YZF R1 Dual Clutch Transmission

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brvhrt

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Guys,

Just heard that Yamaha is testing its YZF R1 with Dual Clutch Transmission in India on the roads and on the tracks, engineers working tirelessly on system that will head on challenge Honda's VFR 1200 DCT. It is expected to make its way to North American market by 2012.

http://www.yamaha-motorcycles.org/yamaha-r1-2011-with-twin-clutch-box-now-revealed/

This is the closest article I could find. I think it would be interesting to ride that bike. I think a lot of newbies will start getting on these monster's and make an excuse of it being an automatic and completely disregarding the fact how much power it has.

Time for thoughts - What do you guys think about this and does dual clutch transmission really make it easier to ride? (I hope not because then I would just sell my 250 and get one of these lol...not gonna happen)
 
murf said:
Is it reallymuch different than riding a bike with a quickshifter?
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How about a dual clutch + a quickshifter?

There's a reason that dual clutch transmissions are currently not allowed in MotoGP. Also a reason why Honda's innovative single clutch design that's allowing faster shifting is such an advantage over the others.
 
I drive a car with a dual clutch transmission, it's freakin' brilliant............for a car. The primary advantage is that it delivers manual trans fuel economy with auto trans convenience. Bikes have structurally different gearboxes to cars so super-quick shifts are the norm and there is no auto trans to compare to. Beyond the control of the clutch, I don't see an advantage on a sportbike, definitely too much hardware to do a simple task.
 
It's all moving that way - the computers can do what 99% of drivers cannot and it lets you concentrate on riding.

During the day long stint astride the VFR, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the twisty circuit of MMST near Chennai without having to bother about matching the revs and smooth gear-shifting without upsetting the bike going into corners.
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http://www.zigwheels.com/reviews-advice/reviews/honda-vfr1200f-first-ride/6952/1

The Burgman " extra parts" have been proven to be very long lived - many riders over 50k miles and some over 100k without any major issues( tho there is a design flaw in the early ones that needs attention for the pre 09 ).

I'm sure Honda's build quality on this will be exceptional.

It's very different than the CVT in the Burgman which makes a small motor very efficient through infinitely available gears for the power band ( such as it is ) but the effect on riding remains the same..
You can concentrate on the ride without the shifting and rev matching.

an 800 version of this in sport touring rig would be a brilliant all arounder for commuting, touring and twisties.
But will be $$ from Honda.

The DN-01 from Honda
http://powersports.honda.com/street/crossover.aspx
( that total marketing failure ) used the CVT
- an 800 VFR-DCT would have been a smarter move.
 
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a Burgman will see VERY different use than an R1.

parts that last a long time in the Burgman will wear quickly in a 170+hp superbike.
 
HorizonXP said:
How about a dual clutch + a quickshifter?

There's a reason that dual clutch transmissions are currently not allowed in MotoGP. Also a reason why Honda's innovative single clutch design that's allowing faster shifting is such an advantage over the others.
Click to expand...

I think the op's question was wether it is easier to ride....I don't think it's any different than a bike with a quick shifter.
 
murf said:
I think the op's question was wether it is easier to ride....I don't think it's any different than a bike with a quick shifter.
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And to answer his question; neither is any 'easier' to ride. Who, beyond the absolute of newbies, actually finds manipulation of the clutch to be high on the list of things that make riding a motorcycle difficult?
 
mmmnaked said:
And to answer his question; neither is any 'easier' to ride. Who, beyond the absolute of newbies, actually finds manipulation of the clutch to be high on the list of things that make riding a motorcycle difficult?
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Not disagreeing, but that's what they said before 85% of all cars in North America became automatics!! :-)
 
instead of dual clutch i rather yamaha find ways to make their bikes lighter. a 300 lb 600cc SS would be awesome
 
SkyRider said:
instead of dual clutch i rather yamaha find ways to make their bikes lighter. a 300 lb 600cc SS would be awesome
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This would put the costs through the roof, it would require extensive use of magnesium, titanium and carbon fibre to make this weight, and it would make it unable to race in any racing series worldwide(600cc class weights are around the 350lb mark)
 
I regard manual operation of clutch and gears on a superbike to be a necessary barrier against entry. If you don't have the skills to operate the clutch and gears, you shouldn't be on a bike like that. And for experienced riders, we use the clutch and gears in many situations to limit how much power (or engine braking) can get through ... intentionally staying a gear high in a tight corner so that the throttle response isn't as snatchy (or violent, depending on how much of a handful you grab). YES if you throw traction control and electronic aids at it, that can mask this. But still ...

Also, experienced riders use the engine sound and knowing what gear that one is in, as one of the cues for cornering speed. How to do that with an auto-box, or even worse, a CVT?

I've spoken with people - skilled riders - who have ridden the VFR-DCT and who didn't have magazine advertisers to keep happy. Their verdict was simple ... NO.

BMW has the right solution here; a designed-in quickshifter on a conventional gearbox ...
 
SkyRider said:
instead of dual clutch i rather yamaha find ways to make their bikes lighter. a 300 lb 600cc SS would be awesome
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Actually, I'd rather they spent the money on reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

It sounds mundane, but sooner or later the regulators are going to see that there are motorcycles out there that burn more fuel than the AVERAGE (european) car, and do something about it. Better to prevent that from happening in the first place.

And ... this would likely involve going to direct-injection, and putting in a transmission that has a sensible overdrive top-gear ratio (First 5 gears close, then an overdrive 6th). Direct-injection has the capability of making MORE power than a conventional engine, and improving fuel consumption would open the possibility of using a smaller (lighter) fuel tank. The hardware for direct-injection is becoming standardized, due to widespread use on cars.
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