Good post, thalwang.
I have not tracked or dynoed mine, yet, but I have reamed her quite a bit over the last year. This is what I have learned concerning the street:
1. If I redline 1st, I roast 2nd & have to grab 3rd to get traction (not good)
*my rule-of-thumb: grab another gear if you lose acceleration, the gears are close enough together and the motor strong enough to recover - this is no GT
2. If I roll 1st into the intersection and then plant the accelerator, I can power-shift 2nd around 5800 RPM (about 3/4-way through the intersection)
It's CHIRP-AND-GO; just about perfect
3. My stock power band kicks in around 3200 and drops after 5800, so I try to keep the motor in that range, grabbing gears as I go.
I'm no trackster, but I hold my own on the street. I'm stock and do not have the benefit of 7-second burnouts, gears or soft rubber. I have not lost yet, to anything, most back down after about 60MPH; even cycles. The others watch the back of my Mach pull away at over 110MPH.
It's a strong 4V motor, keep it in the power band, regardless of gear.
BTW, I shift out of 4th at 5800 at ~130MPH
Just saw that you were two hours up from me. If you see a white Mach with my Avatar over the trunk badge, it's me.