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From its DCT transmission on some of its flagship models to the semi-automatic transmission on its Super Cub C125, Honda has provided clutch-free options at both ends of its product range. Now, a new system, called E-Clutch, could expand clutchless shifting to many more models and potentially open the door to even more new riders.
Trumpeted as the “world's first automatic clutch control system,” the mechanism eliminates the need to manually operate the clutch from a start, while changing gears, or when rolling to a stop. The Japanese bike maker doesn’t provide a detailed description of the system’s inner workings, but a video recently published to Honda Japan’s YouTube channel gives viewers a glimpse of the E-Clutch at work.
Controlled electronically, the case-mounted system automatically actuates the clutch, bypassing the clutch lever altogether. However, E-Clutch still allows users to manually operate the clutch if they so choose — even if Honda believes the system’s clutchless shifting is “more natural than a rider’s manual clutch operation.”
The compact module is compatible with several existing engine layouts, which should streamline adaptation and production processes. As of now, Honda plans to install the E-Clutch on its “FUN motorcycle” models in the coming years.
While that term seems vague at best, Honda Motorcycle Chief Officer Hikaru Tsukamoto previously differentiated the company’s “FUN models” from its “commuter models.” That hardly narrows down the candidate pool, but Honda’s current range also provides some clues.
The miniMOTO line already features several models equipped with a semi-automatic gearbox, or in the Navi’s case, a fully automatic CVT (continuously variable transmission). Premium models, such as the Gold Wing, Africa Twin, and Rebel 1100, get Team Red’s DCT (dual-clutch transmission), which also unlocks twist-and-go functionality. That still leaves much of Honda’s current lineup in the running for E-Clutch adoption, though.
Ultimately, the public won’t know which motorcycles will gain the new system until Honda announces E-Clutch-equipped models. Also, American Honda hasn’t officially confirmed whether North America-bound bikes will receive the new tech or not. Even with all those details still up in the air, the E-Clutch system remains an exciting prospect for making motorcycling more accessible in a world where fewer and fewer people have experience shifting an manual transmission.
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