Heed 505

Yesterday I had my first chance to ride Honda’s all-new 2010 VFR1200F with the optional $1500 Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) and all I can say is wow! I mean obviously it was designed and built by Honda so you know it is going to work perfectly, but what I was really surprised by was just how fun it was to use.
 
One of the basic fundamentals of riding a motorcycle is working the clutch and shift lever both of which the DCT-equipped VFR does without. Hence, I pessimistically dismissed it as already being worthless before I even swung a leg of the bike. And after fumbling around for a few seconds trying to figure out how to launch the bike, I immediately enjoyed the way it functions.
 
Changing gears is as simple as pushing a button or you can select auto mode and let it do the shifting for you. Gear changes are actually faster than a conventional gearbox and just a hair longer than a power shifter-equipped race bike. It also automatically blips the throttle during downshifts to ensure that the chassis remains composed during aggressive deceleration.

Motorcycling wild man and woman will be pleased to know that they can still do wheelies and rolling burnouts. Our only complaint is that you can’t upshift with the front tire in the air.
 
By the end of the day I was so impressed with the DCT system that I didn’t even want to ride the manually gearbox equipped bike—it’s that fun to operate! Props to Honda for not only being the first to apply this sports car-derived technology to the realm of motorcycling but for doing it right.