Honda is in the midst of developing its own Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) for use in sports bikes. DCT is currently available in the NC750 series, including the Integra scooter that is built off the same platform, the VFR1200F and the recently released Africa Twin.
It has never been considered viable for sports bikes for two main reasons, it’s heavier than a standard transmission and riders are resistant to the idea of an automatic bike.
Dual Clutch Transmission uses two clutches and automates the clutch and shift operation. It minimizes the power gaps and loss of drive that normally occur during shifting with a manual transmission.
Gear shifts are controlled by switches on the handlebars, much like paddles found in some cars. Because it is seamless, the dual clutch transmission is much faster through gear changes than a standard gearbox, and that could result in a sport bike being able to accelerate faster.
But the dual clutches add up to 10kg to the overall weight of the bike, and Honda is apparently working to reduce that weight.
