• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Thoughts on pros and cons of automatic transmission

P777

P777

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2021
Location
Los Gatos, CA
Moto(s)
Kawasaki Vulcan S
Name
Alexey
Question for those familiar with automatic transmission,
What are pros and cons of automatic transmission in you view? It seems that it is mostly Honda in their models. Are there disadvantages in automatic transmission for a road bike?
 
I assume you're talking DCT, not CVT. The extra mechanism costs more and weigh more, naturally, but other than that, I don't see a downside. I rented an Africa Twin w/ DCT and thought it was great in every way. DCT is something that BMW should be offering, too, with their high-powered, expensive models. How long before we see a GS with DCT?
 
Gary856 said:
I assume you're talking DCT, not CVT. The extra mechanism costs more and weigh more, naturally, but other than that, I don't see a downside. I rented an Africa Twin w/ DCT and thought it was great in every way. DCT is something that BMW should be offering, too, with their high-powered, expensive models. How long before we see a GS with DCT?
Click to expand...

Yes, DCT, thanks
 
Beyond the lethargic launch off the line (which could readily be because it was just a 180 scooter), the CVT worked great for me back in the day.

I, too, am rather surprised BMW hasn't come up with something like the DCT. I'm assuming its some patent thing.
 
It's possible that they just may not be interested. It's not like DCTs or any other format are all that popular right now. BMW may just not want to pull the trigger yet...or it's buried in R&D... :dunno
 
A few years ago I was on the Sheetiron 300, at a particularly tough off-road section for big adv bikes. While most of us were struggling to get up the hill on our big KTMs and Yamahas, there was a guy on a Africa Twin DCT that made it look effortless. He simply opened the throttle, and the bike handled everything for him, making it quick and easy across the difficult terrain.
 
Never owned an auto tranny moto but test rode a couple. Similar to automatic auto, automatic moto is boring IMO. I preferred manual tranny in both my motos and autos.

3 pedals in an auto = Anti-Theft system now.
 
Everyone keeps saying that shit, but I've yet to meet a single young person that drives that either doesn't own a manual transmission vehicle or at the very least knows how to operate one.
 
The thing with the DCT is that if you're riding through beautiful country you can concentrate more on the scenery and not engage that part of your brain that is constantly monitoring what gear you're in, here comes a curve or hill, do I need to downshift, now I've crested the hill/made the turn, do I need to upshift? How many gears down? how many up?

Also consider stop and go city driving. Imagine just hitting the gas on a green light and never having to think about shifting gears, or clutching up a hill from a stop.
 
Since all those things apply to cars too, I wonder if the motorcycling world will be as anti-automatic transmission as the "purists" have been in the car world?
 
I don't know, Per Google only 1.7% of cars sold in the US have manual trannys so they almost don't exist anymore. The purists who are anti-automatic trans are dwindling.
 
That's most likely just new cars. There's plenty of manual transmission cars still on the road.
 
Kornholio said:
Since all those things apply to cars too, I wonder if the motorcycling world will be as anti-automatic transmission as the "purists" have been in the car world?
Click to expand...

To some degree for sure. I have not ridden an automatic.

I could see big benefits for brand new riders and others that might like to ride, but fear the complexity of clutching.

I think doing the shifting mental analysis and function are part of the fun for many of us.
 
Last edited:
Kornholio said:
Since all those things apply to cars too, I wonder if the motorcycling world will be as anti-automatic transmission as the "purists" have been in the car world?
Click to expand...

There have been a lot of technology as of the last 10 years in two wheels that I used to turn my nose up at, like E-Bikes. I used to hate them, especially on mountain and road bikes because I was like "That's not riding a bike! Pedal like the rest of us you wuss!" and then these DCT bikes, "Learn how to shift like a REAL rider!". Or trikes, and other such things.

Then I realized, hey, if it opens up the opportunity for a person who may not be able to do such things such as pedal a bicycle without gassing out, or maybe has trouble shifting because of a physical limitation, or can't balance a two wheel bike due to the same... I'm all for it.

Personally, I wouldn't partake in any of that stuff - as I like the "purity" of all of it, but that's just me.

I think that the cons of having a DCT bike would be exactly what it is - you don't shift the bike, and to me, that's not "riding" the bike. I personally would feel a disconnect. But maybe not for another person - maybe it helps them.
 
Kornholio said:
It's possible that they just may not be interested. It's not like DCTs or any other format are all that popular right now. BMW may just not want to pull the trigger yet...or it's buried in R&D... :dunno
Click to expand...

