Times are changing...

[Suave Cowboy]

I've heard rumors of some manufactured "automatic" motorcycles, but they were brands I had never heard of and weren't popular at all. Now Honda has introduced an automatic motorcycle to their line up. Thoughts on the matter?

Here's the link to the new motorcycle...

http://powersports.honda.com/startyourride.aspx#/ctx700n/overview


Personally, I feel like it detracts from the whole experience and reason to ride a motorcycle... It's like driving a sports car that's automatic. It just isn't right!

 

[CaptainKyle]

I know some one that has a Vmax they converted to an automatic for there wife

 

[TK3333]

Not for me but they probably built it to target preppies, yuppies and women.

 

[Suave Cowboy]

That's a sweet gesture I suppose. People use auto shifts for drag racing (Those little air shifting kits) as well, but I think that's entirely different than mass producing "automatic" motorcycles.

Perhaps I'm just being an elitest?:ummm:

 

[Suave Cowboy]

Not for me but they probably built it to target preppies, yuppies and women.

Hahaha, that's pretty much how I feel in a nutshell.

 

[FootNote]

I actually have no problem with this. I wont be buying one for myself. A lot of people ride just as a mode of transportation, not for speed, lifestyle anything else, simply transportation. I actually find myself going this rout when it comes to riding. I really enjoy the ride its fun as hell, but I mostly look at it as transportation. Its been a while sense I ride just to ride. Like I said, Sure as hell isn't for me, but I can see a lot of people in city's liking this.

 

[tmosel]

I know that there is a version of the FJR1300 that has an automatic style transmission. No clutch, but I think that the operator still chooses the gear (not sure about this though)

 

[Biker Dash]

I've heard rumors of some manufactured "automatic" motorcycles, but they were brands I had never heard of and weren't popular at all. Now Honda has introduced an automatic motorcycle to their line up. Thoughts on the matter?

Here's the link to the new motorcycle...

http://powersports.honda.com/startyourride.aspx#/ctx700n/overview


Personally, I feel like it detracts from the whole experience and reason to ride a motorcycle... It's like driving a sports car that's automatic. It just isn't right!

Actually, this is not the first time that Honda has done this. They had done this with the DN-01 (affectionately known at the stealerships as the "Do Not Order One") several years ago. I do like the lines of the bike, though I do not like the forward controls on it.

I would have considered a DN-01 if I could have swapped out the engine/tranny from the NT-700, and reprogrammed it for a single pin crank from the Shadow RS, along with mounting pegs further back.

While I myself will ALWAYS prefer to have a clutch and row through the gears myself, I have absolutely no problems with an automatic transmission bike. Heck, this could potentially open the motorcycling world to a bunch of new riders who beforehand, might have been intimidated by the thought of having to shift the bike manually.

 

[CaptainKyle]

My Dad had a Hondamatic when I was young. Its actually what I took my riding test on. I used to ride that thing every where. It was actually nice to just cruise around on. It was just like this one.

 

[Tex85]

If I was using a bike as my sole means of transportation I could see myself on an automatic, but since I only ride for the simple fact I love to ride... I'll take a standard bike.

I know I hate getting stuck in traffic while riding. If I were traveling in heavy traffic each day on two wheels an automatic transmission on the bike would be a Godsend.

 

[alorio1]

I would prefer an electric shift version like my Honda ATV with a lot of HP...

 

[SpecOps13]

It'll make things easier for total idiots to get on a bike and get killed. JMHO.
Is that a bad thing??????????????????????

 

[Tex85]

It'll make things easier for total idiots to get on a bike and get killed. JMHO.
Is that a bad thing??????????????????????

Society today has countless measures in place that prevent natural selection and survival of the fittest in general from working naturally. Something that will help put it back on track is not necessarily bad thing.

I agree with your humble opinion

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[lawman504]

Society today has countless measures in place that prevent natural selection and survival of the fittest in general from working naturally. Something that will help put it back on track is not necessarily bad thing.

I agree with your humble opinion

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Very well put!

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[m-cman]

I would think the best thing about automatics is it would allow riders with physical problems to continue riding instead of having to quit.

 

[Gargoyle]

I think the automatics are a great idea. It would help people that otherwise would be way to intimidated by the shifting, braking, steering, turn signals, all at once thing. Something most riders take for granted. If you really think about how much you do to control your bike basically all at the same time without a second thought and how easy it is for you, those same things can be quite challenging to someone thats grown up driving an automatic shifting car. Way easier to drive a car than a motorcycle. It can open the door to cycling just like many of you learned on dirt bikes (no horn, signals, cars to worry about, etc) or scooters (no shifting), etc. Once these new riders get the hang of it I am sure many will move onto standard shifting bikes to regain some of that control that makes riding so much fun. I think its a great way to get an entry level rider actually riding.

IMHO..

 

[KJShover]

That's a sweet gesture I suppose. People use auto shifts for drag racing (Those little air shifting kits)

That's not an automatic transmission, that's just a stock or an undercut trans with an external shifting via the air shifter autos run different.

Instead of paying a few hundred to get the trans undercut you would spend a couple thousand or more for a 1-2 or a 1-2-3 or more for an automatic. The one I had in my old Turbo/nitrous Kaw, dragbike was $3500 for a 1-2-3 automatic transmission. You can find them used for around $1500 or so.

They work pretty cool, You Launch in first gear then shift in to second.
Instead of first gear disengaging when you shift to second it stays in gear (both gears are engaged now),
Being that second gear turns the transmission shaft faster, It disengages the first gear. Now you are locked in second gear.
This will go on until all the shifting for the setup gears has been done. The nice thing about this is you don't need an air kill to allow the shifting and the bike keeps the power to the ground.

I want to ride a bike with one of them EFM auto-clutches in it. Not a transmission, but a lockup clutch, I hear it's pretty trick. I know when I went with the MRE lockup clutch in my XS11 I picked up some mph in the 1/4 unk:



.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

The FJ, like many of the BMW cars with paddle shifters, is actually a real manual with a real clutch. Using a lot of processing power and some really fast servos to operate the clutch and shifter based on "conditions"...
Just like Formula Cars...

I think its pretty dang neat when they do it this way......although I wouldn't pay extra for it.....

The BMW cars auto system can be turned off and driven normally, I don't know if the FJ can do that.....???

The old automatic bikes that used a real auto tranny and some sort of centrifugal clutch (or torque converter maybe?)
I would have Zero interest in owning or riding....

For the handicapped I think anything goes and would be cool to allow them to still ride...

 

[woodsman30]

Not for me but they probably built it to target preppies, yuppies and women.

Not sure about that my girlfriend rides a kawasaki vulcan1500 classicunk: