Automatic shifting: the good, the bad and the ugly

One of the most significant technical developments in motorcycling is happening right now, this being the emergence of automatic and semi-automatic transmission systems.
Until recently virtually all motorcycles relied on manual gearshifting, usually via a clutch lever on the left of the handlebar and foot-operated selector to cycle up or down through the sequential transmission. Modern convention dictates this shifter is usually on the left, though some older bikes, especially British ones, had it on the right back in the day. City and beginner-focused small wheelers and scooters have, it’s fair to say, been using forms of ‘twist and go’ Constantly Variable Transmissions (or CVT) for some time now. But it’s only in the very recent past options for clutchless shifting have become prevalent on ‘big bikes’, with a growing number of manufacturers now offering them across all formats of machine. These include Yamaha, BMW, KTM and, of course, Honda, which has been doing it longer than most, having dabbled in the 70s with its largely derided Hondamatic system on the CB750A. In more recent times it’s launched the far more sophisticated Dual Clutch Transmission – DCT for short – and refined it to the point where, after a slow start, it now accounts for the majority of sales on models on which it is offered. Things are moving fast, and in the last year alone Honda has launched another and entirely different form of clutchless shifting while BMW and Yamaha have also put new systems to the market. So, how do they work and how do they compare? Read on to find out more!

As seen on:

• NT1100 • Gold Wing • CRF1100 Africa Twin • NC750X • X-ADV • CMX1100 Rebel Honda’s system is the oldest in the market, arguably still the most sophisticated and also the one available over the broadest range of models. Widely used in the automotive world, as the name suggests DCT uses two separate clutches operating on odd and even gears for seamless, instantaneous shifts. It can deliver fully automated shifting or semi-automated where the rider selects the gears themselves via buttons on the bar or, in some cases, a foot-operated selector like a conventional gear shifter. Not without its flaws when it first launched back in 2010 on the VFR1200F, it has since been significantly refined and improved to become the most popular option for the models it’s available on.

The good…

• Refinement • Fully automatic and semi-automatic modes • Proven history

The bad…

• Adds weight • No clutch lever • An expensive option, where offered

Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT)

As seen on:

• MT-09 • 2025 Tracer 9 GT First seen on the MT-09, Y-AMT is a modern development of the automatic clutch system debuted on the FJR1300 of 2006. Not a true automatic, it retained a conventional gear selector but replaced the clutch lever on the bar with an automated mechanism. Y-AMT refines the concept and includes servos to actually shift the gears as well, meaning it can operate as a full automatic like Honda’s DCT or let the rider select their own gears via a rocker switch on the left grip. As with DCT there is no clutch or gear lever. Unlike the Honda system this automation of the existing gearshifting process rather than entirely new transmission. It works impressively, adjusts according to the selected rider mode, offers different configurations for the shifter and demonstrates how a semi-automatic option can work for sportier machines as well as the tourers, adventure bikes and commuters they’ve traditionally featured on.

The good…

• Works on sportier bikes • Auto and manual modes • Configurable ‘shifter’

The bad…

• No clutch lever • Mechanically crude compared with DCT • Adds up to £1,000 to the price

BMW Automated Shift Assistant (ASA’)

As seen on:

• R 1300 GS • R 1300 GS Adventure Launched on the R 1300 GSA earlier this year, BMW’s new transmission is broadly similar to Yamaha’s given it operates on an existing engine and gearbox with the option of fully or semi-automatic shifting. The main difference operationally is that while it drops the clutch lever you still have a physical, foot-operated selector for when you want to take control yourself, adding just a single D/M button to the switch cluster on the bars. In our test we found it easy and intuitive, and perhaps a little more natural than the Yamaha system. Semi-automatic was just like riding without the clutch, although seemed less racy and sporty than the ‘paddle-shift’ on the Yamaha, which will appeal to the Xbox generation. In full automatic shifting again varied according to the selected riding mode.

The good…

• Retains a physical gear selector • Easy to get your head round • Proven history

The bad…

• No clutch lever • Less sporty than Yamaha’s system • Cost

As seen on:

• CB650R • CBR650R Given the success Honda has had convincing people fully-automated DCT gearboxes are a good thing you have to wonder why it’s launched another, and completely different, system. Like the Yamaha and BMW ones, E-Clutch uses electronically controlled servos to operate the clutch when the system is on. You still select gears with your foot as normal but, so long as the little green light is illuminated, you can leave your left hand alone and pull away like a twist-and-go. It takes a leap of faith to come to a halt and not pull the clutch in, your head telling you the bike is going to stall. But it doesn’t, and the operating system seems pretty smart about feathering the clutch in low-speed situations like filtering. If you do feel the need to ride the clutch manually for full control you just grab it as normal, the system automatically reverting to E-Clutch mode shortly afterwards. We tried it on a sporty CBR650R and, once we got our heads round it, the system worked smoothly around town while, on faster roads, operated like a very slick quickshifter. The best bit? If you want full control you can turn the system off and ride it as a conventional manual, rev-matching and shifting as you would normally. You have to pull over to a standstill to select this via the menus, but if you’re in the mood and about to hit a favourite bit of road that’s no biggie. True, there’s no fully automated shifting like on the other systems. But for the fact it gives you full control when you want it, only adds £130 to the price of the bike and barely a couple of kilos to the weight it’s a great halfway house.

The good…

• You get to keep your clutch lever! • Slick operation • Little cost or weight penalty

The bad…

• Looks ugly on the side of the engine • Stalling when you forget you’re in full manual mode • No fully automated shifting option