Question of the Day: Coming Through in a Clutch
The latest industry trend: electronic clutches
Last November, at EICMA, Honda became the first motorcycle maker to bring to market an electronic clutch. Debuting as an option on the CBR650R and CB650R, Honda’s E-Clutch combined elements of its Dual Clutch Transmission technology with quickshifters to allow for up and down shifting with without needing to use a clutch lever, but otherwise using a regular gearbox and foot shifter.
Fast forward several months, and now, both BMW and KTM have started teasing their own takes on the tech. First was BMW’s Automated Shift Assistant (ASA), which we have since confirmed will be offered as an option for both the R 1300 GS and the upcoming R 1300 GS Adventure, and then this week, KTM revealed its AMT Prototype, a prelude to an expected 1390 Super Adventure.
What started off as an intriguing new technology from Honda has suddenly turned into a trend, with three slightly different applications from three different brands. They all use some form of an electronic clutch, with a processor deciding how much clutch slip is required at any given time (which differentiates it from mechanical systems, like Rekluse’s centrifugal clutch).
We don’t know very much about KTM’s “automatic manual transmission” yet, but we assume it joins BMW’s and Honda’s systems in using actuators to operate the clutch, automatically opening and closing it during gear shifts. It sounds like KTM’s system will allow the rider to control when to shift gears, using either a lever with their left foot, or via paddle shifters on the left switchgear. It will also offer a fully automatic mode to change gears without rider input.
BMW’s ASA also offers both automatic or manually shifting modes, but it doesn’t use paddle shifters, leaving manual gear changes to a regular foot-controlled lever.
Honda’s version takes another approach, again using a foot shifter for rider-selected shifting, but keeping a clutch lever to let a rider have the option of fully manual clutch control.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as we expect other manufacturers to join in the fun with their own electronic clutches. No matter the approach, they offer the same advantages: easy shifting without having to worry about controlling the clutch, and making it nearly impossible to stall an engine. New riders will benefit from an easier learning curve, as will those who may physically have difficulty controlling a clutch with their hands. The downside, of course, is increased complexity and additional weight. Honda, for example, claims its E-Clutch system adds about 4.4 pounds, which isn’t nothing. But it’s about a fifth of what its DCT system weighs.
So, for our Question of the Day, we ask: What do you think about electronic clutches? Do you see yourself using one in the future?
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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You writers have been extolling the virtues of quickshifters for a while now. Automated clutches are just the next step in the progression. Smoother and easier on the transmission when shifting, twist and go when stopped. Not my preference right now but my high performance car has an automatic transmission, why not a bike?
Of the various implementations the Honda appeals the most to me. I have a Rekluse on a couple bikes and love it. I have the lever to slip the clutch when I want to but when I get tired and the trails get really tough it saves me. It seems like the Honda system would do the same thing except with it being useful in changing gears as well. I’d love to give it a try.