thunderhill held at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. The shifters were equipped to the #24 and #25 FL5 Honda Civic Type R race cars owned by Honda and operated by the Team Honda Research West racing team. The team won 1st and 2nd in class.

What to Expect

Expect a significantly different, more refined and sportier shifting experience, even when compared to our Stage 2 shifting kit and other aftermarket 11th Gen Civic shifters. This is not just another short shifter; it was carefully engineered to provide an incredibly satisfying, precise shifting experience above and beyond anything previously available. At first, it may take some time to adjust to the reductions in throw and gate spacing, as well as the stiffer centering action, but in a short while, you will find the shifter's precision, short throws, narrow gates and snappy centering making every driving experience an opportunity to put a smile on your face. You will likely find that the improved precision will lead to more confidence in quick shifts and more consistent shifting in general. Because the shifter is made from much stiffer materials than the stock shifter, shifts will feel more rigid, defined, and confidence-inspiring during spirited drives. The discerning driver will notice more feedback from the gearbox compliments of this rigid construction; this can be useful in determining the quality of your footwork on the clutch and shift timing. The exact ratio of throw distance to gate spacing is a very personal matter; take advantage of the adjustments to make the H-pattern perfect for you. Consider starting with the height set at 2 for a shift knob height comparable to stock with gate and throw adjustments set to 3 for a mild reduction. Once you've adjusted to that shift feel, experiment with all of the adjustments to find settings that suit your driving style perfectly.

Expect a brief break-in period of 2-4 weeks of daily driving, where the shifter's internal friction will reduce and level out. You may notice during this period that shifts become a bit easier than when the shifter was initially installed. This happens because the freshly installed bearings are burnishing themselves. Once this process is complete, internal friction will level out and provide a consistent shift feel for years to come.

Fitment

2023+ 11th Gen Honda Civic Type R (Right-Hand Drive only)

2024+ 11th Gen Honda Civic RS (MT only, Right-Hand Drive only)

Works with all M10x1.5 and OEM Honda/Acura shift knobs. Works with OEM center console, and will work with OEM shift boot at lower end of height adjustment range.

Contents

(1) 4-Way Adjustable Right-Hand Drive Shifter Body

(1) Stainless Steel Shift Lever

(1) Hardware bag containing (4) mounting screws, (4) mounting washers, (1) height adjustment screw, and (1) height adjustment barrel nut

Install Guide

Click here to access ACUiTY's install guide PDFs and install guide videos for this product and many others.

Upgrades

Interested in customizing your shifter a bit more? Check out these add-ons:

Available in 9 bold colors, Acuity's Cerakoted Adjustment Bodies are a unique way to customize your shifter. These adjustment bodies are CNC-machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and receive a beautiful, durable, and UV-resistant Cerakote finish. Laser-marked logos and technical markings complement each adjustment body, and all fastener pressure faces are laser-ablated to reduce the risk of chipping the finish during adjustments. Installation is simple, with only a few screws standing between you and your upgraded shifter.

To check out all of the Cerakoted Adjustment Bodies for your shifter, click here.

If you're looking for yet another way to personalize your 1981-LHD or 1981-RHD shifter, our spring upgrades are a great way to do it. The 1981-S01 spring has approximately 15% less centering preload than the factory-equipped spring. In contrast, the 1981-S03 spring offers approximately 15% more centering preload than the factory-equipped spring . If you find the centering force on your 1981 shifter to be a little lighter or stiffer than you'd like, one of these spring upgrades may be a good option for you.

To view the 1981-S01 Low Preload Centering Springs, click here.

To view the 1981-S03 High Preload Centering Springs, click here.