Should big bikes have automatic transmission?

[Keynes]

Dear all,

I've not been active in this forum for many years and now I'm back.

 

I would like to seek your opinion on big bikes with automatic transmission.

 

A little bit of my background. I'm 46 this year and have been riding scooters for 13 years, currently a 9-year old Suzuki Burgman 650 executive. My left leg is kind of not strong so an automatic scooter suits me most. But recently I have some spare cash (my budget is $40k) and would like to indulge on bigger bikes, in particular I'm looking at Honda CTX1300 , Gold wing or Indian Black Horse, I like tourers, scooters or cruisers very much. But the common thing on these big bikes are, they are all manual transmissions.

 

No offence, but big bikes are usually for middle age or old man like me, who enjoy biking but may not be strong enough or patient enough to change gears.

 

Why big bike manufacturers don't make automatic big bikes? I mean they have all the technological know how and deep pockets to invest in the R&D of automatic transmissions or like Honda, can use its car automatic transmission to bike but, from Honda, the reason is lame, in my opinion, "we feel that big bikes are for experienced, matured riders, who should have no problems in changing gears". But Mr Honda, do you know that there are many matured riders like me who have been waiting for many years for automatic big bikes because of leg, back, or whatever body parts problems, we want to buy big bikes, but we cannot ride it comfortably! Honda has dual clutch transmission (DCT) but it just stop at 750 cc bikes.

 

I would like to hear your views!

 

PS. Please don't ask me to buy car because I I love bikes because riding bikes is very different from driving cars. Maybe I'll buy a car when I'm 60 years old.

 

Thank you!

[No.10]

You're wrong. Honda has DCT one litre bikes 😊

 

 

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[teambhp]

You're wrong. Honda has DCT one litre bikes 😊

 

 

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Yep. That's the Africa twin

 

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[RoboTech]

Honda VFR 1200 comes with DCT option... the reason big bikes seldom comes with automatic transmission is that the high torque from the engine is enough to accelerate the bike from as low as 40 km/h in top gear.... you do not need to change gear often... an example is the Honda Gold Wing, Honda wanted to offer an auto trans for it but when they ask existing and potential owners and buyers, they say that for long distance riding, they seldom need to change gears, so an auto trans for them is redundant... another big bike with auto trans is FJR 1300 AE....

[MR BIKER]

wOW, KEYNES, havent seen your name like almost 6 years back when I was really looking for Suzy Burg650. But after riding the tall, heavy scoot (yes, its still a scoot), I had to give up. I can understand your bad left knee.

 

Guys, many of your suggestion about africa twin 1000cc, fjr 1300 ,vfr 1200 are spot on but i have a feeling that Keyne MAY not be looking for them maybe just for the simple fact , that he is looking into short bike (Honda CTX1300, GW and Indian BH), and body condition, correct me if i am wrong

 

I can feel your frustration Keyne. for me , the honda dn-01 fits the bill but for 270kg and 52hp makes me wonder why, why but the short height made me nearly buy the DN-01 a few months back

 

ohhh, 46 still young. lets hope by the time your burg coe ends, honda will produce a bike that will meet your satisfaction

 

IN THE last 10 years plus, I have always 2 bikes in the lot. 1 manual and 1 scoot. but they are at least class 2a. so because i feel they are adequate enough for singapore road and also going up malaysia.

Edited June 6, 2016 by MR BIKER

[Keynes]

You spot on, Mr biker. Long time no see!

 

Yes, all the above mentioned bikes are NOT to my liking because they don't look comfortable to me, also they are not big enough (I'm referring to bike physical size, not engine size). I'm quite big, 1.82 m and 90 kg. The next generation Honda Goldwing will be my first grab if it has automatic transmission, never mind it bursts my budget, hahaha.

I wonder why the bike world is so different from the car works. You see, almost all cars come with optional transmission type, manual or auto. In fact most cars now have auto transmission as standard. But for bikes, Donizetti all bikes come with manual transmission, even for small 2B bikes, except for scooter. Honda is one of the few bikes manufacturers who offer transmission options for a very small number of their bikes (mentioned above).

[Keynes]

Gold wing at $43k, is it reasonable? What is the OTR price of a brand new Gold wing? Which shop is good? Mah . Motor? I got my silver wing from it 12 years back.

 

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[Keynes]

I mean 9-mth old Goldwing at $45k and another 13-mth old at $43k, but there is 1 2-year old at $42k!

 

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[QuaXum]

Honda got plenty of dct choices. Heh

 

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[RoboTech]

You spot on, Mr biker. Long time no see!

 

Yes, all the above mentioned bikes are NOT to my liking because they don't look comfortable to me, also they are not big enough (I'm referring to bike physical size, not engine size). I'm quite big, 1.82 m and 90 kg. The next generation Honda Goldwing will be my first grab if it has automatic transmission, never mind it bursts my budget, hahaha.

I wonder why the bike world is so different from the car works. You see, almost all cars come with optional transmission type, manual or auto. In fact most cars now have auto transmission as standard. But for bikes, Donizetti all bikes come with manual transmission, even for small 2B bikes, except for scooter. Honda is one of the few bikes manufacturers who offer transmission options for a very small number of their bikes (mentioned above).

 

The problem is numbers... total motorcycle sales world wide pales in comparison with cars... manufacturers of motorcycles just couldn't justify the amount of R & D and production cost it takes to put a automatic motorcycle into production.... Honda being an exception, and a few others too... if you read up the history of Honda's automatic motorcycles from the first CB400A to the present day, you will understand better... don't hold your breath for an automatic Gold Wing in the near future, the largest market for Gold Wing is the USA and they don't want an automatic version, at least the majority don't.... if they cannot handle a Gold Wing when they reached old age, they either modify it into a trike or get a Can Am Spyder....

[RoboTech]

I mean 9-mth old Goldwing at $45k and another 13-mth old at $43k, but there is 1 2-year old at $42k!

 

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Getting a Gold Wing, whether new or used, doesn't matter which shop.... ask about the previous owners and their service records, far more critical than the shops... after that it is which shop can properly service the Gold Wing...

[teambhp]

Getting a Gold Wing, whether new or used, doesn't matter which shop.... ask about the previous owners and their service records, far more critical than the shops... after that it is which shop can properly service the Gold Wing...

U think the shops have service records?

 

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[kaiq]

Go for Honda Neowing!

[Keynes]

Got meh? I thought prototype only?

 

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[RoboTech]

U think the shops have service records?

 

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Of course the shops will say that it is regularly service lah.... how many Gold Wing owners here?.... if possible, find out who is the previous owner/s.... go down to the shop selling the bike, take note of the plate number, ask around, if really keen on a particular bike, start the engine, hear, feel and check the engine old condition etc, if can test ride round the parking area better still...