A gear ratio of 12 / 42 = 1:3.5 or 3.5 is a lower gear compared to 11 / 36 = 1:3.27 or 3.27 which is a higher gear.

It is recommended to use a higher gear e.g. 12 / 36 = 3.00 for a Hawk 7 compared with a Falcon.

This is because a Hawk 7 has more 'torque' than a Falcon. That is because it has a larger armature than the Falcon. It should be noted that the recommended lowest gear ratio for a Hawk 7 is 11 / 35 (3.18:1)

A Hawk Retro is similar to a Falcon but has harder brushes and takes longer to 'run in'.

A lower gear will give better acceleration and braking; a higher gear will give better top speed.

You should try to gear your car so that it 'rev's out' just before it gets to the end of the main straight. If you have too high a gear i.e. 1:2.5, it is likely your motor will over heat and you will have poor braking.