The manual transmission is on borrowed time
Manual transmissions in automobiles have been going the way of the Dodo for years. There are currently only a handful of vehicles you can buy new these days that let you row your own gears. Motorcycles have not yet had the same fate.
‘Hardcore’ bikers clutched (puns are fun) their pearls when Honda started making a DCT automatic transmission an option in 2010 with the VFR1200F. Nobody really bought that bike in the States for a number of reasons but the DCT has stuck around. Models with DCT as an option have expanded to the NC750X, Rebel 1100, Africa Twin and Goldwing in the US. I don’t have access to sales figures but it appears that the automatic option is quite popular. I own a DCT-equipped Goldwing and I think it is the bee’s knees. Even so, more than a few enthusiasts say they would never ride one.
Emission standards continue to tighten. Small engines like those found in motorcycles produce more pollutants than their automotive cousins (NOx, not CO2). One way motorcycle manufacturers could potentially help reduce emissions is to equip them with automatic transmissions and electronically control shift points. It is a stopgap but it keeps us riding until the end of ICE hits us like a 2x4 in the back of the head.
To paraphrase an HBO show that most people barely remember just a few years after it ended, Electric is Coming.
There are already electric two-wheel options. Zero has been making them since 2006 (as Electricross, at first) with their first street-legal option in 2009. Even ICE legacy brands like Harley Davidson jumped in when they released the LiveWire in 2019. Honda recently committed to 10+ electric models within the next three years. Those are big names but smaller brands are worth watching, as well. Sondors, Ryvid, Damon, Cake and Ultraviolette all either have bikes you can buy now or likely will soon. They aren’t available everywhere but, since there is no pricey emission certification barrier to international sales, they probably will be at some point.
Electricity is the future of transportation whether we like it or are forced into adoption by mandates. EVs have no need for transmissions and the clutch will eventually be relegated to the history books. Does that mean people who say they would never ride an automatic motorcycle will stop riding altogether when that day comes? I hope not. We all need to take a deep breath and reflect on why having a clutch lever is so important. Without clutches, maybe more folks will take the leap from E-bikes to motorcycles and keep our preferred mode of transportation alive.
It will be a sad day when the manual transmission disappears. More options are better than fewer. It won’t stop me from riding, though. It shouldn’t stop you, either.
