an alternate future in biking?

[steveo]

Hi,

I was wondering what peoples opinion was of the new breed of automatic bikes which seem to be coming our way, like the Gilera Ferro:

https://www.maxmoto.co.uk/gilera_850_ferro.shtml

I get the feeling that the real biking community will hate these 'scooters' but i cant help but feeling that it is a natural progression. All sorts of cars are bought in automatics, even the the very sporting cars tend to be both, so is it not natural that the bike world should go in the same direction?

Also for those who commute it would surely be a much better alternative than running up and down the gears?

Any thoughts?

[TheShaggyDA]

I'll fight automatic gearboxes for as long as I can. Pottering through traffic is one thing, but I don't want a bike deciding to change gear on me when leant over in a corner.
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[JonB]

It looks like a DNA with a leger engine, not only is it ugly, but won't an automatic be boring?
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[Bendy]

Interesting.

I'd have thought a semi-auto or button-shift kind of thing would have been the first step, like you're seeing a lot of tiptronic boxes in sportscars these days, maybe something similar on a bike.

Personally I like changing gear, I find driving an automatic car to be a bit of a headfuck but that might just be cos I'm so used to a manual that I tend to slam my foot on the left pedal when stopping . But if you'd come from a scooter and had never had the need for gears, an automatic big bike could seem like a genius idea, even though gears aren't hard some people seem to have the thought that they will be. And some people just have terrible clutch control.

Be wicked for disabled riders too, I know you can get a quickshifter and other modifications made, but having it all as standard on a range of bikes would be cool.

Reckon it'll appeal more to the touring market at first, but it'll be interesting to see where it goes... if the auto boxes get good enough that they're cleverer than your average rider is, they might become the 'in thing'.

[octane]

No ta, a large part of the fun of riding a bike is flicking up and down the gears and learning how to get the right gear for each situation.

[Gracie Jones]

I doubt it would ever be more than an optional extra - look at cars in the UK, mostly manual because that is what the market wants.

I reckon a paddle shift type thing, as Bendy said, could become the in thing, particularly for track.

Luke

[Kickstart]

Hi

It is a large Gilera. Therefore most likely Piaggio will can the project just before it goes to production, or shortly afterwards .

Not keen on automatics. You need a powerful engine on a car to make up for the power losses from a slush box. The tiptronic style gearboxes used in some cars are just conventional auto boxes where they have made it more convenient for you to change gear, but they still have all the power sapping disadvantages. If you want to maintain the performance then you need one of the manual gearboxes with push button controls and an automatic mode (such as the Alfa Selespeed system).

It would probably be quite easy to design a clutch system on a bike so that a conventional clutch was automatically controlled for the rider (such a system has been used in cars, with Renault on the Clio Zoom, Fiat with the Seicento Citymatic and Saab with the 900 Sensonic).

If they make it will the Gilera sell? Not sure really. Probably not in this country but it might well have more chance in the rest of the world where there is less emphasis on sports bikes.

There have been a few automatic bikes before. Honda did the CB400A and Moto Guzzi did an auto bike as well (think Honda did a CB750 auto for the USA as well). None sold very well.

All the best

Keith
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[Gazdaman]

I agree, I enjoy my gears. It'd be too tempting to just fall asleep if you didn't have something to do.

I'd expect a 'flappy paddle' gear box as Clarkson calls it would be the first step.

Gaz

[Kickstart]

[pipnet11]

[Gazdaman]

Clarkson's really not a fan of flappy paddle gear boxes.

I think it was a TVR that had a STUPIDLY rough up change, it was ludicrous.

But then on a ferrari, it actually blips the throttle on the downchange, and is overall very good.

That Audi thing sounds great!

Gaz

[Kickstart]

Hi

The Audi / VW system sounds quite good. Basically the next stage of the development of these boxes on from the Alfa system.

Driven a Selespeed 156 and I did not like the gearchange. Fine in that it changed gear when I wanted it to, but it just felt like it took ages to change gear. Probably just because you are sitting their waiting for it.

All the best

Keith
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[cunni]

Yeah great!

Just getting your favourite bend right, tipping in at great pace, get your knee down, maybe your toe as well and, sh'te! the bloody thing changes gear due to you accelarating/braking, jerks, losses traction and you either skid and dirty your pants or pick your self off a kerb somewhere.

I assume the sports market wouldn't go with this? Although, Honda do seem to be going with ABS on all new bikes after 2006(?)
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[Flip]

I like changing gear, it's part of riding. Going out for a blast riding fast and smooth,knowing you've got all your gear changes spot on is a cool feeling. Anything without gears is a scooter and I didn't take my test to ride scooters.

[El Toro]