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Honda's Automatic Dual Clutch in Action

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Curious as to how Honda’s automatic dual clutch transmission works and sounds? Check out the video below to see the sequence a rider takes to roll through the gears, then check out how it smoothes out the ride in comparison to a motorcycle with a manually-operated clutch. Seems a little strange watching the rider run through the gears in full auto mode without his left hand and foot moving. No roll-off on the throttle hand, either.

Post Tags: Honda Motorcycles, Honda Automatic Dual Clutch, Honda Dual Clutch, Auto Clutch for Sportbikes

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Comments

Steve -VFR sportbike? September 11, 2009 04:27 AM
Does anyone at Honda remember when the VFR was a middleweight sportbike? Now it sounds like the maxi-est of all maxi scooters.

Steve -VFR sportbike? September 11, 2009 04:26 AM
Does anyone at Honda remember when the VFR was a middleweight sportbike? Now it sounds like the maxi-est of all maxi scooters.

Mike Thompson -Auto & semiauto bikes. September 10, 2009 04:55 AM
Mixed feelings about this. Part of me wants it very badly and part is far from convinced. An auto upshift at exactly the right moment, so I can watch where I'm going rather than the tach, or get a change when I need one dispite the fact that I'm still hung off the side or getting back into center, never missing the 1 / 2 change and buzzing the motor - that sounds great. I also have another reason - I had the big one a few months ago and right now I wouldn't be able to make upchanges at all, even if my leg was weightbearing and I could ride. Will I get range of movement back? Don't know yet. On the other hand, what I hate about full auto in a car is that you don't get drive when you want it, beause the damn auto doesn't change down until you have enough throttle on to kickdown. You get no engine braking help. You get lurches and surges in the power at exactly the moment you don't want them. In short, you get a machine you're not really in control of. Would I want that on a fast motorcycle?

Woodman West -Dual Clutch September 10, 2009 04:50 AM
Yea, look at all the folks that rushed down to buy the FJR1300AE auto clutch.

That is why Yammie dropped the line this year. It was selling so fast they could not keep up.

I am not a hater, I am a realist. If you want to ride a motorcycle, then learn to use a clutch. If you want an automatic, buy a mini van.

PS. non of my bike have FI, and not only do I get where I am going, but I can fix and tune my own bikes!

PSS what is F1? I watch Nascar, y'know those drivers with the skill to shift!

Dennis -Right....but prolly wrong. September 10, 2009 04:01 AM
This tech will probably work out awesome once it is made to shift faster that a racer can. Just look at the F-1 cars. However.....as usual this tech will be used to enable sheeple to ride a motorcycle that is way beyond their capabilities. Bad idea.....just like abs/traction control/stability control/auto. These principles are designed as aids, not skill substitution as are so often used. With the proper skill set one can then use these skills to enhance the safety and experience (go even faster). Without......just another tool to enable a no-skils rider into trouble. I would say kudos to Honda if they were developing this for the right reason.....but odds are good it's to attract capital from the wrong demographic.

skylineman -dual clutch September 10, 2009 03:12 AM
LOL at Woodman West, Ah ignorance raises its ugly head. You're piece of crap 1971 Minitrail is an auto - just like an automatic car. Dual clutch is NOT an auto. It is semi-automatic and it is a lot better than ANY automatic system on the planet.

skylineman -dual clutch rules September 10, 2009 03:08 AM
LOL at all the haters. Typical human nature to be skeptical about anything that is new and to fear the unknown. The same was said about fuel injection when it first came out. A few decades later and what do you know...

Devil Machine -do not want September 9, 2009 09:19 PM
i'm sure that shifting up through the gearbox, this automatic dual clutch junk works ok. but i bet it doesn't work so nicely when you're doing a trackday and need to bang down 3 gears before a turn so you have good drive coming out. at least with an old fashioned single clutch manual transmission, you've got the clutch control you need to match the engine revs. and if you don't get the revs matched perfectly, you can feather the clutch some to keep from skidding the back wheel. lazy people like slipper clutches that do it for them, but i don't think this dual clutch transmission has that capability. or does this honda system actually match the revs going down through the transmission like i believe ferrari's optional F1 transmission does in their cars?

seriously, if this was so great, don't you think that honda would have put this in pedrosa's GP bike already so that he wouldn't have anything else to concentrate on besides trying NOT to throw it down the track?

i really don't like having black boxes make decisions for me. i don't even like having automatic transmissions in my cars, so i drive 6 speed manuals. sometimes, i think honda overcomplicates things just for the sake of doing it and then they end up being an absolute bastard to fix when they break.

Superlight -Dual Clutch September 9, 2009 03:22 PM
Until you have actually experienced this technology don't bad-mouth it. Compare the systems in the VW GTI or Audi A3, 6-speed manual to 6-speed dual clutch. The dual clutch version shifts faster than I could manually and is far better in stop-and-go traffic. My only complaints on the cars? An additional $1500 price and less driver involvement on the dual clutch version.

Woodman West -Dual Clutch September 9, 2009 01:30 PM
Yea, so what, big deal. My 1971 Honda Minitrail 50 had an auto clutch. Then I got a real dirt bike with a clutch. I took my riders test on a 2 speed auto Guzzi, yawn. Honda made auto 750s and 400 in the 70s and 80s never sold well. Yamaha just dropped the auto shift FJR1300AE from thier line.

Just on more thing to break that you cannot fix yourself.

My truck and my hotrod both have manuals.

If you dont like clutches, buy a minivan.

socalmoe -Nice!!! September 9, 2009 01:20 PM
The technology is awesome, the way it was presented in a short video shows exactly what the difference between the modes is all about; very nicely done.