Automatic motorcycle transmission

[ndivita]

Honda Automatic Transmission

 

[Rondo777]

Honda has been using this tranny in there quad the Rubicon 500 since 2000 and in there Rancher 350 since 2004. I'm on my second Rubicon an 05 and refuse to even consider anything else mainly because of this tranny. Its the slickest thing ever. Supper dependable and extremly flexable. On the quad you can choose from 4 different automatic modes or select there ESP (Electronic Shift Programming) mode which allows you to shift between 5 "gears" manually. There arnt really actual gears but a preset program controls the position of the swash plates to simulate gears. I beat the crap out of my quads and can't break them. From what I can see the tranny is indistructable and deff worth taking a look at in a bike.

 

[Geezer]

I will probably sell well to the cruiser crowd. Personally, I still prefer a manual transmission, with a clutch, even on my four wheel vehicles.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Personally, I still prefer a manual transmission, with a clutch, even on my four wheel vehicles.

Boy, are you "old-fashioned"...!

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Honda Automatic Transmission

It may be "slick"?, but it certainly isn't "new". American WWII submarines controlled the bow and stern planes with Waterbury Speed Gear rotary swashplate multiple piston hydraulic pumps and motors. Some automotive AC compressors use a similar swashplate mechanism. Honda certainly gets credit for adapting it to ATV (and, now, motorcycle) use -- but, one wonders just how efficient is power transmission by pumped oil? :huh:

 

[Fred W]

I will probably sell well to the cruiser crowd. Personally, I still prefer a manual transmission, with a clutch, even on my four wheel vehicles.

Me too, Geez. I have a SAAB 9-3 and a BMW 325i (an oldie) and both are standards. I much prefer to drive a car with a clutch and shifter than any kind of automagic, even the SMG paddle shiftin' formula one wanna be's.

That is, except for when I have to go into the "****** of Boston". In the stop and go cluster-fook they call traffic down there it is painful to drive a standard. But luckily I have my trusty company provided Chev-ro-let Impala for forrays into "the big ******". I mean, you can't even get most Chebbies with a standard anymore.

 

[Geezer]

Personally, I still prefer a manual transmission, with a clutch, even on my four wheel vehicles.

Boy, are you "old-fashioned"...!

What would you expect from a Geezer?

 

[Niehart]

Honda cycles [750A & 400A] had auto's back in the day.

 

[double_entendre]

I will probably sell well to the cruiser crowd. Personally, I still prefer a manual transmission, with a clutch, even on my four wheel vehicles.

Me too, Geez. I have a SAAB 9-3 and a BMW 325i (an oldie) and both are standards. I much prefer to drive a car with a clutch and shifter than any kind of automagic, even the SMG paddle shiftin' formula one wanna be's.

That is, except for when I have to go into the "****** of Boston". In the stop and go cluster-fook they call traffic down there it is painful to drive a standard. But luckily I have my trusty company provided Chev-ro-let Impala for forrays into "the big ******". I mean, you can't even get most Chebbies with a standard anymore.

Ditto. I've never owned an automatic tranny car or bike and don't see it in my future. As much as SoCal traffic may suck, automatics suck harder.

Rancho

 

[FJRottie]

Personally, I still prefer a manual transmission, with a clutch, even on my four wheel vehicles.

Boy, are you "old-fashioned"...!

I agree with Geezer, and I'm just under 40.

Automatics are so gay.

 

[Ford68xl]

One question for all of you ripping autos on a bike; "Have you ever ridden an auto bike?" Tell a Boss Hoss owner that his auto trans is gay and you'll be in for a most unpleasant, 385 HP responce. Try riding an auto trans bike (and not a scooter either) before forming your opinion.

 

[Fred W]

One question for all of you ripping autos on a bike; "Have you ever ridden an auto bike?" Tell a Boss Hoss owner that his auto trans is gay and you'll be in for a most unpleasant, 385 HP responce. Try riding an auto trans bike (and not a scooter either) before forming your opinion.

I'll pass. It's a solution looking for a problem.

 

[ionbeam]

"Have you ever ridden an auto bike?" Tell a Boss Hoss owner that his auto trans is gay and you'll be in for a most unpleasant, 385 HP responce. Try riding an auto trans bike

There is a big difference between a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and an auto trans. I've driven CVT cages and it's *different*. I have a hard time reconciling the difference between the engine speed and the rate of acceleration. In my conventional car, the engine rpm and acceleration are interrelated, but with a CVT the rpms pop right up but the speed increase lags way behind. If a cage is just transportation and you don’t want to get involved in the experience, a CVT is a great way to go. I prefer my cages to have a bit of soul and stir the spirit.

 

[PapaUtah]

The Boss Hoss will be way out front...until the road turns...

 

[Ford68xl]

In all but the tightest turns, the Boss will hang with your average Harley (not that the handling of a Harley is the high water mark in motorcycling).

