THINK YOU KNOW DCT?

As the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and a great exponent of the technology, we describe Honda’s DCT as a "computerized electro-hydraulic control system to switch between the gears of a conventional six-speed transmission.

It is equipped with two clutch packs… one for odd-numbered gears – 1, 3 and 5 – and one for even-numbered gears – 2, 4 and 6.

That's what a DCT is, but what it does probably needs a little more explaining, and we're happy to oblige: Before actual gear shifting operation begins, the system automatically prepares itself for the transfer of drive power between gears by starting up the rotation of the gear to be changed to. Its two independently actuated clutches then smoothly transfer rotation speed from one gear to the next without zeroing out the drive force transmitted to the rear wheel, eliminating shift shock normally associated to manual transmissions.

It's perhaps easiest to think of a DCT as working for the rider a lot like an automatic transmission that shifts gears for you, which means you don’t shift gears manually if you don’t want to. Manually changing gears and operating a clutch can be a bit of a pain at times, especially if you find yourself in stop-start traffic, so a DCT can take the strain for you. A DCT can make riding a motorcycle more appealing and more accessible to those who like the idea of getting into biking or coming back to bikes at later stages of their lives.

DCT allows the rider to concentrate on the road and getting use to the bike, without thinking about manually changing gears. 

Plenty of experienced and competent riders like the idea of a transmission that offers the option of automatic operation because it can make riding much easier in urban environments where they'd be constantly changing gear. TDCT is also great for those embarking on particularly long rides because it means a more leisurely, comfortable and simple riding experience, especially as the Honda DCT offers several different rider-selectable driving modes. DCT is even smoother than a fully automatic transmission because the inclusion of a second clutch allows the next gear to already be spinning at the correct revolutions before it is engaged. This eliminates some of the clunky, jerky shifting that can be a characteristic of some automatic transmissions. Of course, the really big advantage of the Honda DCT over an automatic is that it also allows manual shifting through the paddle shifter to give the rider the very best of both worlds.

Don’t take our word for it, go and experience it yourself at your nearest Honda showroom.

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