I just watched MCN's review on Honda's 2024 Africa Twin Adventure Sports on YouTube. The road tester Michael Reeves said for sport riding he prefers manual, but DCT would get his vote for touring, and, "... it gets a lot of people's votes, because they sell more DCT Africa Twins than the normal one."


SVsick50 said:
Then I realized, hey, if it opens up the opportunity for a person who may not be able to do such things such as pedal a bicycle without gassing out, or maybe has trouble shifting because of a physical limitation, or can't balance a two wheel bike due to the same... I'm all for it.

Personally, I wouldn't partake in any of that stuff - as I like the "purity" of all of it, but that's just me.

I think that the cons of having a DCT bike would be exactly what it is - you don't shift the bike, and to me, that's not "riding" the bike. I personally would feel a disconnect. But maybe not for another person - maybe it helps them.
Click to expand...

I thought that way, but as I get older, I got less dogmatic, more pragmatic. I like driving stick shift but gave it up for convenience long ago.

Is a bike with electric start, fuel injection and ABS less “pure”, and, than what?

With bikes I always want to try something "different" - DCT bikes are different, and more importantly, Honda DCTs perform very well.
 
Last edited:
I don't have an automatic but I do ride electric motorcycles (one of them did have a manual) and for around town I much prefer a bike without a clutch. Riding stop light to stop light gets old with a clutch lever. When I deliver food on a motorcycle I much rather have something without a clutch lever like my Honda Super Cub or Sur Ron Light Bee. It's the main reason I bought the Super Cub for doing food deliveries and it not having a clutch lever.

When I race motocross I would rather have an electric motorcycle also because that's one less thing to worry about finding the right gear.

For electric bikes that have only one gear or direct drive I find that you need greater throttle control because the only thing to control how fast you go is the throttle. There is no gears to play around with the torque.

Not having gears is one less thing to worry about so you can focus on other things.

Also on a race track I actually kinda like shifting more than one speed. Even with my Empulse TT its very familiar this corner I use this gear. This corner I go down this many gears. etc... Where in a one speed you have to train your hand where you want the throttle to be not just hammer through the gears and go WOT.

Another thing about an automatic that's one less thing to fail, the clutch that is. You don't have to worry about breaking clutch levers, clutch lines, master cylinders, etc...

Also for drag racing an automatic is much more consistent at least for launches.
 
Last edited:
Yea I would think a DCT would be great in heavy traffic, just like it is for a car.

It's not quite the same thing, as a rule, I just hate stopping in stop and go traffic on the bike. But even then, I'd think the DCT would be a help.

I am curious if any of the gymkhana or police rodeo comps could be done on a DTC. They do a lot of clutch work on those.
 
Gary856 said:
I just watched MCN's review on Honda's 2024 Africa Twin Adventure Sports on YouTube. The road tester Michael Reeves said for sport riding he prefers manual, but DCT would get his vote for touring, and, "... it gets a lot of people's votes, because they sell more DCT Africa Twins than the normal one."
Click to expand...

But what percentage of AT sales are the total worldwide motorcycle sales? It's still not as popular as I think people are led to believe. Doesn't mean it won't get there, but I don't feel it's there yet.

berth said:
Yea I would think a DCT would be great in heavy traffic, just like it is for a car.

It's not quite the same thing, as a rule, I just hate stopping in stop and go traffic on the bike. But even then, I'd think the DCT would be a help.

I am curious if any of the gymkhana or police rodeo comps could be done on a DTC. They do a lot of clutch work on those.
Click to expand...

I can lug the shit out of my 1250RS and don't use the clutch much at all due to it having the ShiftCam system. It's a nice alternative to a DCT system that still allows me "full control" if I ever want it but clutchless up and down shifts should I prefer it. As for Gymkhana stuff, their rear sprockets are so oversized that I doubt they're doing much with the clutch at all. It certainly doesn't seem like it when I've watched the videos.
 
greenmonster said:
I don't know, Per Google only 1.7% of cars sold in the US have manual trannys so they almost don't exist anymore. The purists who are anti-automatic trans are dwindling.
Click to expand...


I think that number is accurate due to the low demand for real manual tranny these days.

Which is why it's good anti-theft especially for those with just liability insurance coverage :laughing:thumbup:

Teens Try to Carjack Man, But Can't Drive Manual Transmission
Montgomery County police say the teens forced the driver to give them his keys at a Germantown gas station

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/...rive-manual-transmission-to-get-away/3316846/
Click to expand...
 
:laughing

Urban legends always a some truth to them right?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top