Dawn of the DCT?

Dual Clutch Transmissions (or DCTs) have been around for quite some time. In fact Porsche and Audi pioneered the technology in the mid-nineteen eighties in their race and rally cars respectively. However, it took quite some time for the technology to filter through to production cars. Volkswagen was one of the pioneers in the automotive sector, and the transmissions are now making an impact on the market. DCTs use two independent clutches for odd- and even-numbered gears which allow for faster shift times.

Now, Honda is the first to pick up the technology and use it on road bikes. The 2010 VFR1200F features the transmission as an option with both a manual and automatic mode. It has two automatic modes (D-Mode for regular automatic operation and S-Mode for sport performance) and paddle-style shifters. The gearbox will add comfort to the rider, offers increased efficiency and reduced shift times. According to Visordown the company has filled patents in Japan that will allow them to transplant the technology to other segments of their motorcycle range. The aim is to simplify the technology and reduce cost. It is suggested that this then could be used in the new Fireblade sportsbike.

It seems Yamaha isn’t far behind though. According to Asphaltandrubber they are working on a DCT system for their future R1 sportsbike. They are looking into a transmission which is slightly simpler in design using two clutches on either side of the gearbox, this unlike Honda which has both clutches on one end of the gearbox. Disadvantage of the Yamaha system would be that it is heavier in construction but as a trade-off allows for better weight distribution.

For the time being it seems sport-tourers and following soon sportsbike will be the main focus of OEMs to market DCTs. In the future, we might see such gearboxes on the heavier touring bikes as well. Whether the technology will succeed in the market remains to be seen. Many bikers will undoubtably sit on the fence for now, but it will be interesting to see whether adoption rates will match those in the car industry in the long run.

[Source: Visordown / Asphaltandrubber]