But be honest, unless you go searching for the "twisties" the majority of us will spend more time on average roads, surrounded by traffic and pumping a clutch (not us AE guys though) than we will on the truley tasty roads. For that kind of mundane duty, an auto trans will more than prove its worth. And in case you question whether or not I speak from experience, I used to own a 5L (as in Ford small block V8) Kannon with a "gay" automatic transmission.

 

[Fred W]

In all but the tightest turns, the Boss will hang with your average Harley (not that the handling of a Harley is the high water mark in motorcycling).

No your quite right. The average Harley is pretty close to the bottom of the heap when it comes to cornering.

But be honest, unless you go searching for the "twisties" the majority of us will spend more time on average roads, surrounded by traffic and pumping a clutch (not us AE guys though) than we will on the truley tasty roads.

I may not represent the majority, but I almost never ride in any kind of traffic. When I ride out my driveway I'm pretty much on twisty back roads from the get-go and never intentionally seek out the wide slab. I know a lot of other folks that don't ride in traffic either. For me, and them, an auto just doesn't make any sense at all.

And even if I were in traffic, I don't see the big advantage. Unless you have some sort of ailment that makes pulling in a clutch painful, it is so effortless and ingrained I do not even think about it anymore. It just happens.

Hmmmm.... maybe I already do have an automatic?

 

[FJRottie]

The Boss Hoss is also gay.

 

[double_entendre]

In all but the tightest turns, the Boss will hang with your average Harley (not that the handling of a Harley is the high water mark in motorcycling).

No your quite right. The average Harley is pretty close to the bottom of the heap when it comes to cornering.

But be honest, unless you go searching for the "twisties" the majority of us will spend more time on average roads, surrounded by traffic and pumping a clutch (not us AE guys though) than we will on the truley tasty roads.

I may not represent the majority, but I almost never ride in any kind of traffic. When I ride out my driveway I'm pretty much on twisty back roads from the get-go and never intentionally seek out the wide slab. I know a lot of other folks that don't ride in traffic either. For me, and them, an auto just doesn't make any sense at all.

And even if I were in traffic, I don't see the big advantage. Unless you have some sort of ailment that makes pulling in a clutch painful, it is so effortless and ingrained I do not even think about it anymore. It just happens.

Hmmmm.... maybe I already do have an automatic?

What's worse handling than a Harley? I know, I know, bashing Harleys is passe, but I couldn't resist. I sat on a few at the Long Beach m/c show and couldnt't help but think that they had to touch down hard parts very early. Low slung and cool in their own way, but not for me.

That said, I do drive in traffic often and I still take a stick over an automatic every time and if that means "pumping the clutch" (wanna pump my clutch, baby? :wubsmiley: ) then so be it. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Moreover, I think I'm better able to deal with traffic with the stick than with an auto because I can just leave a gap between me & the guy in front, stay in first, and just bobble along a bit over idle rpms. No sweat. I can never make that work with an auto. It's always a game of getting too close to the guy in front, braking, accelerating, braking, repeat ad infinitum. :glare:

Of course, on the bike I just lane split share.

For me it comes down to being in control. I want the car or bike to shift when I want it to shift, not sooner, not later, and I surely do not want to have to work around some engineer's idea of when the vehicle should shift. That pisses me off to no end. :butcher:

Rancho

Boss Hoss....jeezus. Save that **** for Dogpile Friday, please. :lol:

 

[Rondo777]

In all but the tightest turns, the Boss will hang with your average Harley (not that the handling of a Harley is the high water mark in motorcycling).

No your quite right. The average Harley is pretty close to the bottom of the heap when it comes to cornering.

But be honest, unless you go searching for the "twisties" the majority of us will spend more time on average roads, surrounded by traffic and pumping a clutch (not us AE guys though) than we will on the truley tasty roads.

I may not represent the majority, but I almost never ride in any kind of traffic. When I ride out my driveway I'm pretty much on twisty back roads from the get-go and never intentionally seek out the wide slab. I know a lot of other folks that don't ride in traffic either. For me, and them, an auto just doesn't make any sense at all.

And even if I were in traffic, I don't see the big advantage. Unless you have some sort of ailment that makes pulling in a clutch painful, it is so effortless and ingrained I do not even think about it anymore. It just happens.

Hmmmm.... maybe I already do have an automatic?

I know I commented earlier on how much I love the Honda Auto on my quads but I just wanted to elaborate on the Manual setting of that transmission. I own an AE and I ride pretty agressively and do miss the clutch at times. Overall, I would by the AE again over a standard clutch. The manual mode of the Honda Tranny shifts as fast as a light bulb comes on when you flip a switch. I dont know if the motorcycle tranny is going to have all the options of the quad (Manual/Automatic) But if it does I think it would be ideal for for the twisties. As it is, I almost never used my clutch when riding agressesively on any of my previous bikes anyway. The idea of a fully automatic bike dosn't appeal to me at all.