Thanks Soupbean. Did you miss the clutch on the vfr? It sounds like one of those deals where you didn't know what you had until it was gone? What are the advantages of not having to shift? Did you wish you had a manual while on the vfr? I really didn't start out thinking about the DCT, but the idea is intriguing.
Well, as far as missing the clutch.. I would say no. The VFR was essentially a sport bike, I thought of it more as a grand touring sport bike. So when you were at a stop light or stopped in traffic you couldn’t pull the clutch and blip the throttle of this marvelously engined bike. So other than that, no. On that note, heavy traffic and stoplights suck riding a standard shift bike after you’ve been on a dct bike. The Honda dct shifts so smoothly and accurately, it’s really just incredible letting the dct do its mechanical and electronic thing. A human being literally cannot shift as smoothly and quickly. The VFR had quite a motor in it, 1,237cc V-4 with 95 ft lb and 170 hp. But it weighed 650 lbs , so I wouldn’t really call it a sport bike with sport bike quickness. From a dead stop, side by side, I could take anything off the line. Didn’t matter if it was a car or bike. That was due to the dct, just twist the throttle to lock and instant time warp. CBR 600’s and the like would pull ahead after reaching triple digits because of the weight advantage, but they couldn’t out shift me.
I owned that bike for about seven years, so I knew exactly what I had and it put a huge smile on my face ever time I rode it. Just needed to get rid of it and my NT to get the “b” , don’t regret it a bit.
When, not if, I get the new goldwing it’ll be a dct. I’m 53 now, really don’t need to pull up to stoplights and rev my engine anymore.
Good stuff. It's academic now the DCT I was looking at sold last night. But if I do end up with one of the new Goldwings, I am seriously considering the DCT. I would love to continue to hear comments pro and con.
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