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Honda Rumored to Develop Dual Clutch Transmission Gearboxes for Sport Bikes

Recent rumors in the industry indicate that Honda might be working on a high-performance version of their Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) gearbox. These new transmissions are said to be prepared for several sport bike models in Honda's line-up, and maybe even beyond that point...
Honda DCT gearbox 1 photo
Photo: Youtube capture
Until now, Honda has been using the DCT systems in only a handful of models, but apparently, this situation will change. More machines are reportedly going to join the ranks of the NC750X, all-new CRF1000L Africa Twin, VFR1200F, and Integra maxi scooter.

Of course, the 600cc and 1,000cc versions of the CBR family appear to be envisaged for a solid technology upgrade, even though no official confirmation for this arrived from Honda.

However, with both the CBR600RR and the Fireblade superbike being rather overdue a massive update, we can expect that such rumors be true. If Honda manages to sync bringing the sport version of the Dual Clutch Transmission technology to the market at the same time with a thoroughly updated generation of middleweight and heavyweight CBR bikes, the move might put Honda once more at the front of the pack, technology-wise.

Weight might be an issue, but Honda says the DCT bikes are actually faster

Now, the Dual Clutch Transmission gearboxes do weigh more than traditional ones, and by a significant margin. With two clutches and a more complicated design, these transmissions might seem less appealing to some.

Adding 10 kilos (22 lb) to a sport bike may sound like one of the worst decisions an engineer might make, but apparently, this extra bulk is not slowing these bikes down. Visordown spoke to Honda guys, and they claim that, thanks to the much smaller power and drive loss between the gears, the bikes equipped with a DTC system were faster on the track that equally heavy machines.

Even more, the same fellow appears to have hinted that DCT might also be an option for race bikes, mentioning that a DCT RC213V MotoGP prototype would, in fact, be faster than a seamless shifting machine that weighs the same.

So, until more information surfaces, we're down to speculations. Not sure how an automatic-mode DCT Fireblade would feel, but riding one in manual mode with a foot shifter could be interesting. The video below explains the DCT basics.

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