Motorcycles may be late to the trend that started half a century ago in the car world, self-shifting transmissions. But it is really happening now, and is fast becoming an industry-wide phenomenon.
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We attended a BMW Track Day experience recently, with an invitation to ride something new. It was a beautiful hot day and so busy, with hundreds of BMW motorcyclists, and a few other brands also in attendance.
Mainly there were sports bikes, as you’d expect. Back the bus up 10 years and everyone would have been on a BMW S1000RR or S1000R, the naked version of the superbike. Nowadays, there are just as many BMW S1000 XRs present (sport tourer). But we got to ride none of these.
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Nope, it was the R 1300 GSA we took on track. Huh? An adventure bike amidst a sea of sports bikes and sports tourers? Well yes, but for good reason. This is the new GSA with the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA). In other words, a bike you ride as a fully automatic offering – it does all the shifting for you – or a bike you ride as an automated manual. You do the shifting as and when, only there’s no clutch lever involved.
Everyone all in on automatics
And suddenly these are on trend in the motorcycle world. While electric motorcycles haven’t quite taken off like EVs have in the dual-tracker world, automated manuals certainly are catching on. Honda kicked things off in 2009 with its DCT (dual-clutch transmission) that you operate by hand with paddle shifters or let it do the shifting by itself.
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More recently, others decided it was time to jump aboard, with BMW announcing it would be introducing Automated Shift Assistant to its boxer twins. ASA is a development of BMW’s quickshifter technology. The control unit senses the rider’s shift request via a gearshift lever sensor activated by rider input. Two electromechanical actuators activate the clutch and gearshift of the six-speed transmission.
There is no hand lever for clutch operation; ‘manual’ is just like using a quickshifter, except when taking off from stopped which BMW promised would be “smooth and easy”.
Like a regular manual without a clutch lever
So it turned out to be. You simply hold the brake lever while pushing down on the shift lever and 1M pops up. At which point you release the brake and apply gas; the bike then heads off serenely, and you just up- and downshift as you would with a quickshifter; no clutch necessary. The only difference being downshifts are much silkier, more mechanically sympathetic than with a quickshifter. Which was really the only issue any of us had with that system. That and the odd false neutral.
This really is much better and the clutch lever certainly isn’t missed. If you’re enjoying the scenery or are in heavy traffic, just select D (for Drive, like in a car) and it takes care of the shifting for you. This will be a revelation for those who ride in nose-to-tail traffic regularly, even lane splitters who are shifting gears frequently. No more nagging aches in your left forearm.
Shift timing depends on which mode you’re in. In the Dynamic setting it will upshift later, downshift earlier. Upshifting in ‘D’ for drive mode is designed to minimise the jolt normally associated with manual shifting, limiting helmet contact between rider and pillion.
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The system also simplifies starts on uphill gradients, and ensures better control during off-road riding.
In ‘M’ for manual mode, should the engine revs fall below a minimum speed, downshifts happen automatically to prevent stalling.
BMW says that globally this technology is catching on, with almost one-third of GS 1300 sales now with the ASA. It’s not especially expensive either, adding around $1600 to the cost of the bike. Which isn’t a lot given how much it simplifies riding.
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Yamaha also has a similar system, though it does things slightly differently. Instead of using a regular foot-operated gear shifter for its automated manual transmission (Y-AMT), Yamaha opted for two rocker switches, a plus one for upshifting, minus for down, operated by thumb and index fingers. There are D and D+ modes for automatic shifting (AT) too.
Track time
We took the GSA 1300 with ASA for a quick familiarisation ride on road before taking to the track. And that really wasn’t necessary given how intuitive it is to use. Select D or M mode, hold the brake as you select first gear and hit the gas. Then just up or downshift as appropriate. Simple. Want to move the bike? Apply the brake and press and hold the shift lever down to select N for Neutral.
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We genuinely looked a bit like a fish out of water amongst the circling sports bikes, especially with the panniers attached! But this is a ride day; you’re there to enjoy the experience, improve your riding skills. The organisers installed a chicane just before the pit entrance, half way up the main straight to reduce terminal speeds before turn 1 at Hampton Downs. That’s sensible.
We still came close to hitting 200 clicks on the R 1300 GSA before the braking zone into turn one but didn’t want to push the envelope too much. That’s about the same as it manages down the infield straight. And it’s plenty quick for something that runs into a rev limiter at around 8500rpm. This has monstering midrange torque, topping out at 149Nm but that’s on tap from 3800-7500rpm. They say 85 per cent is there from 2500rpm. No wonder long distance tourers love this thing. They will covet it even more with ASA.
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Out of the pitlane and the upshifts are creamy, the downshifts almost as smooth, way better than any quickshifter I’ve ever encountered. They’re better even than those with Honda’s e-clutch system and that’s pretty darn good as well. It’s clear to see why they are already on one in every three GS 1300 models sold. We’d expect this to double within the next year or so.
Because essentially you’re getting an auto for times when you cannot be sodded shifting, like in traffic, while retaining the ability to shift up and down the box manually, just like before. Only there’s no clutch lever and it’s all done more smoothly anyway. And by the by, in ten or so hot laps, it didn’t miss a beat, no false neutrals, no nothing untoward.
Eyes on the prize
Which brings us to the next advantage of this transmission. You can concentrate on more important things like setting corner speed, deciding when to turn in, looking for the apex, avoiding potholes or pheasants, that kind of thing. Meanwhile this unlikely machine laps up the track stuff like born to it, despite riding on (relatively skinny) adventure rubber. That it performs admirably on track is no great surprise, given how it carves up back roads so ably. The linked brakes use Brembo Stylemas up front, so there’s plenty of raw stopping power there. The telelever suspension minimises dive under heavy braking too.
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This turns intuitively with its low centre of gravity, and holds a line just as well. About the only real hint you get that it’s a bit heavier than the sports bikes it ran with is at the chicane, where the flip/flop change of direction doesn’t happen quite so easily. A bit like with SUVs versus sedans then.
Most track days of yore involved assuming the rack position on some missile with a few millimetres of suspension travel. The GSA is almost the polar opposite. Yes, you need to swing your trailing leg pretty high to mount this but once aboard the riding triangle feels like it would still feel as good 500km later. A supportive seat helps, and wind protection is about as good as it gets on anything this side of a full-dress tourer (which bikes like this have essentially put out to pasture).
So the regular manual or the ASA version? No question which one we’d plump for. Worth every one of the $1600 extra dollars asked.