To dct or not to dct

I find the number of riders who have never actually ridden a DCT but feel compelled to make comments about them interesting. You could just say "I've never ridden a DCT but am happy with my manual shifter".

I have ridden all sorts of bikes in my lifetime and actually have something to compare to here. Smithy has all the straight scoop about how it works and how it compares mechanically to scooter trannys (CVT). I personally like owning and riding a DCT. It works extremely well and I like having the choice of how I wish to ride at any particular time. The only thing I miss is launch control, slipping the clutch for a high power getaway. Other than that, there are no downsides.

Just my opinion, owning and riding both kinds of bikes.

Eileen

 

Ditto,

I agree with JetGrl. There are actually no downsides to the DCT. Whenever you power it up, it's super quick shifting in Sport or Manual. And, you have full control whenever you want it. I won't be dissuaded by those who do not own or have never ridden one. I love this bike. JMHO.

 

Love my DCT. I commute daily with it and its great in city traffic. I stop at a light and don't have a routine. I let go and put down whatever I want. When the light turns green I twist the throttle. When the road gets fun I use s or manual mode. I have used manual cars and bikes and automatics. This is a hybrid that I really enjoy. And if that makes my bike a scooter then there are a select group of 150 hp scooters out there of which I am a member.


P.S. Harley riders need not apply. You can't rev it while in gear and you can't shift to neutral unless your stopped. Takes all the fun out of sneaking up on a car and rattling their windows.

 

Sounds neato.

Question:
What's the best way to pull a nice front wheel loft with DCT? (does the combination of 1200 cc's and gearing allow a power wheelie?).

 

I haven't ridden a DCT, but I know that it would NOT be for me. I am not ready to give up the clutch. mkayserb was looking for opinions and I think that the non-DCT people were giving him things to think about when considering it. I'm sure the DCT has it's niche, just like the VFR does. It is cool that Honda offers both options though.

 

Most certainly, the DCT will power wheelie in 1st & 2nd when you catch it in the right rpm range, in 3rd she'll get very light in the front end but I haven't been able to power wheelie 3rd as yet. I do have an aftermarket pipe and Juicebox Pro which will make a little difference from the stock bike.

1200cc isn't the complete answer though, there's many bikes which have 1200cc + but are unable to get out of their own way, a Harley springs to mind...I doubt very much that there is a Harley of more than 1200cc which can power wheelie, I guess it's a combination of weight, torque and bike length which enables a bike to power wheelie or not.

Cheers,
Smithy.

 

Oh good...then I'm still gonna take one for a spin at a local dealer to get a feel for it back to back with a manual one.

 

Dct

I just got rid of my DCT but for me, if I was thinking about a 1200 or something in the sport turing space, I'd get the DCT. You will never ever be able to blast through gears with a clutch the way it lets you trigger shift manually with your finger...let alone leaving it in full auto mode in sport. I can tell you that it did not have a scooter feel at all, the thing is a beast and the DCT system worked perfectly for that bike.

Power wheelies are hard to do and do not come on consistenly and I had a K&N filter, Power Commander V with auto tune and DAM aftermarket exhaust. You have to hit the 5k or so rpm and crack it open to get it off the ground a little but you need to pump the forks it you want it full blown up in the air....which can be a little scary given the weight and power. It is not a good hooligan bike at all so if you plan to do that, look elsewhere. Even on burnouts, if I held the front brake and gave it throttle, my bike would turn off after a bit because it must make something in the ECU short circut because the front tire was not moving and the back tire was...which also brings up the point that you cannot dyno the DCT because the front and rear tires have to be moving for it to switch out of first gear. Having said all that, the bike was designed for sport turing, not supersport racing, not streetfighting or anything extreme, but rather sport turing with an emphasis on the sporty side. The DCT system works flawlessly for sport turing and for that bike.

BUT, BUT, BUT...DO NOT GET EITHER VERSION UNTIL YOU TEST RIDE BOTH. EVERYONE ON HERE IS GIVING THEIR IMPRESSIONS ON THE BIKE BASED ON THE VERSION THEY HAVE BUT THE BIKE IS FOR YOU AND YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU LIKE IT. I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE THE FOLKS WHO HAVE THE MANUAL VERSION TO TRY THE DCT FOR NOTHING MORE THAN CURIOSITY, I THINK YOU WILL BE SURPRISED IN A BIG WAY!

 

Look, I couldn't have said it better myself. I completely agree with Smithy.

I've owned a DCT for almost a year now and love it. Having ridden manual clutch bikes all my life, I don't feel I'm missing anything by having to press buttons to change gear instead of operating a lever. Just like I don't miss kick starting my bike and using an electric starter.

