Recognizing that learning to operate a manual clutch is a barrier to motorcycle ownership, Honda has long worked on various solutions to eliminate the necessity of controlling the clutch by hand. Since 1958, the Honda Super Cub and other small displacement Honda motorcycles have used automatic centrifugal clutches, which are functional, though far from smooth. Now, we have the Honda E-Clutch, but let’s look at how we got here.
In 1976, the Hondamatic transmission debuted. First developed on Honda automobiles, the Hondamatic was a hybrid of a torque converter transmission and hydraulic, rather than mechanical, actuation. The Hondamatic featured an automatic clutch, along with manual gear changing.
A complex continuously variable automatic Human Friendly Transmission (HFT) was used by the 2008 Honda DN-01, after the hydro-mechanical swashplate design was proven successful in the Rubicon 4×4 ATV. However, the DN-01 was discontinued in 2010, undoubtedly due to high costs and poor sales.
Honda retired the HFT, and tapped into dual clutch transmission (DCT) technology in 2010. The DCT allows manual electronic shifting or fully automatic gear changes, with the clutch always fully automatic. The lineup of Honda motorcycles with DCT has continued to grow as the design has been refined. However, the DCT is a pricey feature, and that has prevented its use in less-expensive motorcycles. For instance, the Honda Trail 125 continues to use the same centrifugal clutch technology Honda used in the 1950s.
Now, we’re getting a look at something new—the electronically controlled Honda E-Clutch.
Here’s how Honda explains it: “The Honda E-Clutch uses electronic control technology to provide instantaneous, fine-tuned clutch control for optimum performance in situations where the driving force changes, such as starting, shifting gears, and stopping, to achieve smooth starting, shifting gears and stopping more natural than a rider’s manual clutch operation.”
However, the clutch can still be operated manually, if the rider prefers. “Even during electronic clutch control,” Honda tells us, “the rider can operate the clutch in the same way as in a normal manual transmission vehicle by simply holding the clutch lever.”
Notably, the technology looks to be affordable.
According to Honda, “As the lightweight and compact system can be installed without major changes to existing engine layouts, Honda plans to apply Honda E-Clutch to its ‘fun’ motorcycle models over time.”
There’s no word on how soon we will see the Honda E-Clutch on motorcycles, which models will get the technology, or what it will cost. Regardless, we’re intrigued.
