All Tests – Honda VFR 1200 DCT Test: automatic access to the myth? – Japanese magic

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Honda VFR 1200 DCT test: automatic access to the myth ?

All Tests - Honda VFR 1200 DCT Test: automatic access to the myth? - Japanese magic

Surprisingly technologically shy, the new 2010 Honda VFR seemed to lack that zest of sophistication that has always defined this iconic lineage. But that was counting without the version equipped with the double clutch gearbox… Test !

Japanese magic

Despite the reassuring and effective presence of the combined ABS device, discovering and pushing the “Sport” function of an automatic gearbox to its limits on wet roads was obviously not easy! Much more marked than in "D" mode, the revs of the VFR 1200 become more aggressive since all gears are now engaged above 4000 rpm.

A real godsend, since this threshold marks the arrival of the first real scratch of the Japanese 1200 cc, the second tumbling down with even more vigor at 6000 rpm! Taking full advantage of this excellent engine health from mid-range, the Sport submode is undoubtedly the most pleasant to use: thanks to the electronic control unit, the device again adapts appropriately to the driving style..

At the exit of urban areas for example, the electronics are thus able to make the difference between a desire to roll up (the reports then rise quickly up to sixth) or a desire to titillate the 173 hp of the Honda block: in this second the ECU lets the V4 take its turns and maintains high engine speeds if the throttle is kept open enough.

However, as fun as it is, this Sport mode lacks "naturalness" and responsiveness in certain situations: always entering curves, but also in town where, as in "D" mode, second gear is systematically engaged too early. (2,500 rpm), while the device only controls downshifting in first gear below 1,500 rpm.

This programming complicates maneuvers at low speed, especially since the VFR 1200 is not precisely a featherweight and the transplant of the DCT still makes it take 10 kg on the scale (277 kg all full).

Consequently, the pilot will have everything to gain by engaging the semi-automatic mode: by simply pressing the right switch or the triggers placed on the left, it is possible to switch between sequential mode. Hyper reactive, this mode makes it possible to really measure the value of the double clutch: as fast as a shifter (this device resulting from the race which makes it possible to change gears without disengaging) and even easier to use, this "MT" function delivers the sensations of a mechanical gearbox … that you would control with your thumb and forefinger !

Because here, there is no longer any question of being subjected to the law of a computer as in "D" or "S" modes: the reports are engaged according to your orders, whether in sub-speeds (the ECU intervening however to prevent the engine from stall) or near the red zone.

It is even possible to downshift in first while the V4 is spinning above 9,000 rpm in second: thanks to the electronic and hydraulic management of the double clutch, the exercise is carried out sharply, but without violence and without any initiation. rear wheel evasion: impressive !

Equally appreciable, the possibility of upshifting on the angle in a left turn is almost enjoyable to achieve on wet roads since the exits of the curve can then be managed on the torque and therefore in flexibility..

Due to the apocalyptic conditions of this test, the MNC editorial staff will however refrain from any definitive conclusions on the capabilities of the DCT to attack on dry roads. But his promptness to react to the requests of the index to go up the reports suggests a serious sporting potential !

Yosuke Hasegawa, project manager of the 1200 VFR, confirms to us on this subject that if this technology had of course been tested on road motorcycles (understand: the future Pan European and Gold Wing!), The double clutch was also tested on the brand’s sporty four-cylinder !

After all, with many sports cars today being equipped with this kind of sequential gearbox derived from Formula 1, it is not inconsistent to imagine that this transversality could one day occur from the MotoGP to the 600 and 1000 CBR from the world’s leading manufacturer…

The Honda system will however have to be slightly tweaked: in addition to questionable ergonomics which can accidentally activate the trigger "-" (and therefore downshift illico!) By simply wanting to flash (the indicators and the horn are reversed), the Dual Clutch Transmission mainly prohibits to pass several reports in a single action.

It is therefore impossible to approach a bend in fourth and actuate the trigger located on the thumb twice in a row to go directly to second: each gear change must already be analyzed by the electronics, which consequently requires breaking down each downshift.

Obviously, on a VFR more GT than sporty, the detail is less discriminating than on the future RCV of the HRC! Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the reception of this technical advance will be very interesting to follow in the coming months: Honda, which targets a predominantly male target of 40 to 60 years old, followers of new technologies, hopes that the DCT will represent 25 to 30% of the target of 1,500 annual VFR 1200 sales in France.

Available May 28 in the against 16,290 euros, this VFR 1200 DCT undoubtedly has many assets to constitute the first serious alternative to the old-fashioned manual gearbox. The world’s leading manufacturer does not hide its desire to quickly extend the concept by citing its comfort, speed of execution, driving pleasure and the (relative) preservation of sensations offered by the sequential function..

But the practice of motorcycling is for many a symbol of freedom and a fusional relationship between the pilot and his machine, this interesting technology will still have to cross a thick wall of skepticism and conservatism at the top of which sits a maxim rehashed by a broad bikers for more than 30 years: motorcycles, like antibiotics, are not automatic…

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