OK, so the analogy may not be as relevant but technology allows improvements in the way we ride and the enjoyment we get from riding and a dual clutch gearbox is an advancement that is becoming quite commonplace in cars. I still like riding with a manual clutch and it won't stop me from buying a manual clutch bike in the future but I have no issue with the DCT and really revel in its seamless, lighting-fast changes.

Essentially, the bike is the same although I think the DCT is marginally heavier and perhaps a fraction slower but I'm having a great time with it and love it. No issues with low speed riding either.

A big thumbs up from me.

Cheers,

 

Preaching to the choir for me. But you'll never convince anyone that its not an automatic if they have their mind made up. But then again, its not for everyone. It is an impressive bike in either form and deserves the accolades it has garnered. Japan seems to be listening, in fact they ticked off every point I brought up in my dct survey. The real job will to get this technology in a bike 100-150 pounds lighter. Then Honda will start changing minds. Oh and naturally on the Goldwing.

 

I agree with both Smitty and Jugomot.
It's not for everyone, but it's great for me. I sent my DCT survey in also, with the same points.
I love this bike!!

 

My current ride is a Yamaha FJR1300AE, the one with the electronic paddle shifter. Love it. It's quick and responsive and it's never a chore to change gear when I'm ducking and diving through the curves on our twisting roads here in NZ. I'm heading back to the States in June / July this year and am looking to purchase a DCT to ride then send home so if any of you have or know of one for sale please let me know.

 

Cycletrader.com would be an easy way to shop and compare prices in advance of your trip - most ads post email contact info so it's cheap and easy to contact dealers and explain what you are looking to do. If you want to buy from a private party it still gives you a read on prices. There seem to be plenty of FJR 1300A's around.

http://www.cycletrader.com/Yamaha|2321194-Fjr-Motorcycles/search-results?type=356953&make=Yamaha|2321194&model=Fjr|764862750&year=2007:2013&modelkeyword=1&sort=year:desc

 

Thanks Cogswell, I'll check it out, looking for a Honda VFR1200 DCT this time tho.

 

"no downside" ? Sure there is, there is the lack of being able to determine what gear you will be and when, as a matter of driving and remaining in control of my vehicle. And it takes away from the rider interface with the bike, which for many of us diminishes the enjoyment of riding a bike. If all I wanted was ease, I would take a cab everywhere. The engagement between ourselves and the bike is a part of the reason many of us ride, we aren't riding a bike because it is easier, to take away some of that interaction is in fact a downside. I mean the ability to have, essentially automatic bikes has been around for a long time, it isn't for a lack of ability to do that this sort of thing hasn't been offered before, it is the matter that every time it has been tried in the past, it has proven to be a big sales flop. Now times may finally be changing, or the technology is sufficiently improved or a combination of the two; plus as there are fewer and fewer manual cars out there, fewer and fewer new drivers know how to shift at all. But for most of us a motorcycle is about fun, most don't buy a bike purely for the practicality of it, so it is more about the intangible part of it than most car purchases are. Like I said, if I was going to buy a bike just to drive cross country sticking largely to the freeways, maybe a DCT would be the way I would go; but for a bike I am actually going to "fun" ride on? no way, I want all of the excitement and pleasure that comes from operating my machine just so as I zip down a curvey stretch of road.

 

Spike....Ummm...this is incorrect.....When riding a DCT you are certainly able to "Determine" what gear you're in and when, manual mode is a wonderful thing........and you certainly do have "control" of your vehicle. And for the 700th time, the DCT is "NOT" and automatic, it's actually a 6 speed manual gearbox which has 2 clutches. Why do people who don't own one always say these things. I defy anybody riding a normal "manual" motorcyle to be able to change gears as quickly and efficiently as the DCT does in manual mode.

/Rant mode off..!

Cheers Smithy.

 

Just as knobby1 said, it's not an automatic. Those who have the DCT love it. I love mine. And I'd buy another one if I could. Ha Ha!

 

The way I look at it is like this. If you're considering a DCT, then you HAVE ALREADY decided that the manual clutching and shifting is something that you're willing to do without. I think that this is the #1 thing that most people do not want to give up which is why a DCT would never be considered. That doesn't take anything away from the bike. It just boils down to what you want the motorcycling experience to be.

The DCT is pretty much what you find in most cars now-a-days that have paddle shifters. You control the shift point without having to clutch. The question I have is that I believe my car will shift up if you rev it too high. Does the DCT do that before hitting the rev limiter?

 

i have a vfr12 manual and i love it...i considered the DCT ,but went manual, no dealers in my area were offering test rides.....but that's me..i haven't owned an auto tranny automobile or truck since the late seventies .but i would buy the DCT on a Gold Wing without question

 

No. It stays in the selected gear and the limiter stops the revs in manual mode. At least that's what I've read. I don't see the point of checking this out.