Talk me into, or out of, DCT please

[edgeman55]

I rode one last week and was impressed with the DCT tranny.Once I stopped reaching for the clutch handle that is.Very sedate in tour mode and lots of fun in sport.Plus the feel from the front end was really nice.That being said it did feel small-more sport bike feel and the bags are much smaller for sure.When I got back on my 13 F6B I realized the 18 was not for me as the F6B feels perfect under my big behind.I will have the Traxxion mega monty done and a RDL saddle soon so I figure 4 grand or so in the current ride sure beats 15 grand to upgrade to the 18 model.Which ever way you go ENJOY!

[Jimmytee]

I'm still waiting to test ride the DCT, but with some of the short comings being noted about the new GPS etc... I will probably be waiting for a while before buying something new. I'm planning on test riding a BMW this weekend. Still, probably be waiting.

[Patch]

I owned a Honda NM4 which was DCT only. It was my first jump into road riding after having been a dirt guy for the better part of 38 years, then taking a 5 year hiatus from riding altogether. I missed the clutch for about two days before I got use to the DCT. Once I moved up to the F6B, I actually missed having the DCT because it just seemed easier. Throttle response and shift response in sport mode was fantastic. After recently jumping on the new Goldwing Tour for some demo riding, the DCT hasn't lost it's vigor and it felt better, with an extra gear in there to boot. I gotta say, for the commute to work and back in heavy traffic, a DCT is, hands down, a much nicer thing to have. For riding in the country and long distance, it's just a nice thing not to have to deal with. I love my F6B though, even though I got a used 2013 without cruise control.

Of the several riders local (8 now) that have the new 2018s, they all seem to have something they don't like as much, but the DCT isn't on their list of cons...and all but one bought the DCT model, even though two stated back in December they would "NEVER" own a bike without a manual, both of them are hooked. I think Honda nailed it with their DCT models. Mode changing for conditions is really nice too.

[Cali261]

Revzilla article regarding the suspension on the new Wing. Some of the comments in regards to the article are interesting and offer some points to ponder.

https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...-a-big-problem

[willtill]

Revzilla article regarding the suspension on the new Wing. Some of the comments in regards to the article are interesting and offer some points to ponder.

https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...-a-big-problem

That's a very good article. Thanks for posting it.

[dadeo]

I had a 2006 Yamaha FJR-1300 with electric shift and I also had a 2009 and a 2013 650 Burgman cause the 09 got hit by a car. I wanted to ditch the clutch when I was having troubles with left hand after I broke my wrist. All three bike transmissions had flaws. I grew to HATE not having the clutch to feather and control these bikes at low speed, especially the FJR. Gear shifting on the FJR was exactly the same as on a manual bike, but with no clutching. I HATED riding this bike at slow speeds in traffic because the bike would automatically shift down to first and then "hold" it in gear until I shifted it up. It sounds great until the thing shifts to first when you haven't quite stopped. The Burgies had a manual mode (electric shift with no clutch) and an automatic mode. Supposedly Suzuki had made major changes in 2013 to deal with complaints like mine with the transmission. I didn't notice much difference between them. My complaints: In automatic mode the bike "coasted" away from a stop on a downhill slope, then it would suddenly engage "first" gear when you applied any throttle and no matter the speed. This resulted in sudden jerking and skidding of the rear wheel on low traction surfaces. The only way to get the bike to avoid this behavior when starting down a hill was to switch it to "manual" mode manually, then put it into first, then shift to second. This sounds like a small thing... but it kind of made the automatic transmission less than useful when you live in and like to ride in the mountains and have to deal with gravel. And pushing the Burgies around the garage was a bear. The tranny always seemed to have some drag engaged... whether it was running or not. With both the FJR and Burgies there was no ability to feather the throttle when riding at low speeds-- really an issue when you are in a tight parking area and the engines were still revving high when they are still warming up.

So unless Honda has solved these issues... no DCT for me.

[soupbean]

The Honda dual clutch transmission is a whole different animal than the Yamaha, Burgman or a centrifugal setup. You really just need to ride one to judge it for yourself. As stated, slow speed maneuvers are totally different. You use very gentle throttle and rear brake at walking speeds. You need to relearn how to ride a motorcycle in certain situations.., it took me quite a while to use dct at its full potential. After you are aquatinted with it, overall it does make riding more relaxing and less stressful. That, and as I stated before, it really is amazing what Honda R&D has done with this transmission.

[dadeo]

, slow speed maneuvers are totally different. You use very gentle throttle and rear brake at walking speeds. You need to relearn how to ride a motorcycle in certain situations.., it took me quite a while to use dct at its full potential. After you are acquainted with it, overall it does make riding more relaxing and less stressful..

I agree that I had to relearn how to ride a motorcycle at walking speeds. I never got the hang of it. As for the rest, lets just say that I was tired of using the rear brake to deal with the lack of clutch action, and learned not to trust the transmission on any of these bikes to do anything predictable when starting on a downhill slope. I did like riding the Burgman in city traffic more than any other bike I've ever owned. But I don't ride much in the city any more.

[ghost]

I like the DCT, but maybe I'm a little nostalgic and wary of adapting to it right away. I still feel like go fast cars are best with manual transmissions, even if the auto transmission can shift faster and smoother. Really, shouldn't a corvette have a manual transmission? The same with motorcycles. There are so few of us that even know how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission these days. I think we'll have lost a little something when the next generation of cyclists won't know how to use a clutch-- and will think its crazy that previous generations had to shift gears with their foot!

[STRaider]

I like the DCT, but maybe I'm a little nostalgic and wary of adapting to it right away. I still feel like go fast cars are best with manual transmissions, even if the auto transmission can shift faster and smoother. Really, shouldn't a corvette have a manual transmission? The same with motorcycles. There are so few of us that even know how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission these days. I think we'll have lost a little something when the next generation of cyclists won't know how to use a clutch-- and will think its crazy that previous generations had to shift gears with their foot!

I get your point, but on the same line, I don't miss having to kick start a bike. I think the technology advancements can enhance riding.